Easy to install AM3 CPU Cooler

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jhaveri

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I need recommendation for an easy to install CPU cooler.

My system is AMD Phenom II X6 1055t cpu
GA-870A-UD3 MB
Antec 900 case.

The overclocked CPU to 3.5 GHZ has 61 C temp in Prime95, so do need an aftermarket cooler. Budget is not an issue, but need something that can be easily installed without removing all parts from the motherboard. I had a real hard time just installing the stock AMD cooler that came with CPU ( not great with my hands)

Thanks,

-jhaveri
 
Solution
abully
If it lowered the temp then it worked... how much hinges on the cooler build... as i mentioned earlier clamp pins dont give best results compared to bolted ones... whether 4Ghz will suffice with the cooler you have to test it for yourself... if the temps are OK with you continue with the present cooler...

memory 1.5V is ok for sub 1600 Mhz sticks... 1600 & above you may need higher volts... if you plan to increase memory speed then you need to increase QPI voltage accordingly...
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abully

abully

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Installation of the SpinQ mimics the stock system for both AMD and Intel...

There is one golden rule when it comes to performance of coolers... coolers with clamp pins do not have the contact pressure like those which are bolted to a backplate... and you also OC; I would recommend that you go for a better cooler which requires backplate installation (yeah its a pain in the rear if your case doesn't have the backplate installation window)...

If you dont wanna remove the mobo then Spin Q may be a good option...

 
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jhaveri

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Thanks abully. So I got a Spin Q cooler yesterday from Best Buy since I don't want to remove the MB. Best Buy is local and I can resturn within 30 days if it does not work well.

Anyway, so I open the case and remove the CPU to clean before applying the thermal grease. And vow, what a mess it was. I must have put a lot of heat sink compound the time I put the CPU the first time. ( I am new to this, and didn't realize that the AMD cooler had already a pre-applied grease and I should not have put additional heat sink compound. ) So I clean up the mess with isopropyl alcohol using lint free cloth and cue tip etc.

So I want to check if this mess was a real problem in my high CPU temperatures. I apply a very small heat sink compound on the CPU and spread it in a thin layer using a business card, like I saw on the youtube video. I put the same old AMD cooler back. I run Prime95 at the same 3.5 GHz overclock (250 FSB, 2250 NB, 2000 HT, 1332 MHz memory, relaxed memory timings, and no changes in default voltages for 1055t except reduced the vcore from 1.4 to 1.35 volts).

The CPU temps have come down by 3 to 4 degree C, with max at 61 C, but most of the time between 56 and 57C on Prime 95. After and hour and a half of prime95, I was still stable, able to shut down the computer without hangups - which I could not do earlier.

Now I am wondering, do I really need a new CPU cooler? 56-57 C in Prime 95 means most of the time in regular use, the CPU will be at lower T.

Thanks for the suggestions. I guess I am going to sit on the decision for a while.
 
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jhaveri

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I did install the SpinQ cooler today. The temperatures did come down to about 53 C from 60 C or about 7 C compared to the stock AMD 1055t cooler (Prime 95 for an hour).

Does that sound reasonable for SpinQ?

My next step is to go to 4 Ghz from 3.5 GHz. For my current system of AMD 1055t with GA-870A-UD3 I am using CPU 1.35V and CPU-NB 1.225v, everything else is default. Any suggestion for how high do I go with volts for 4 GHz? Do I also need to increase Memory and NB voltages? Currently Memory is 1.5 and NB 1.1. I can also go slowly increasing little at a time and check stability as mentioned in the guide here. I just wanted to know if someone had experience with this CPU/MB combo, and I would try their recommendation first.

Thanks again for all the help. Regards,

-jhaveri

Anyway,
 
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abully

abully

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If it lowered the temp then it worked... how much hinges on the cooler build... as i mentioned earlier clamp pins dont give best results compared to bolted ones... whether 4Ghz will suffice with the cooler you have to test it for yourself... if the temps are OK with you continue with the present cooler...

memory 1.5V is ok for sub 1600 Mhz sticks... 1600 & above you may need higher volts... if you plan to increase memory speed then you need to increase QPI voltage accordingly...
 
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jhaveri

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Thanks abully.

What is QPI voltage?
 
