hot AMD Athlon

[edu]

What could be the cause of my Athlon XP 3200 to overheat to 98 degrees? The case has no cover. Thanks for any suggestions (short of buying a new one)

[waheed]

Inadeqaute cooling. Try using some thermal paste or a new CPU fan. How do you know its running at 98 degrees? I would confirm this first.

[redwudz]

If you are reading 98C, the reading is wrong or your CPU is inoperative and smoking at that point. The failure temp is about 85C. The CPU should have shut down before that. Check this AMD temperature page.http://forums.amd.com/index.php?showtopic=11807

If, on the other hand you mean 98F, that's 36C and not even hot for a CPU.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

indeed, 98C is death for a CPU.
98F is heavenly!

BTW, AMD's do tend to run hot.
I have an AMD XP 3200+ in a nice big Antec case with 3 80mm intake fans and 2 80mm exhaust fans and it's still not running as cool as I'd like.

DON'T cheap out on your CPU fan!!!!! Use an OEM AMD fan or upgrade to a HUGE high performance model, don't just go buy some cheap $20.00 piece of shit.

I will repeat myself, AMD's run hot!

[Poppa_Meth]

Older AMDs run hot. I just built a rig with a Venice 3000+ in it and it runs about 24C at idle. Stock HSF with Arctic Ceramique. If it really is hot then slaps some Ceramique or Silver 5 on it to lower temps. But at Athlon XP isn't too bad at all if its 98F

[redwudz]

Temperature readings may not always be accurate. I have a thermal gun (Borrowed from work) I use to verify them. The surface temp of the cooler is usually ~10C less than the CPU surface temp. Or just put your finger at the base of the CPU cooler when the computer has been under load for a while. If you burn your finger, it's running too hot.

AMDs with the small CPU dies have a smaller surface area to dissipate heat. The newer A64s with a die ~2 inches across typically run cooler. Also it's a factor of power consumed by the CPU as to how much heat it produces.

My multimedia computer with a A64 3000+ Sempron runs 30C idle and up to 32C under 100% CPU load for a half hour. MB temp is 30C. However, some of the smaller die AMD CPUs can run up into the low 60C range without damage or problems. Cooler is always better, though.

[budz]

anyone have comments on a Swiftech MCX462-V (Socket A) heatsink? I'm looking for another heatsink for a AMD Barton 2800 processor. I have a thermaltake silent booster heatsink that isn't cooling the cpu as much as I'd like it to. Boot up temp 47C then it quickly goes up to 56C which is in idle mode, loaded temp 60C when encoding video.

[Soopafresh]

The Swiftechs are highly regarded, but expensive. Perhaps all you need is a higher RPM fan with which you can replace the existing fan on your Thermaltake cooler.

[vhelp]

Wait.. how can I measure my heat from my setup ??

I'm back to using my old K7S5A mobo w/ an 1800+ cpu.
To the touch, it is faily cool/warm.. but that could just
be my fingers opinions hehe.

(Sorry for jumping in.. I thought it could be useful for
others too)

OS: Win98x;
other1: K7S5A; AMD XP 1800+; 512MB ram; 300watt UPS;
other2: 30g hdd; 20g hdd; 1-dvd burner;
other3: ati-rage fury pro graphic/cap card; ati-tv wonder ve cap card;
other4: Turco Beach sound card;

..oh, thanks.

-vhelp 3574

[Xylob the Destroyer]

if your mother board has onboard sensors for such things as fan speeds and temperature readings, then the manufacturer should have a program available somewhere to monitor those things (ASUS Probe for example)

[Silvas]

My K7S5A just burned up on me, dammit. Gonna take this as a sign to upgrade. Amazing how much cheaper things are online. I can save over $100 buying online vs. locally. Let me know if you need an extra 1800+ or 512 memory as I'll soon have some to spare.

Wait.. how can I measure my heat from my setup ??

I'm back to using my old K7S5A mobo w/ an 1800+ cpu.
To the touch, it is faily cool/warm.. but that could just
be my fingers opinions hehe.

(Sorry for jumping in.. I thought it could be useful for
others too)

OS: Win98x;
other1: K7S5A; AMD XP 1800+; 512MB ram; 300watt UPS;
other2: 30g hdd; 20g hdd; 1-dvd burner;
other3: ati-rage fury pro graphic/cap card; ati-tv wonder ve cap card;
other4: Turco Beach sound card;

..oh, thanks.

-vhelp 3574

[RJ32]

Do yourself a favor and get some arctic silver 5 and a solid copper heatsink. They do wonders for CPU cooling compared to the cheapy stock fans with the giant thermal pad attached to them.

[budz]

The Swiftechs are highly regarded, but expensive. Perhaps all you need is a higher RPM fan with which you can replace the existing fan on your Thermaltake cooler.

I had a Thermaltake Cat9 92 mm fan on the Silent Booster Heatsink that gave me higher temps so I put the original fan back on which gave me a few drops in the temp but still high in my eyes. I did use Artic Silver 5 thermal paste. Asus probe shows me the cpu temp which is a bit higher than I'd like it to be.

