I7 930 and Noctua NH-D14

[carnedude]

I have tried all sorts of different paste applications and different orientation of the cooler but it seems with a stable 4 ghz O.C. my High temps under Prime 95 get to around 83-85c and with intelburn they get up to 88. I was really expecting better results with this cooler. I have searched all over the net and read countless forum post but I am new to OCing and I am wondering if there are any settings in my Bios I could change that would get it cooler except changing my clock speed, or turning of HT? and still manage a stable OC? My CPU voltage is something like 1.22 can't remember the qpi I think it was something like 1.28? I am using the 19 multiplier and 210 blk. If you need more info let me know I will reboot and write it down.

 

[whatupharry]

I was thinking about getting the Noctua for some moderate OCing. I think it'll still do good but having a HSF that can handle a heavier OC is always better. Those are some good numbers for the OC, not sure if the problem is the cooler or something else.

Odd but I'm no overclocking pro at all so maybe someone else has a better idea. What case and gpu do you have?

 

[juggy199]

1. What's your idle temp?
2. What's your ambient temp in the room?
3. How's the cable management in your case?

So you got 3 GTX 470s in Tri-SLI?

 

[carnedude]

no I should clarify that I guess. I only have 2 gtx 470's one is the evga and the other is msi. My idle temps are 45c and the room temp is 70 f give or take. Cable management is near perfect.

 

[juggy199]

The D14 is a push-pull, correct? Is it going towards the back of your case or the top? Have you tried re-seating the D14? Also what kind of paste are you using and did you put just 1 pea size drop?

 

[carnedude]

Um in the OP I clearly stated that I have tried it in both configurations and multiple paste applications and its running in push pull. I am using the paste noctua gives you and I have tried pea size, I have tried lines, I have tried a thin coat, X's all different way I have ruled out it is not in my mounting it is a setting or my CPU just runs hot.

 

[mccarlson]

I am running a very similar configuration as you (see below). My temps running Prime 95 for 12 hours end up maxing out at 74c in a room temp of 72f on the hottest core. I'm using Shin Etsu Thermal Compund, & my D14 is blowing to the rear of my case. I'm running at 4GHz (19x210) and CPU bios setting of 1.2v. CPU-Z shows my voltage jumping from 1.2v at idle to 1.232v under load with Prime 95 though, don't know why. QPI is 1.35v and CPU PLL is 1.51050v. All else is set to defaults. My idle temps are 40-42c.

I would suggest you clean up the surfaces of your CPU and heatsink using http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010 because you have applied and removed TIM on those surfaces multiple times. Air bubbles, dust and other stuff tends to coat the surfaces making heat transfer not as good, and also, NEVER use the 'thin coat' method for spreading your TIM. A pea size amount is TOO MUCH in my opinion. I use half that. You will be surprised how much crap you take off with this cleaning kit even though it may not look dirty.

Now another note to mention, the i7-930 is a hotter running chip. It runs hotter than the 920 at the same voltage. But if you are hitting 88c with the Noctua D14 cooler at 1.22v, that is still too hot. I can hit 88c with my setup but that's with a voltage increase up to 1.375v which is the absolute maximum for that chip. The fans that come with the D14 cooler are very nice especially for being quite... but they could definitely run faster for more airflow. If you have any spare fans of the same size laying around with much higher RPMs give them a try. I have a delta 3500 RPM fan I put on for kicks and giggles and it dropped my temps by 11 degrees! Noisy though.

One more tip. Make sure when you attach or remove your cooler, you do it evenly. Screw one screw 2 turns, then the other 3 turns, then back to the first 2 turns and alternate with 2 turns from there after until they are tightened and the screws wont turn any more. This helps spread the TIM evenly and is also safer for your CPU.

Try another TIM, the batch you got with your cooler could be bad or just plain old. AS5 or Shin Etsu that I'm using now and proven TIMs.




Chassis: Cooler Master HAF-X Full Tower
CPU: Intel Core i7-930 2.88GHz 4 Core
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: Asus Rampage III Extreme
Power Supply: Corsair 1000HX 1000W 80 PLUS Certified Modular
Memory: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 Model 998805 (6-8-6-24 & 1T)
GPU: ZOTAC GTX 480 AMP! Edition ZT-40102-10P 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Hard Drive 1: Crucial RealSSD C300 6Gbps SATA SSD 256GB (Boot, OS & Main Application Drive)
Hard Drive 2: Seagate Momentus XT 500GB Solid State Hybrid Drive 7200 RPM (RAID 0) (Game and Programs Drive)
Hard Drive 3: Seagate Momentus XT 500GB Solid State Hybrid Drive 7200 RPM (RAID 0) (Game and Programs Drive)
Hard Drive 4: Samsung EcoGreen F2 HD103SI 1TB 5400 RPM Hard Drive (Media & Storage Drive) ($55 shipped on 6/02/10)!
DVD Burner: LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R Writer + LightScribe
Keyboard: Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
Headset: Creative Labs World of Warcraft Wireless Headset
Display: Samsung Syncmaster P2770H 27" Widescreen 2ms Mini-HDMI to HDMI connection
Mouse: Logitech G5 Gaming Laser Mouse
Software: Microsoft Office 2010 Professional Plus
Battery Backup: Cyber Power Smart App Sinewave PP1500SWT2 1500VA / 1000Watts Pure Sinewave, Full AVR buck/boost

 

[carnedude]

I cleaned my HS and CPU off after every removal with Isopropyl alcohol and it will work just as good. Also the paste is better than AS5 as this post and many others http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/noctua_nt_h1/6.htm . And yes I was applying even torque to the cooler when screwing in so I know that is not a Issue. I will consider maybe getting some MX-3 maybe that will help? I think your CPU PLL is a lot lower than mine though? Maybe that's the catch?

 

[carnedude]

HMMMN maybe I just needed to give it a few more power cycles to cure because now I am getting a max temp of 77c in intelburn and 75c in prime95 so I can totally live with those temps. It has also been really humid here the last few weeks and has eased up the last couple days so that may have been an issue too? Also I am idle at around 43c so who knows?

 

[wolfram23]

I'm just curious, when you take the cooler off did you see evenly spread paste on it? My i5 750 initially had really high load temps, so I took the cooler off and found that the contact was really bad. I ended up doing some lapping to the cpu which made a massive improvement. So, you might just have a CPU chip that is very uneven. Could be worth considering, if you can RMA/exchange the chip try that, and if not, you might feel like voiding your warranty and lapping it.

You sound like you've been doing the right stuff, cleaning with alcohol and trying many methods of application. Unless you're putting way too much paste, I'd say the problem is probably the CPU's flatness. Or, just maybe, you're not screwing down hard enough

 

[carnedude]

Yeah I am getting real good coverage except when I tried methods of paste application that only used a very small amount of paste because the Noctua stuff is super thick. I am a machinist and the 1st thing I did was run an indicator across the HS and the CPU and both are ridiculously smooth and flat. I am almost positive it has been because of the more humid weather and also giving the paste enough time to cure/spread out even after about a half dozen thermal cycles. because now this morning it is at idle at around 41c it seems to keep getting cooler with every boot. I guess the moral would be to be patient and not screw with it for a few days after paste application then check everything out.