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abully

abully

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QPI voltage sometimes referred as VTT voltage is for Intel chipsets and is the voltage rail that supplies IMC, QPI bus, FBS, L3 memory cache, the PECI thermal control bus and other circuits on the mobo and depends on the CPU installed... Its known by many acronyms like VTT Voltage, CPU FSB Voltage, IMC Voltage, QPI Voltage...

In AMD its known as VDDNB which supplies IMC, L3, HTT (which constitute North Bridge)...

In your board its called NB Voltage control and has a range between 1.1v - 1.8v...
 
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jhaveri

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Thanks abully. No wonder I have yet not been able to get a stable system. I was only adjusting DRAM, CPU and CPU-NB on my board. That sounds like not enough. My next step is to increase NB voltage also. My last try last night was Prime95 memory error after 60 minutes. My adjustments were:

CPU vcore at 1.4 v same as normal
CPU-NB from 1.175 to 1.225 v, &
DRAM from 1.5 to 1.54 v.
FSB frm 200 to 265 MHz
HT and NB linksa at 2120 MHZ (multiplier reduced to 7 from 10)
Memory at 1412 MHZ (slight overclocked since it is DDR3 1333 MHz. multiplier reduced to 5.33 from 6.66)
CPU overclocked to 3.71 GHz from 2.8 GHz for AMD 1055t

Prime95 runs OK for an hour but then quits with errors. I do net get BSOD.

What do you think my next step should be? Increase NB voltage from current default of 1.12 v to how much ? 1.14? 1.16?

Should I also go up in CPU-NB to 1.25? DRAM also ?

I apprecaite any guidance here? I have been trying one voltage increase at a time, and still unstable.

Regards,

-jhaveri
 
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abully

abully

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Whats the manufacturers voltage spec on the memory sticks??? Most of low-mid range sticks run at 1.5V and if the manufacturer spec is also 1.5 then keep it there...

I reckon your NB Voltage is OK ATM at 1.225... See AMD's max voltage specs for Vcore... i think its 1.5V so you can push the Vcore a bit high... a lotta guys have seen their 1055t stabilize at 1.475v... and disable turbo...
 
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jhaveri

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Yes, the manufacturer voltage spec is 1.5 V. So I should get DRAM back to 1.5 volts. Last night I had DRAM upto 1.7 volts and NB to 1.22 volts. I should reduce DRAM to 1.5 and NB to default 1.1.

vcore is at 1.4 and CPU-NB is at 1.3 volts now. I will try to increase vcore to 1.475 and keep cPU-NB at 1.3. Turbo and C1E and Cool & Quiet are disabled.

Let me see if this atabilizes the system. Thanks;

-jhaveri
 
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jhaveri

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Did reduce DRAM to 1.5, and NB to 1.1v. vcore of 1.475 gets blue screen, so got it down to 1.4 v, and CPU-NB of 1.3v. Now it is stable for 2 hr 45 min on Prime95, abut then BSOD.

Is it possible that I will not be ablt overclock with 8 gig RAM.

Anyone has suggestions? Thanks.
 
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jhaveri

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Finally I have a stable 3.5 GHz system, thanks specially to abully. Without all the suggestions I received here, I would not have been able to. Prime95 is running for 9 hours while I am posting this, and no errors. CPU temps around 55-56 C. My final step was getting CPU-NB volts to 1.225, vcore at 1.4v, but leaving DRAM & NB volts at their stock values, 1.5v and 1.1v respectively.

FSB 250
CPU 3500 MHz (x14)
NB & HT at 2000 MHz (x8)
Memory at 1332 MHz (5.33x250)
Mempry timing on manual 9 9 9 24 33 2T (auto timing did not work, gave BSOD)

CPU vcore 1.4 v
CPU-NB 1.225 v
DRAM 1.5 v (normal)
NB 1.1 v (normal)

abully: If I raised DRAM to 1.52 and NB to 1.2, I get BSOD. Is that because of my valueram by Kingston does not like higher volts? What does NB volts do anyway?

So now, I have at least 3.5 GHZ stable. Any advise for going higher overclock and if yes, how? I can afford to get temps may be 2 C higher during full load.

Thanks again everyone on this forum for your help. -jhaveri
 
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