Finished my buid just have a few questions.

[alwaysoc0nfused]

Ill list my hardware:

CPU - Intel Q9550 2.8 stock
CPU cooler - ZALMAN CNPS 8000 92mm

MoBo - EVGA 750i ftw

GPU - EVGA GTX 260 216 cores 575 mhz

RAM- Dominator 2 gigs at 1066 (5-5-5-15)

CASE- CoolerMaster 690

PSU- tx750watt Corsair (it came with 3 fans, and i added 2 more)
___________

With this setup I am able to run games like Far Cry 2 and Dead Space maxed out at 16xx X1050.(thats my native monitor res) That makes me really happy, so on to my concerns;

Room temp is 70 - 75 F

My idle temps for the CPU is anywhere from 39c to 44c and it varies a bit from core to core. Load temps (prime95) have gone all the way to 62c and looks like they hover there. Are these normal temps?


My GPU temps idle are at 42-43c. Under game playing for an hour or so the temp is around mid 50c - low 60c. Are those normal?

Should I get more fans?

Lastly do you guys think I should change anything around? I have less the 30 days or so to make any returns or exchanges. Any and all help/comments are appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[o1die]

Your temps are ok for a quad cpu and high end video card. If you don't have any freeze-ups or windows bluescreens, you should be fine.

 

[aevm]

Get two more GB of RAM.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/07/08/is-more-memory-better/5

Yes, your temps are normal. They could have been better with a better cooler, but they are fine, nothing to worry about. Your GPU temps are fine too. You don't need more fans.

If you're planning to do SLI later change the PSU to HX1000 or something else from this list. If not, it's all fine, but you could have had a cheaper P45 motherboard instead of the eVGA 750i.
http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

You don't really need GTX 260 SLI for 1680x1050 IMO, but 24" monitors (1920x1200) are getting cheaper every month. If you think you'll buy one soon it would be good to have a PSU capable of SLI.

 

[alwaysoc0nfused]

What if im playing on a 52in 1080p HDTV? would i need sli then? or no because its still at 1680x1050 res?

 

[aevm]

That's 1920x1080. SLI is worth it at that resolution in some games. In others a single GTX 260 will be plenty, especially if you turn the eye candy level down a bit.

Here's a chart for Age of Conan for example. It's for 1920x1200, not 1920x1080, but it's pretty close.
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=3408&p=3
One GTX 260 gets 28.8 fps, which is OK IMO. Two of them get 46.4 fps.

 

[alwaysoc0nfused]

Thanks for the replies guys, knowing my temps are okay makes me feel better. One last question about my setup, do you think I should OC? Is anything bottle necking anything?

 

[aevm]

The RAM is a bottleneck if you only have 2 GB.

The CPU is not a bottleneck, especially at a large resolution like that. Overclock it only if you play Flight Simulator X.

If you don't already have a good hard drive get one. There's a $75 WD 640GB for example, incredibly fast compared to the models of only 2 years ago. That's about it. A very nice system, really.

 

[alwaysoc0nfused]

Something is weird with my CPU temp readings. I use real temp and speed fan. they are both reading something like this ;

core 0- 32c
core 1- 21c
core 2- 37c
core 3- 38c

what the heck is up with that? It wasnt like that yesterday. I did move the comp around a bit today. Do you think it has something to do with that??

 

[aevm]

It is a bit weird. Try CoreTemp too. CoreTemp shows me 35,31,34,35 (Q6600 with Scythe Ninja, at stock, idle). It's normal for the second one to show lower temps (it's farther from the sensor or something like that), but the difference from 32 to 21 is a bit too much IMO. Plus, I suspect you have more than 21C in the room, and there's no way air cooling will ever make the CPu cooler than the room.

 

[alwaysoc0nfused]

OK downloaded core temp and the readings are;

Idle.
core # 0: 36c
core # 1: 42c
core # 2: 42c (Core 1 and 2 seem to have the same exact temps under idle)
core # 3: 26c

Under load cores 0,1 and 2 are about the same, with core 0 being slightly higher. Core 3 always stays 10c lower the the rest of them.

core 0- 55c
core 1- 54c
core 2- 54c
core 2- 44c

This is very weird. The first day i built the computer the temps were pretty even between all the cores. Yesterday, when this started to happen, I did move the computer around quite a bit.

Any ideas as to what i should do? Reseat the HSF? or return the cpu to get a new one?

 

[Proximon]

It's hard to say right off, how did you apply the thermal paste? If it was too thick or uneven it could be a problem.

I would think a better cooler and reapplication of TIM would be in order. Does that cooler use push-pins? If they were loose you could get something like that.

Xigmatek + bracket, check my sig for the link to my parts list.

 

[alwaysoc0nfused]

Ok im looking at the Tuniq 120, I like it and a lot people agree that it is very good. Thermal paste was done by a friend that has made several PCs before and he put it on very evenly. I am going to return the zalman cooler that i have now and get the Tuniq 120. what do ya think?

 

[Proximon]

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

Try to get something that bolts down, that's on that list

 

[aevm]

I think you will get lower temps with the Tuniq. Let us know how it works.
You could also get the Core Contact, i.e. the newer version of the Tuniq (made by the same company)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004