AMD Athlon XP 2100+ running at 60 degrees C

[imademyfirstcomputer]

CPU - 60 degrees
MB - 30 degrees
I didn't think this was that big of a deal, because this was my first computer that i built and i didn't know any better. Secondly it isn't causing any problems with my computer. So what i am wondering is ... is this really that big of a problem, because my friend pointed out that his mb and cpu difference is never over 15 degrees. From what i hear cpu life is significantly decreased even due to a 2 degree increase in temperature. Heatsink is working fine, because when you touch it the heat is going through it... what im thinking is the size of the fan needs to be upgrades.... not sure... both heatsink and mb are amd approved... so it would be great if someone can help me out and tell me what exactly needs to be done ( i have 5 case fants btw, temp never deviates much doesn't matter on amount of use).

Dhruv

System Specs:
Asus A7V333
Athlon XP 2100+
Geforce 4 Ti 4200
Diamond SupraMax 56ki
Samsung 256 mb RAM
etc..

[DrZaius]

Hi imademyfirstcomputer,

Where are these temps reported? Some BIOS' give inaccurate readings. The stock heatsink along with five case fans should not allows temps that high. Install Motherboard Monitor or SiSoft Sandra and see what it reports for the temps.

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Hey,
Both the bios and Asus PC probe report these temperatures.
Dhruv

[DrZaius]

In that case, I would try removing the existing thermal gum and reapplying some Arctic Silver paste. If that doesn't work, a new heatsink would be the best solution, the Thermalright AX-7 the is best Socket A one you can get. Or you can just get a very loud Delta 60mm fan for the current heatsink, but I doubt you want even more noise than the current five fans are producing.

[imademyfirstcomputer]

I really dont mind the noise... my speakers easily outweigh the noise ... so ill go ahead and try go get a new heatsink and fan... is it bad to run my system on the temps it is running.. am i hurtin it?

[Mattman]

As a general rule, any CPU that ever reaches temp above 50 C is running too hot. At higher CPU temps, you will certainly shorten the life of the CPU, but may (but not always) also get frequent lock ups or blue screens.

[DrZaius]

It's not hot enough to damage the CPU (can go up to 90C if I remember correctly), but it's definately too hot.

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Thanks for the help.. ill try getting the new heatsink and fan.. and see how much they help and lethca know if i still have problems

[HAL9000]

Is that the retail boxed AMD heatsink and fan, if so, they are marginal, especially on the higher end CPU's. A better heatsink and fan is a good idea as is some quality thermal compound. Scrape off the thermal pad that will be pre-applied to the new heatsink and apply a thin layer of thermal grease on the CPU core.

Also, 5 fans in your system... you may not have an optimal configuration and may have dead spots in your system where the air is not circulating. You may want to unplug a few, monitor temps, plug one in at a time to see if things get better or worse. If one makes it worse, try changing airflow directions until you get an optimal setup. It sounds like a lot of work, but sometimes more fans can be more trouble.

[imademyfirstcomputer]

That was something what i was thinking of doing.. here is a link to the case i have :
http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...ct_code=292088
The fans are placed quite efficently so i didn't think the airflow would be a problem... but i can definitely give that a try.
I dont feel very confident with applying thermal paste so i was just gonna upgrade the fan and heatsink and see what that does... this is my first built ever... thanks again for your help.
Dhruv

[DrZaius]

Did you apply thermal paste the first time?

[imademyfirstcomputer]

I didn't have a thermal paste... i dont plan on using any.

[Cricket]

Hi imademyfirstcomputer,

AMD's website has a Tech Doc that has really good instructions on how to install a heatsink on one of their CPU's.

Go here and look for Tech Doc #23986: AMD Athlon Tech Docs

Using a good thermal compound instead of the thermal pad will result in better thermal transfer between the CPU core and the heatsink. We normally see a drop of about 4 to 6 degrees C when switching from the thermal pad to a thermal compound like Artic Silver. The Artic Silver website has really good instructions on how to use their product: Artic Silver Instructions. But it's really up to you if you want to use the thermal pad instead.

