Why is my 3200+ so warm?

[EricStevenHolt]

Hello everyone. This is my first post (I think) the the Toms forums. I tried to post this earlier, and I thought I did...but I cant seem to find it, so I must have not posted it. Anyway, heres my problem:

I built a machine to be used as a server for a buddy of mine. The specs of this machine are:
Case: Antec PerformancePlus 1080AMG
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2
CPU:: AMD Athlon XP 3200+ (Barton, 400mhz FSB)
HSF:: Gigabyte Cooler-PRO (PCU21-VG)
VID:: Gigabyte card with 128mb GForce Chip

I started out using the heatsink/fan that came with the CPU, but my temperatures were way too warm... around 65C for the CPU. So, I put the case away for a little while and ordered some extra case fans and a new HSF...the one I mentioned above, and some Artic Silver 5 thermal grease.

The case now has 5 case fans in it, two in the bottom-front blowing in, two in the top-rear (just below the PSU) blowing out, and one on the side panel blowing in.

Right now, my system temperature is 31C, and my CPU temperature in 61C. The current ambient temperature in the room the machine is in is about 25C. When the room cools down, the case temperature will cool down a little bit, and the CPU temperature follows... they stay pretty much 30C apart. The lowest I've seen the combo is 25C and 55C. BTW all of these temperatures are IDLE. The machine is running linux, its going to be used as a LTSP server hosting a bunch of thin clients...and I havnt gotten the sensors module to work correctly to read the temps under load, yet.

Now, I'm starting to get close to my time limit on returning the CPU (30 days) back to NewEgg... so if I need to do that I need to do so by the end of the week. I'd rather not, though... but these temperatures concern me. Since the machine is going to be used pretty hard, at the times its accessed, I'm afraid at load I'll be maxing it out too much and taking years off the CPUs life.

Please help! Thanks,
........................Eric Holt

 

[heylookitsjerry]

I was recently having temperature issues as well. After playing with my oc settings for hours, I found out that my heatsink was not making good contact with my CPU. I applied a little pressure to the top of my CPU fan toward the processor and my idle temperature dropped from 50 to 40 celcius.

Yea...I'd just say double check the contact of your heatsink and CPU. Even with thermal paste in the middle of everything, solid contact is still a must.

Hope this helps. =)

 

[robduval]

Just so you know, the CPU's life will not be damaged at all by those 60-degree temps, but you should still try and get them lower...with that said once you get into the 80-degree range you will begin to damage your CPU, but as you are right now, you are fine.