Is my Noctua NH-D14 running too hot?

[pjmoses]

Hi everyone, I am running a BE 965 @ 4070Mhz and have installed the giant Noctua NH-D14 on a M4A88TD-V EVO mobo and am getting idle temps from 35 to 40c. Under a load using stability test in AMD Overdrive it gets up to 51c. Are these good numbers and nothing to worry about? I thought the new cooler would bring it down to the 40's while under heave load. Anyone got one of these monsters running while overclocked to 4070? It was an expensive cooler and thought it would keep it cooler. Is my overclock making it run hot, or is it running as advertised? The fans are a b..ch to install and switch around as some YouTube videos of installing the cooler have them running in opposite directions. Mine are both blowing toward my exhaust fan. I got the cooler in hopes of getting a stable 4.4Ghz overclock, if possible. Have not got there yet and my not be able to.

 

[davcon]

Those temps are excellent considering the case you're using.
Most folks are quite pleased with load temps under 60C with a 4Ghz oc.

 

[Leaps-from-Shadows]

Temps will vary greatly depending on the ambient temp in the room. Mine's in the basement which is nice and cool all day and night. If yours is in a heated room like most people, it will run hotter. Even being by a heat vent will increase temps.

CPU voltage is another big factor in temps.

Also, some thermal compounds need time to cure (and a special routine) to get the best temps. Arctic Silver is notorious for this, but others have long curing times as well.

 

[rubix_1011]

Case and fans? Case airflow makes a huge difference in how well any 'great' cooler will perform.

Pull the side of your case, blow a house/desk fan on high into your case. If temps go down (benchmarking, gaming, etc) then you have a case airflow issue. If they stay the same, you need a new cooler (not your situation here) or look at issues with the mounting of the cooler.

 

[pjmoses]

Yea, I had to remove 3 case fans to get the cooler to fit in my case. Should I add intake or exhaust fans as they will have to be mounted on the outside. Should I just put a 120mm fan right over the cooler through the plexiglass? Right now I have an intake in the front and an exhaust fan in the case where the fan from the cooler sits all blowing out. So do you think a high output fan mounted directly over the cooler with holes in the plexiglass would bring it down a few degrees?

 

[rubix_1011]

Well, regardless, you need to get more cool air into the case, and also get rid of all the heat being put out. Typically, higher CFM fans as exhaust in top and back if possible...if you can mod a fan right over the CPU (or slightly offset) to blow in, you should see better temps.

Airflow is your friend.

 

[pjmoses]

Also, noise is not a factor as it is in a spare bedroom and can't be heard. The cable routing is a problem though with that huge cooler taking up so much space and having to route everything around it over my RAM.

 

[pjmoses]

I think the fans that came with the Smilodon are crappy anyway. I can replace the intake and exhaust with better fans and see if that helps first, before drilling and mounting an outside fan. They ar 120 mm fans. Any suggestions on what to replace them with for masive airflow?

 

[rubix_1011]

Midway down this sticky page, there are several links for fans and performance comparisons:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202394

 

[Bigmac80]

Yeah those temps are fine. Maybe get a better case with with good air flow might work.

 

[pjmoses]

Best answer selected by pjmoses.