I think I'll take your advice and buy another fan before I sink money in a Swiftec Heatsink. I'm thinking of buying the Vantec Stealth 92 mm although I've read the Vantec Tornado 92mm is a great one too but the freaking thing is LOUD from what I've read.

[redwudz]

What Xylob the Destroyer said.

Most motherboards have temp sensors that can be read in BIOS. The K7S5A CPU temp reading is listed in 'Hardware Monitor' page in BIOS.

Generally if they are in BIOS, a software program can read them also. Motherboard Monitor is popular for this, or the motherboard setup disc may have temperature reading programs.

[vhelp]

I didn't realise I had MBM 5 D/L'ed previously. Anyways..

I started her up, and my tray says:
** case: -95f / CPU: 30F / Sensor 3 32F

I don't know what the -95F means though.

Don't know if that's good, but it probably is.. in the yellow,
I would assume.

-vhelp 3577

[Soopafresh]

Get some grommets from the hardware store to reduce the vibration from the faster fan. Let us know how it turns out.


Vhelp - MBM isn't reading the correct info on your mobo. AIDA32 or the newer version "EVEREST" will show you sensor info as well, and doesn't require installation.

[vhelp]

Where do I get those apps ??

Tanx,
-vhelp 3578

[Soopafresh]

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download181.html

And the app below is great for determining drive temperature.

http://private.peterlink.ru/tochinov/DTemp/DTemp.zip

[Lcarvone]

I didn't realise I had MBM 5 D/L'ed previously. Anyways..

I started her up, and my tray says:
** case: -95f / CPU: 30F / Sensor 3 32F

I don't know what the -95F means though.

Don't know if that's good, but it probably is.. in the yellow,
I would assume.

-vhelp 3577

Those don't sound right.....I am actually running a K7S5A like the original poster is (or shall I say was) and it only reads two of the three "available" sensor displays from MBM5 (Case temp and CPU temp). There should be some documentation for each supported mobo which sensor to use and what it is actually reading.

[ROF]

Ten Tips for Athlon heatsink installation:


1) All heatsinks are different in weight, size, and strap. Always peform a dry run before installing processor and thermal paste. It's important to use proper technique and never use excessive pressure.

2) Make sure heatsink is properly seated.

3) Make sure Heatsink is not touching the socket at all.

4) Make sure heatsink is installed properly.

5) Make sure fan is connected to MoBo and operational.

6) Make sure to remove heatsink sticky label. (the one that says remove before install)

7) Apply 2 rice size strips of thermal paste to processor only. (not the entire wafer)

8 ) Use a clean plastic baggie and finger to smoothly coat entire processor (Do not extend paste onto wafer)

9) Always install heatsink flat and not at an angle. (You will remove your even thermal paste if you apply at angle)

10) Never touch the bottom of heatsink or fan blades. (Finger oils are baddd!)

** - If you've never installed a Socket A Heatsink before, Please read up on proper installation. The time you take to review procedures now will save you tremendous headaches in the future. Even if you've installed 100 heatsinks, it's always good to at the very least review the steps again.

[redwudz]

ROF, good information. I had a heatsink hang up on the ledge of a processor socket a while back, but fortunately the computer automatically shut down when the CPU heat exceeded the limit. I now always make sure the heatsink is slid away from the socket ledge on the clips before I place it down onto the CPU.

Also pay attention to how the holddown clips secure. Make sure they are completely over the bosses on the CPU holder. If a screwdriver is used to secure the heatsink clip, temporarily put a piece of plastic under the area where you have the screwdriver in case of slips. It cost me a new motherboard once when I wasn't paying attention and the screwdriver slipped out of the clip and took out one of the RAM resistors. An expensive lesson I don't ever plan to repeat.

Isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip work well to wash off oils and old thermal compound. Try not to get excess thermal compound or alcohol onto the CPU holder if you can avoid it.

I always try to mount the heatsink before I install the MB into the case. I place it on the pad that usually comes with the MB onto a hard, flat surface. This lessens the stress on the MB compared to doing it after the MB is in the case.

[ROF]

I always try to mount the heatsink before I install the MB into the case. I place it on the pad that usually comes with the MB onto a hard, flat surface. This lessens the stress on the MB compared to doing it after the MB is in the case.

That's always a good idea about installing this hardware before you install the board inside your case. You might also want to clip your RAM in place after processor installation but before case installation. You will have alot more room. Case installation of Athlons is not recommended. You want to be able to see from all angles where your heatsink is being placed.

I wouldn't recommend using that piece of foam that comes with your MoBo unless the foam is inside the anti-static wrap. You may introduce static to the underside of your board by doing so. You also do not want to install the heatsink onto the MoBo while the board is sitting on a bare hard surface such as a desk. The pressure used to apply the heatsink may effect the solder points on the underside of the board. I'd recommend using an anti-static mat or a rubberized pad under the board for installation. Even two pieces of cardboard and your MoBo Anti-Static Bag for a non-static cushioned surface would work.

After installation, you should be able to look underneath your heatsink and inspect that the heatsink is not touching the socket or the processor wafer. On Athlons, there are 4 pads on the wafer. These will slightly lift the heatsink and prevent it from transferring heat to the wafer. The only thing the bottom of the heatsink should be touching is the processor die in the center of the wafer.