I7 running so hot?

Before I start, here are my system specs:

- COOLMAX RM-750B 750W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
- ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
- ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink - Retail
- OCZ Reaper HPC 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 15000) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3RPR1866C9LV3GK - Retail
- Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
- Sunbeam Transformer IC-TR-US-BA-WOPSU Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
- GeForce 8800GTXs in SLI.


Sorry, I'm not sure where I really should've posted this but this seems like a good place. I am worried about my new Intel I7 920 running hot. Since I installed this system, it hasn't really been stable. I bought an aftermarket heatsink hoping to overclock this 2.66Ghz processor to at least 3.4Ghz and to be stable. However, when I run any 3d app like Warcraft III or Left 4 Dead I usually bluescreen and crash, or just shut down. My temperature is around 80 degrees celcius, with Arctic 5 thermal paste and the aftermarket heatsink I have applied. I only add the case on the specs list because if you look at it, you can see that the case includes 3 - 80mm fans and a 120mm fan. I don't understand the heat issue, because the one of the two side fans blows RIGHT onto the heatsink, and the other blows to the side of it on the memory. From there, the heatsink fan is aimed directly at a 120mm fan which is blowing out of the back of the case, and above that there is the 80mm fan and the top of the case blowing out and the power supply has a fan which sucks air from the case as well. So you get the point, the air flow is there, and the ambient temperature is about 78 degrees. Around bootup my CPU temp is about 42 degrees celcius, and sitting in windows typing this up it reads 46 degrees, 58 degrees for the mobo, and 66 degrees for my GPU. However while gaming my CPU raises to about 70-75 (as high as I've seen it without the BSOD or just straight crash), and my GPU will raise to the low 80s. I have alot of cooling in this machine, and I'm running it at the stock 2.66Ghz currently. Normally this wouldn't worry me except I cant even play games at stock level without it crashing, so my hopes of overclocking are shattered. I've read about others who have OC'ed this processor to like 3.4 Ghz and have the same mobo combo and have 45-50 idle and 70 while at full CPU load.

If someone could give me some suggestions I would be very thrilled. These parts were purchased from Newegg and assembled today, so it has a fresh install of Windows XP Pro.

I remounted it right before I posted, and spread out the thermal paste a little more with a plastic bag. 30 minutes into a game of Dota, my CPU temp is nearing 50 degrees. We'll see if its steady but assume not.

I dont suppose you could recommend a good heatsink for use in overclocking on the I7? I order from Newegg, links would be appreciated, and try not to break the bank.

But I still dont understand how others had success with this heatsink.

I dont really have a limit, I just buy what I think is a reasonable price. I'm comfortable spending less than $100.

The i7 does generate a bit more heat:

1. Tidy up all of the cabling to ensure the airflow in the case.
2. As hello advised get decent aftermarket cooler.
3. Remove the filters (or clean them regularly) on the input fans.
4. yomama's point is a good one - many ASUS boards do slightly overvolt (causing the cpu to generate slightly more heat) as they assume you will use the "n00b" overclocker settings.
5. 2 X 8800's also generate quite a bit of heat too ... adding to the problem ... make sure there are no obstructions to the fans on those.

The spiral wrap stuff is good for tying up cables into a neat loom.

Good luck and let us know how things go.

The



COOLER MASTER Intel Core i7 compatible V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

Right?

There was two.