Need Help!!!! E6420

this is a build about 2 weeks old now. i had it running on the stock intel hsf up until this monday. i tested it at many speeds including stock,stock speed with speedstep off, 2.8ghz (7x400) and all ran fine. temps where about 40c idle/uppers 60s TAT load.

but on monday i installed a zalman 9700 led(copper blue light model) i cleaned the paste off cpu and put artic silver 5 on. idle temps where now in mid 20s at stock. and upper 20s to around 30 at 2.8. TAT load temps were in the upper 40s with the fan on full blast and mid 50s with the fan on regular.
but now the system is very very very unstable. sometimes it doesnt even post. i have to unplug the system then turn it back on. it restarts in bois when changing settings. it shutdown in windows while just browsing the web. i had TAT and everest monitering temps/fan speed. 30-35C max when this is happening. i think the bios is somehow thinking the cpu is overheating when it really isnt or something. i messed with many of bios settings to try in figure it out but no luck. if you have any other ?s just throw them out. i try'd to explain this as fast as i can cause im afraid its going to shut off.


6420
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 rev 3.3 f10 bios
GIGABYTE GV-NX73T256P-RH GeForce 7300GT
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW
Antec True Power Trio TP3-430 ATX12V 430W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails - Retail
seagate 400gig sata hd
nec 3550a dvd burner
A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
windows xp sp2
ubuntu7.04

1) One possibility is an issue with the CPU fan speed sensor. To test this, plug the Zalman into a different fan MB header, and plug the OEM Intel cooler into the CPUFAN header (but don't install the Intel cooler on the CPU). If this solves the problem, it's likely something involving the Zalman fan's speed or rpm sensor.
2) Another possibility is less trivial. The OEM Intel fan serves 2 cooling functions, not just one. 1) The main function is to cool the CPU. The Zalman does this, too, even better than the OEM Intel. 2) The secondary function is to cool nearby MB components such as the PWM circuitry adjacent to the CPU, and even the NB heatsink, by blowing air down onto the MB and out in all directions. The Zalman does NOT do this. Your NB and/or PWM circuitry may be overheating because of the lack of cooling; your symptoms seem more consistent with this than with possibility 1 above.
To test if the problem is something to do with the CPU cooler (and not that you just messed something up while installing the Zalman), remove the Zalman and reinstall the OEM Intel cooler and see if that solves the problem. If so, then it is likely something like the secondary cooling issue, and you'll need to consider a different aftermarket CPU cooler design or additional small fans if you don't want to stick to the Intel cooler.

Never thought about the fan header, off Monomans post, that kind of interesting.

Does the DS3 have a 4 pin header, and the Zalman have a 3 pin header?

Can the health monitor be set to ignore the CPU Fan RPMs?

Please let me know if I'm wrong on my next comment:

Also, about Prime95 or ORTHOS, I thought those programs help test your hardware, including memory. And I thought TAT just sends the intel CPU into over drive to cause allot of heat for thermal testing only, but not to test hardware problems, like the other 2 programs.

How careful were you in building the thing? You can quite easily damage components without realising it. Check all connections (but I'm sure you've already done this).

I really can't think it will be the heatsink. Not with resetting in BIOS. Do you notice any difference between when it's on for a minute from off-for-hours, or when it's been on for a while, and keeps resetting?

Also, if it's resetting in BIOS, does it make any difference if you clear CMOS settings? If so, there must be something amiss, like maybe fan monitoring as you've suggested.

Not heard of A-Data memory. Is it reliable? Could quite easily be a memory fault (though tbh it could be lots of things).

ok here is update. and some answers. yes the zalman is a 3 min and mobo 4 pin. the zalman also a fan controller that you can put outside the case. it wouldnt reset after a hr or so of being on. but when it did that it was alot cooler in the room then normal. so the ambient case temp was lower. it also wouldnt reset cause of fan speed. it actually shut off with the zalman on full blast. with a cpu temp reading off 28C. at stock cpu speeds the heatsink can actually cool the chip with the fan off. during all my testing to see what was wrong. when the bios fan control turned the fan off the temps went up maybe 1C it even that at idle.

the ram is fine for the board. had zero problems with system until switched out cpu cooler.

so i went home last night and plugged the intel stock cooler into the cpu fan connector on the mobo and plugged the zalman into a system connector. i got the same results. while doing this the intel stock fan was spinning at its lowest speed. so i came to the conclusion that it had to be other mobo stuff near the cpu socket that was overheating like mondoman suggested. i removed the zalman and put back on the stock intel cooler with artic silver 5. the cpu temp at idle is now in the low 30s. this at stock 2.13 and with all the speedstep stuff on. and i didnt have any problems again since about 10pm last night.

i ran tests just to test the cooling. like TAT. i even ran othos for about ten mins. and prime 95 for 10 or so. with no problems. i was just testing for heat not a OC since i know the system was stable as a rock before cooler switch. highest temps come from TAT, upper 50s C. there is a mobo heat sensor on the DS3. i have no idea where it actually is though. it shows up in everest. it went up to low 40s C. and with the zalman it stayed the same.

basically all i can think of is like mondoman said some other mobo componets near cpu are overheating because the zalman doesnt blow air down on the mobo. or that its to heavy like somebody said. but i doubt that one. it is VERY big but didnt feel to much heavy'r then intel one. and it felt fine and secure on the mobo/cpu. and since the day it was very cool in the room i had zero issues(1st day of install) i doubt weight was the problem.

and to jamiepotter. yup i cleared cmos settings/returned to fail safe defaults/set them OC settings/stock cpu speed with speedstep turned off. i tried all the fan settings in bios. i tried ignore all errors on boot. none of them changed the outcome at all. and i was very carefull building it...and well taking it apart 3 times now(remove mobo to install/uninstall zalman).
even though this is my first build. i have taking apart and put back together many systems. like old junkers i found. i took everything out of them and then put it back. i also switched parts on my other machine and basically anybody else i know that needs hardware swapped out(psu's hdds/opticals/video cards/ram)

grimmy yeah i know im supposed to run those apps for long periods of time to find errors. i was just using them in this instance to generate a heavy cpu load. to see if there was any difference from tat stess temps and other loads/test. thanks for your help along with everybody elses. i have been reading the forums daily for over year. but never register'd till this problem came up