Safe Temp Range for P4 3.06

[greymalkin]

I've been looking for a couple days now for an official "safe" range of temperatures for my P4 3.06ghz processor. It's the 800fsb with i think 512mb of cache. It's not the super extreme one, just the regular P4.

I'm asking because for the past couple weeks when I go to do video editing and the processor gets reeeal involved the internal alarm goes off in my pc. I got motherboard monitor and it shows it gets up to 150 F. Iknow thats kinda high but I don't know if my sensor is bad or if 150 really is too high? I found some site talking about the processor being able to handle up to 90 degrees celcius but this was not an official statement..that would equate to over 180 degrees F. if anyone knows please let me know!

If need be I can get another heatsink/processor and theres a slot for 2 exhaust fans in the rear...as of right now I have one of those side fans exhausting the hot air.

[Soopafresh]

I've had that exact chip go up to 97 degrees C ! Your system is probably throttling back to prevent meltdown, which means it is running slower than it should. This is a feature with the higher Ghz Intel Chips.

Your next step is to find a CPU heat sink that will provide the cooling, but not sound like a jet airplane engine. Remember, the larger the diameter of the fan (80mm, 120mm) the quieter it will run. Don't use Zalman coolers in this case, as nice and quiet as they are. Also, get some Arctic Silver or similar for the thermal paste.

I noticed on the stock Intel Heatsinks for the fast chips that they went from pure aluminum to a copper/aluminum mix. Just an observation.

Until you get a new heatsink, consider running your system with the cover off.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-108-021&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-999-073&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-999-136&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=35-106-048&DEPA=0

[greymalkin]

i've got both sides off....
and a boxfan sucking the heat far far away :P

[rallynavvie]

The 3.06s are 533 FSB processors (266x23) so you've probably got a 3.0 Prescott P4. The Prescotts are notorious for heat issues. Your temps are probably a bit on the high side. Getting a better heatsink and fan is always a good idea IMO. I use Swiftechs on my Xeons, I'd recommend the same on a single P4. I'd recommend a medium-speed fan even if you aren't overclocking just because of the known heat issues with that core.

[glockjs]

got the room?:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-109-118&depa=0

no?:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-109-119&depa=0

best heatsinks for air ever

[greymalkin]

glockjs,

niiiiice.

i believe i will go with the 2nd option...while i'm at it i'm going to buy 2 case fans and just seal up the hole where the side fan is so I get good airflow coming across my hard drives from the front inlet and right on out of the case...it seems like my pc is becoming less efficient at getting the heat out..i know 150 isn't deadly, but i'll be doing a bit of heavy video editing in the not too distant future and i want her running as cool as possible. at idle or near it sits fine @ about 114F, but once i start doing any real work it goes to 140-150 ...

thanks for the great find on the heatsink again, newegg has been my computer store for many years now..i don't know why anyone wouldn't get their stuff from there

[rallynavvie]

Meh, I don't much care for the massive heatpipe sinks. I think the bigger copper slug and the helicoid pins work better than the old fins do. Actually the best HSF setups I've ever seen are the Intel Windtunnel spec Xeon boards. They're a bit loud with the 60mm fans they use but damn if they don't cool the crap out of the chips.

These are what I'd recommend:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-108-021&depa=0

And one of these to match it on your MCH:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-108-022&depa=0

[Soopafresh]

OK Guys, Get a load o' THIS....


http://www.tweakup.dk/images/article/564/6.jpg

I can imagine the mobo breaking in half when the system is placed on its side.

[glockjs]

OK Guys, Get a load o' THIS....


http://www.tweakup.dk/images/article/564/6.jpg

I can imagine the mobo breaking in half when the system is placed on its side.

bah, what a cute little heat sink




and the reason i listed the two heatsinks i did is because they are mentioned ALL THE TIME on the overclockers forum im on as the best. now if a heatsink works great with overclocking it is going to work more that well at normal conditions

[normcar]

I just spent several days researching this problem. About 2 months ago I purchased a P4 3.2 E-1MB. This processor idled at about 122 F with the included Intel HS/Fan. I burned out 2 different ASUS motherboards (P4C800-E Deluxe and P4P800-SE in the last 2 months. I just received the replacement for the first, and am sending the 2nd in for replacement (at ZIPZOOMFLY.com). I found that the Thermalright XP120, and the XP-90 (in that order) were rated the best on many different sites. However, the XP-120 has problems with some motherboards (clearing components close to the CPU socket). Therefore, I just purchased 2 XP-90 HS/F today, $52 with a fan (the fan is not included with the XP-90). These do not need a backplate for installation. Until these arrive, yesterday I puchased a Themaltake SilentTower. The idle temp was 92 F. I would not necessarily recommend this solution because it is sooooooo big, and requires a backplate. It blocks some airflow, but is does the trick. I did not yet have the time to put it to a tough test because I just installed it last night.

[Soopafresh]

Do the massive heat sinks like the ones above place a strain on the mobo? Seems like gravity wouldn't be kind to one of those guys in a tower unit.

[glockjs]

i have no clue, i wouldnt be stupid enough to put something that heavy in

as far as the xp90 and xp120..they're mostly aluminum, so weight isnt a factor

[rallynavvie]

I wouldn't be so worried about the physical weight of the heatsink, it's those tall ones that have a lot going on at the top that scare me. That's a lot of leverage against your socket. The OEM Nocona Xeon heatsinks are heavy 2 lb. low-profile copper slabs but Intel was smart, they redesigned the boards to fit a new mounting method that other manufacturers should adopt. Instead of the HSF mounting to the socket and the board itself it actually mounts to a metal plate between the board and the chassis. Hatsprings go behind the sockets to keep the plate from getting close to the back of the board but the weight of the two giant copper chunks is almost entirely on the chassis rather than the socket. There are basically 4 holes in the PCB around each socket on my board. I rigged my Swiftys to mount this way just because I liked the idea and how it mounted.