Brand new build, but high temperatures??? Please help!

Simeon · TweakNOOB Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 36 Location: Spain

For reference, I am a noob at overclocking and building computers

I recently put together:

Abit IC7

Pentium 2.8C (with pentium standard cpu heatsink and fan)

2x 256 OCZ PC4000 in dimm slots 2 and 4 (wont fit in dimm slot 1 due to closeness of power connector and chunky OCZ ram)

Radeon 9800 pro

Audigy 2

560watt thermaltake psu

160gig maxtor Sata HDD

1 optical drive

all in a thermaltake xaser 3 case

Everything running stock - have not overclocked, or connected case fans or anything (I don't think the problem is because of no case fans running...)

Anyway, windows runs etc… and i installed drivers for the motherboard etc etc..., but in bios it says that the cpu runs at 45-49 degrees C!!! And this is idle!

I set an alarm to trigger when the cpu hits 60 degrees C. I run windows, and explorer works ok, but as soon as I open say 5 word docs, or try to run a game, the alarm goes off.

What was all the more puzzling was that I had a q-tec 400watt psu, and I changed it for the thermaltake today, but when I put it in, I forgot to connect the cpu heatsink fan power cable to the mother board. I went into bios and the cpu ran at 39 - 44 degrees C - although still high, it is lower than before when the fan power cable was plugged in.

Is it me or is this very strange indeed? I plugged in the power cable for the cpu heatsink fan, went into bios and the temps went up to 47 - 49 again!!!!

I have taken off and checked the cpu heatsink - i definitely need some thermal compound - ordered artic 5 silver thermal compound. But my housemate has a 2.4C chip overclocked @ about 3.2, and no extra thermal compound or anything, and even with the intel cpu heatsink, he gets temps of 24C in bios (idle). He has the asus p800 and a 9800pro AIW and pretty much the same components as mine listed above.

Is there a problem with the cpu heatsink, or do i need thermal compound, or is it something else, like perhaps my 2.8C chip? I notice other people with similar builds have no such problem (the board and the 2.8C chip atleast anyway).

I thought it might have been the q-tec 400watt, but obviously it wasn't because now I have the thermaltake 560watt, and nothing has changed!

Please help!
_________________
P4 2.8ghz OC @ 3ghz 800fsb
2GB ram OCZ pc3200
ATi X1950 Pro (AGP)
WD 74GB Raptor
WD 1TB
Creative Audigy 2
Creative Megaworks 5.1
Thermaltake Xaser 3 case
Thermaltake 550w psu

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meobius · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2004 6:57 pm Post subject:

that board has a tendancy for giving higher cpu temps than what they are

[TN] Nathan · ALMIGHTY PWNER! Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Posts: 7406

yes, the problems are because their is no case fans running.

How do you expect to cool a CPU with hot air?
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Simeon · TweakNOOB Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 36 Location: Spain

But shouldn't it be running a lot lower than almost 50C when idle? I have connected the fans (x 7), and the temp has not budged from 50 - is this still not way too high for idle? Shouldn't it be real low like 25 - 35? Is there any other possible explanation? The thermal compound (AS5) will only lower temps by 4 - 5 degrees right? So where is my other 5 - 10 or even 15 degree decrease going to come from?

I even took out the power for the cpu fan, and it all still ran at 50c!!! is the cpu fan rubbish or not doing its job properly?

The fans have made no difference at all. Is there anything else I may have missed here? Am I right in saying that the idle temps should be at least lower than 40?

Some of the PC health status figures... anything wrong here?

System temp 27c, cpu temp is 50c, pwm temp is 34, cpu fan speed is 2600rpm - 2700rpm, nb fan speed is 5600 rpm sys fan speed 0.

cpu core voltage 1.48, ddr voltage 2.5, ddr vtt voltage 1.2, agp vddq voltage 1.5, atx +3.3v 3.34v, atx +5v 5.02v, atx +12v 11.91v

What other components or settings could possibly be the cause of such high temps?
_________________
P4 2.8ghz OC @ 3ghz 800fsb
2GB ram OCZ pc3200
ATi X1950 Pro (AGP)
WD 74GB Raptor
WD 1TB
Creative Audigy 2
Creative Megaworks 5.1
Thermaltake Xaser 3 case
Thermaltake 550w psu

JayDubya · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2004 9:17 pm Post subject:

it is like meobius said, abit boards are known to read higher temps. look around the abit forums to see if they have a bios with this issue solved.
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JayDubya aka JW Jay JD ^> ﺵ

Simeon · TweakNOOB Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 36 Location: Spain

I will update the bios etc tommorrow...

But would it be fair to think that because when I took out the cpu fan and the temperature didn't change at all, and now with 7 fans running, the temp is still the same (50c), the temperature just isn't being read correctly?

Is there a program or other method which detects the temperature via other, perhaps more accurate means? This way I will be able to deduct that whatever is detecting the cpu temps at the moment is inaccurate/wrong.

