Stock Q9950 no OC up to 84°C at load

RotJ · Feb 7, 2010

I just bought a Q9550 and installed it with the stock HSF. I tried running Prime95 Small FFTs without any overclocking and after a few minutes, my temperatures are 84-78-78-79, which is alarming. Idle temps are 35-35-36-33 running at 1993MHz with Speedstep. The heatsink feels pretty firmly in place. Is there something wrong with this CPU? Should I try getting an exchange?

Bluescreendeath · Feb 7, 2010

Try laying your computer on its side, with the heatsink on top and the motherboard beneath it (so the weight of the heat sink presses down on the mobo)

Then run Prime95 again, if that helps, then your heatsink was not installed properly.

If that doesn't help, I suggest you get a new aftermarket cooler. You can find very good ones for under $40, which will allow you to overclock up to 1GHz or more.

werxen · Feb 7, 2010

Also make sure you're using decent thermal grease.

RotJ · Feb 7, 2010

Laying it on its side with the case open gets 81°C. I'll try adding a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus tomorrow and see if that gets more normal results.

Mousemonkey · Feb 7, 2010

Are these temps with the stock HSF?

RotJ · Feb 7, 2010

Mousemonkey :

Yes.

Mousemonkey · Feb 7, 2010

As it stays below 100c it's within tolerance but if you want lower temps then do as Bluescreendeath suggested and get a better aftermarket HSF.

edyn · Feb 7, 2010

Wow! i would really double check the thermal grease and cpu heatsink/fan installation.

I just installed a q8300 and i am running at 27-30 idle, 34-40 on load :S...

I know you got some superior clock but it still not be that bad.

90 degrees on load is what my pentium D 965 was getting to on load. And if i aint wrong its probably the worst energy-efficient cpu of all times or among the worsts

.

As cooling solution, i would suggest coolermaster hyper N 520 and some well applied silver-based thermal grease. Not the best fan, but really good for the price!

one-shot · Feb 7, 2010

According to:

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=33924&processor=Q9550&spec-codes=SLAWQ,SLB8V

Intel states that the safe CPU voltage is between 0.8500V - 1.3625V

The Tcase on the CPU is 71.4C.

It is recommended to keep the CPU below 71.4C for everyday use so your CPU is not harmed. Your temps are a little too high. I would try opening the windows or buying a better heatsink.

randomizer · Feb 7, 2010

What are your ambient temps? If you're at 35C then high temps are going to be common. We've got to know this to give any proper judgements.

Without that knowledge, I'd say your heatsink needs a reseat and/or your case airflow needs improving.

Reynod · Feb 7, 2010

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/273889-28-intel-cocket-install-heatsink

Here is some useful advice in a heap of links.

Incidently ... if you have one of those horrible stock Intel HSF's the push tabs (one on each corner) might not be locked all of the way in ... this causes the cooler base to have insufficient contact with the CPU and the temps rise.

Check the links ... then check the cooler is properly locked down.

Cheers.

Reynod · Feb 7, 2010

random can you edit the title of my link (thread) please?

I misspelled Socket ...

my bad.

RotJ · Feb 7, 2010

randomizer :

Ambient temp is about 20C.

edyn :

I'm looking at the $23.99 HSFs at Microcenter.

The Scythe Katana 3, Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus, and OCZ Vendetta seem to be the best options at that price. I'm leaning towards the Hyper 212 Plus right now. I think it will just barely fit my case. The other 2 will definitely fit my case. The Hyper N520 is $31.99. If I were to go up to that price, I think the Vendetta 2 would be a better option.

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2488&page=4

hundredislandsboy · Feb 7, 2010

My Q9400 OC'd to 3.2 Ghz , vcore 1.26 w/ Artic Cooling ProFreezer idles at 36 to 41 across all four cores. With Prime 95 running, after 15 minutes of blend test, none of the cores go above 60 and if I keep the room cooler by cracking a window (snow outside) none of the cores go aboive 55.

Take off the side panel. If that helps cool your temps, then you know you have poor airflow with the panel on.

Reynod · Feb 7, 2010

RotJ there are a couple of cooler reviews here ... somewhere ...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/Components,1/Cooling,7/

Take a peek.

hundredislandsboy · Feb 7, 2010

Just wondering if you got a chip with a VID on the high side to begin with - 1.2875 or 1.29 to round it off?

My Q9400 has a VID 1.23.

I realize you're not gonna keep the stock HSF on it but what was the highest RPM on the fan?

Like the others, I'm guessing the cooler wasn't seated tightly or the thermal paste amount wasn't right?

demonnn · Feb 7, 2010

mines goes to 72, but i have a small fan that i put in front of the cpu andf temperaters drop to 57c .... that just shows how bad the intel heatsink is.

Reynod · Feb 7, 2010

Actually they are not bad ... its the lock tabs that cause all of the strife.

Iv'e seen heaps with only two or three of the tabs locking in properly.

The force you have to apply sometimes is stupidly excessive.

Without all 4 locked in the HSF just doesn't exert enough force to transfer the heat away from the IHS ... through the thermal grease.

I vote the most horrible retention mechanism ever.

hundredislandsboy · Feb 7, 2010

I agree the push pins are weak and the plastic anchors are easiy bent. It's almost like Intel designed them to last a few removal/installs and then the plastic breaks off.

However, the true enthusiasts goes to the local hardware store and for less than a dollar finds a solution with paper washers (to ease pressure from metal to metal contact) and four of each nuts and bolts, lol...

randomizer · Feb 8, 2010

Reynod :

Done.

RotJ :

In that case your heatsink mount is bad and/or you have poor cooling. My i7 920 doesn't even get to 80C with the stock cooler with ambient temps of at least 26C.

Mousemonkey · Feb 8, 2010

hundredislandsboy :

Hmm, both you and the OP seem to be running quite a high VID. Mine only goes between 1.128 and 1.200.

hundredislandsboy · Feb 8, 2010

I'm not surprised. When my Q9400 arrived in the mail, I looked on the box and the package date (sealed at teh factory) was 9 months old meaning I probably got an early batch.

Stock Q9950 no OC up to 84°C at load

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