"Core2" technology

[Honour3]

Hi there,

I have a Q9550, ASUS P5N-D 750i and XFX 260 Black edition with "2x 2Gb Corsair DDR2 6400 UB" RAM.

My CPU continously heats up alot and my motherboard too. I have a Titan Fenrir.

One reason my CPU may be heating so quickly is because I havn't at all understood how to control the Stepping technology (if thats what it called).
Clearly you have to activate the technology by which the Q9550 manages its working effort, by work load. The CPU didn't come with any information about these controls, and I can't find anything online either - I'm posting this for any links, advice or experience you guys have concerning controling the Core2 technology, while I continue the search myself.

Any links, advice or help would be greatly appreciated!


It's important to me to understand how to control this technology because I need to use the computer urgently for university work & other stuff.


I trust some of the community have had similar problems long ago..

 

[o1die]

Speedstep (eist setting in the bios) works automatically if enabled in the motherboard bios. To check, simply download cpu-z, which is free, and look for a multiplier setting of 6.0. You can also check your memory settings with this program. Normal operating temps for your 9550 can range from 40 to 65 celcius without harming the cpu. If your cpu is overheating, your system may crash or bluescreen while in windows.

 

[TechnologyCoordinator]

Speedstep (eist setting in the bios) works automatically if enabled in the motherboard bios. To check, simply download cpu-z, which is free, and look for a multiplier setting of 6.0. You can also check your memory settings with this program. Normal operating temps for your 9550 can range from 40 to 65 celcius without harming the cpu. If your cpu is overheating, your system may crash or bluescreen while in windows.

Agreement.

 

[gamerk316]

Actually, nforce motherboards like he has lists Speedstep and EIST as two seperate options.

Download CPUz for info on your CPU (and your entire system)
Download Realtemp to get temperatures for each core of you CPU, and post what you get at idle (sitting at desktop) and full load (run a game for a half-hour or something, then alt-tab and check temps).

Note, its normal for one or two cores to get hotter then the rest.

 

[TechnologyCoordinator]

Note, its normal for one or two cores to get hotter then the rest.

Yup, I have that on my Intel Core 2 Quad. Core 3 runs hotter than the others. It drove me nuts for the longest time.

 

[jsc]

If you are not overclocking and CoreTemp shows your temps are above 55 C or so, you need to be certain that your HSF is installed properly.

 

[Dekasav]

Yeah, if it's overheating, Speedstep working is irrelevant. Check temps, but if they're too high your problem is more likely with your CPU heatsink or inadequate case ventilation.

 

[Honour3]

My internet just died typing the reply so excuse this briefer reply:

I have had overheating problems since i got the PC. I've replaced the MotherBoard, CPU, HSF and am currently waiting for the GPU replacement.
Before I sent the GPU to be replaced (because the overheating had damaged it).

I ran RealTemp briefly and when my PC was just turned on, each core was around 55, and one on 58 - the cores then rose to about 58c each without load with the PC being on for 10 mins.

I recently sent a printscreen of the CPU tab on CPU-z and he said I havn't overclocked it at all (multiplier was 6.0).


p.s. I have a Titan Fenrir HSF, it's screwed down pretty dam tight.

CPU-z screenshot:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2183/cpuzy.png

 

[13thmonkey]

sorry to ask the dumb question, hsf screwed down tight with thermal compound?

 

[Honour3]

yeah, sorry, HSF installed with the thermal paste that came with the Titan Fenrir.

As many have said that overheating can be due to HSF installation, I think i should say i dabbed a couple blobs onto the CPU, spread them about half the CPU circumferance and then squashed the HSF on - in the hope that it spreads nicely.
It was done by a guy whos built very many PCs, but of course perhaps the Q9550 needs more serious/careful thermal paste spreading - I don't know.

 

[13thmonkey]

as an opinion and in an indicative sense, poorly installed thermal compound would give you a maybe 5deg, no paste would give problems.

is it a push pin fit or a screw down? push pins are iffy and tricky to get right, they normally bend the mobo before they are tight.

its got me stumped unless the fan is sucking and not blowing, try turning it round?

 

[Honour3]

Titan Fenrir is a screw-down HSF. It sounds powerful and is said to be one of the best availiable atm. 55-58 Idle temp is irregular is it not?
I have no idea as to why this kinda heat would come about.. I even have a Coolmaster powersupply, this build cost me a fortune.

 

[13thmonkey]

it does sound high, what about with the case side off, as it could be starved of air. Can you turn the fan round on the fenrir? I think they should be blowing into the heatsink not sucking from the heatsink.

I'm running out of ideas.

 

[Honour3]

The Fan of the Heatsink is blowing, but it's facing upwards, about 65% of it's face is directly under the Powersupply fan which sucks in air. I've thought about facing it downwards but then it just blows all over the motherboard & GPU, there ARE 2 vents down there for fan mounting but I don't think much of the air blown downwards will get out?
I'll try it with the case side off once I have my GPU back.
I tried that before with my original MB, CPU, HSF and GPU, but thats the time it still overheated, got to 95c and damaged my GPU along with god knows else.

 

[13thmonkey]

have a look at http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=176793 and see if your heatpipe orientation could be wrong.

Also look at this: http://www.pcshoptalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15565&garpg=4 this make more sense as an orientation for the hsf, i.e. blowing from front to back, so sucking cooler air from front of case, and blowing toward back to be exhausted by other fans. current you are fighting the psu fan and starving the cpu hsf of air.

this might help, i'd be surprised if it made enough of a difference, but worth trying.

 

[Honour3]

I was pretty sure before i bought it that I had read somewhere you can install the Titan Fenrir facing the back. However I looked at the instructions (which are brief and even flawed) and saw no instructions how to install the HSF facing the back (which I had wanted all along). I can't see how I can install it facing the back either as the bolts underneath seem to only work so that it can face up or down.

I have an LGA-775 MB and i thought they could rotate anywhichway, it seemed not when I was installing it. I also can't find any info about rotating them at all...


You suggest it would be best to have the HSF facing down rather than up? I can't guarantee it will vent quickly, and the GPU will get alot of hot air hitting it (although it has a small fan itself). Are you sure down is better than up?

The second link seems to show the fan blowing from the bottom up, or from the top down (but then I have no idea where the guy's powersupply is).

Thanks for finding the links to try help though

 

[13thmonkey]

the second link to me looked like it was pulling over the ram and therefore towards the connectors at the back.

can you do a little drawing showing how you've got it set up.

If looking at the side of the case you have gpu then cpu then psu, then i'd suggest that having the cpu cooler with the fan pushing air upward would be worth trying.

the GPU fan should be underneath the gpu? and therefore will pull from the airpocket between it and the bottom of the case.

if I get a moment i'll see if i can draw something.

 

[Honour3]

It seems his powersupply is at the bottom, and HSF facing down from the top (because behind the HSF are 2 fans on the top, I doubt they are meant to be at the bottom.
Meaning his PC is the right way up, but it's side.

This is my graphics card:
http://www.iconocast.com/EB000000000000097/A0/News8_1.jpg

And this is my PC:
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/563/cimg2210.jpg

The graphics card is out at the moment (being replaced) but it would go where the blue slot is (just over the sound card at the very bottom left).

When the graphics card is installed its FAT, it reaches almost to the other side of the case, the one it isn't plugged into. Not much circulation below it (just to note).