Cricket

[DrZaius]

You definitely need to use some thermal paste or at least the default "gum" paste on the bottom of some heatsinks. If you're not using any now, it would explain the high temps.

[imademyfirstcomputer]

I just have two concerns with using these products...
first can i get these in local stores.. or do i have to order them online? i was hoping i could get it from best buy or some other store (comp usa etc..) to save on shipping charges.

secondly... doesn't using pastes or "gum" leave some sort of residue.. arctic silver looks promising but i was wondering if i would be able to remove it in the futuer and i woudln't be jeapordizing the system in any way ?

[HAL9000]

Yes, they can be removed fairly easy and since you only need a very small dab of it, you shouldn't have gobs to clean off later. The pastes are designed to fill in microscopic voids between the CPU and the heatsink. Using a very thin layer fills these voids, but allows closer contact of the heatsink than the thermal pad which if you look at, is quite thick.

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Allright sounds good... im got a new heatsink and fan... (this was the best they had at a local computer store for amd... something form speez)... and im gonna get some thermal grease and try it all out in a couple of hours.

[Cricket]

Hi imademyfirstcomputer,

Radio Shack carries a house brand thermal compound. Or you can get Antec thermal compound at CompUSA. That local computer store didn't have any thermal compound of some kind?

Cricket

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Nah they dont carry it.. but ill get the one from radioshack.

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Well the new heatsink and fan helped... a little.. this without the paste and the gum... idling at 56 degress... im gonna try the paste soon... and then was wondering if i should try a shim?

[Cricket]

Hi imademyfirstcomputer,

You're using the heatsink/fan without any kind of thermal transfer material? Wow, lucky the CPU doesn't burn out.

Forget using a shim...they've been known to damage the CPU core while the heatsink is being installed. Damaged core = dead PC.

Cricket

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Um... well im very new at this.. but there stuff at the bottom of the heatsink... isnt that some kind of thermal transfer material... i do plan on getting the thermal grease pretty soon though

[DrZaius]

Yep, there are two kinds of thermal grease. The kind that comes with heatsinks is usually a thick pink "gum" type sqaure patch on the bottom. That's good for one use, but if you remove the heatsinks later you should reapply the other kind, which is white and almost like toothpaste, it comes in a small tube (Arctic Silver and Radio Shack kind).

[wireant]

cricket,
How do CPU shims cause damage to the core? I thouht it would help more than anything. I just purchased the ax-7 hsf and bought a shim because the thing is so heavy. I thought it would decrease the risk of crushing the core. If it will cause damage I will take it out.

[HAL9000]

All it takes is to knock it slightly out of alignment, then to force the heatsink clamp down. Some of them are conductive and have shorted out the bridges on the processor surface. I agree, they are not recommended.

When you applied the heatsink, there may have been a plastic strip on the thermal pad. Did you remove it? It's there to protect the pad until installation time.

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Yeah i got that part right... actually my system hasn't gone over 60 ... that was during intense use... 3dmark and other games... and it stays around ~55

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Im gonna further upgrade my hsf to this..http://www.pcboost.com/store/viewite...idproduct=2073
this should definitely take care of overheating issues right?

[Cricket]

Hi imademyfirstcomputer,

That Swiftech is a very good heatsink. As long as it's installed correctly you should see CPU idle temps below 50C (as long as your ambient room temperature aren't very hot to begin with). It's one of the bolt-on heatsinks so you don't have to worry about clipping it to the socket. Good choice.

Cricket

[imademyfirstcomputer]

Got a questioin on that new hs... clip on??? how do i put this on my mb isn't it gonna harm something??

[Cricket]

Hi imademyfirstcomputer,

I thought that particular Swiftech heatsink bolts onto the motherboard? Didn't it come with instructions?

Go to the Swiftech MC462 page and look on the right side for the installation instructions: Swiftech MC462

Cricket