If not, is it possible that the bios updates may well resolve this possible error in temp reading?

I touched the heatsink and it was warm. I suppose it is doing it's job - I can't make any better contact with it to the chip.

Any thoughts anyone?

_________________
P4 2.8ghz OC @ 3ghz 800fsb
2GB ram OCZ pc3200
ATi X1950 Pro (AGP)
WD 74GB Raptor
WD 1TB
Creative Audigy 2
Creative Megaworks 5.1
Thermaltake Xaser 3 case
Thermaltake 550w psu

Rhino · TweakNOOB Joined: 29 Nov 2003 Posts: 108 Location: Toronto

You shouldn't compare your temp readings to your room mate's. I have read that Abit boards read higher temperatures than other manufacturers. I can also tell you that the P4P800 reads alot lower than the actual temperature, so Abit vs P4P800 is comparing two boards with extreme-polar readings.

I would suggest that you get a thermal probe, like a $20CDN Compu-nurse, and have it read the temp on the side of the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader)
That will tell you if it is an incorrect board reading, or there is something wrong with your cooling (but from reading your posts, I would have to agree that it sounds like an incorrect reading, or your heatsink is not making contact with your processor)

Just to make sure, how much AS5 did you put on your proc? I'm hoping that you followed the instructions on their site, and used an extremely thin layer.

Keep on posting, and we'll figure this out together.

Rhino
_________________
Intel P4 2.4C @ 3.3ghz
Asus P4P 800 Deluxe
OCZ PC3500 2X256EL
Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu
HP DVD RW - 420i
Chenming 601AE
Asus V9520 /TD 128mb
Seagate 80GB 7200 SATA

Simeon · TweakNOOB Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 36 Location: Spain

Thanks for the useful insight Rhino. I have established that the readings are wrong in bios. I will update the bios soon, but for the time being, I downloaded Abit EQ which (if accurate) says my cpu temp is about 44-45 whilst in windows with loads of word docs open and explora etc... (I decided to open lots of these because when I set my cpu temp alarm to 60c the other day, it went off when I opened about 5 word docs!)

I am going to put the AS5 on later tonight when my housemate gets back (it's locked in his room)

Yes, thanks, I will definately apply a thin layer - any suggestions as to what to spread it out on the chip with? A small piece of firm plastic?

Anyway, I have never really updated bios before or 'flashed' it or anything. Is there anything I should be careful of when doing this, or any particular procedure to take? I have seen that I need to make a bootable floppy disc...I sold it along with my old pc, I havn't got a floppy drive! Is there a way round this?

Thanks
_________________
P4 2.8ghz OC @ 3ghz 800fsb
2GB ram OCZ pc3200
ATi X1950 Pro (AGP)
WD 74GB Raptor
WD 1TB
Creative Audigy 2
Creative Megaworks 5.1
Thermaltake Xaser 3 case
Thermaltake 550w psu

JayDubya · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2004 6:48 pm Post subject:

abit should have a utility at their website for flashing. they use the hard drive instead of the floppy drive. its much safer. just make sure you get the correct bios for your motherboard.
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JayDubya aka JW Jay JD ^> ﺵ

FroGGer · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2004 12:43 pm Post subject:

I have the same mobo, and have been having the same problems. Winbond (abit's software) tells me the cpu idles at 43. Nathan suggested to update the bios to the new one (22), and still the temps are the same. I think I am going to download Motherboard Monitor and see if I get different temps.
_________________
ABIT IC7 MAX 3, Corsair PC4000 Pro, P4 2.6C @3.23 GHz 1:1, 2.5-4-4-7, 2 WD Raptors in RAID 0

mogur · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:09 pm Post subject:

Flashmenu v1.33 is the program JayDubya just mentioned. One click from windows and your old bios is saved and the newest bios is written to firmware. All without making a boot floppy. It's really easy and safe. Here's a link to the download page for flashmenu-

http://www.abit-usa.com/products/mb/bios.php?categories=1&model=5

[TN] Nathan · ALMIGHTY PWNER! Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Posts: 7406

whoa, hold up guys!

Simeon,

Are you using thermal paste or the black thermal pad on the stock intel heatsink?
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JayDubya · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2004 10:10 pm Post subject:

oh yeah . . . don't use the heat pad AND the thermal paste. only one or the other (preferably paste). make sure to clean the heatsink and core with rubbing alcohol and cue tips.
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JayDubya aka JW Jay JD ^> ﺵ

Josh · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 4:08 am Post subject:

yeah, you definatly need thermal paste, increases the conduction (if thats the word) between the heatsink and the CPU, but you only need a small amount over the core (small piece of metal in the middle of CPU), try not to get it on the dye. Also, definately get some case fans, is your PC a mess of wires? try to clear them all to one side if you can so then there is more free space inside, this allows the air to circulate better, i think.

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