I7 2600k Stability (Prime95)

[vice4tech]

Ok so I built my first PC about a week ago, specs are:

CPU - i7 2600k
CPU Fan - CoolerMaster V6GT
Motherboard - Asus Maximus IV Extreme
GPU - EVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD
PSU - XFX 850W Black Edition
Optical Drive - LG Blu-Ray Burner Combo
SSD - Intel 510 (Elm Crest) 120GB
HDD - 1TB SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3R
RAM - G.SKILL RipJaw X 8GB
Case - CoolerMaster HAF X
UPS - CyberPower 900W

(if you need more info just ask me)

Ok so first I did the Auto OC Tuning that comes with this Maximus IV board. It got my CPU to 4.5GHz @ 1.3v
If it went up to 4.6GHz it crashed which I thought was weird cause I've read many people reaching atleast 4.8GHz on air, but I just left it there.

Today I decided to run Prime95 for my first time ever. I ran the Small FTT or whatever its called...my CPU temp jumped to 74 (without Prime running its at 39) and within 10 - 15 min my PC crashed.

Can anyone help me figure out whats wrong?
I don't know if its the CPU fan, I might of misplaced it or put too much/little thermal paste. If so, how would I remove the old paste without ordering something (I don't mind ordering but its a hassle sometimes).

If its not something to do with the CPU Fan, what would it be? Please help me..Thanks

 

[vice4tech]

Oh wow, weird. I looked at Asus' website a week ago and it said 1101 was the latest BIOS. Sigh. Thank you!

Well I'm new to all this, I tried doing things manually but umm that didnt work out too great So I just did the Auto OC which I mean it never really crashed, but I guess it was never truly stable.

Also, is 74 C during Prime95 even good? I thought with my setup I would be doing at most 70 C.


*Off-Topic* I installed a 4th fan in my case, but its not working. I made sure I plugged it in right on my motherboard. I forgot which option it was (CHA or OPT) but it was connected good. Is there something I have to "enable" or something?

 

[airbornek]

Also, is 74 C during Prime95 even good? I thought with my setup I would be doing at most 70 C.

my 2600k when running at stock voltage w/ Hyper 212 EVO only reaches 59-63 at most when running extended tests with prime 95... and these seem to be the average temps that i have found.. so before overclocking, make sure your temperatures are at a reasonable level and your system is completely stable at stock.

To answer your question, your idle temps seem normal for the voltages you are at, but i would suggest checking the seat between your HSF and CPU, it sounds like you might have an air pocket trapped that is not allowing your CPU to contact your HSF properly, which is resulting in a quick overheat.
You can also try some different programs to monitor your temps (PCUID Hardware Monitor and Core Temp work really well)
Be sure to look at your temperatures by core, because the "CPU Temp" cannot be used to properly monitor the temperatures
Otherwise, you could look at some newer aftermarket HSF's, or possibly switch to water cooling (H80/100 works pretty well if you have the money for it..)

Also, if your computer is crashing, I would lower it to 4.0 or 4.2 GHz, and try to get it running stable before running out and trying to reach the 4.6+ range....

Hope this helps...

 

[airbornek]

*Off-Topic* I installed a 4th fan in my case, but its not working. I made sure I plugged it in right on my motherboard. I forgot which option it was (CHA or OPT) but it was connected good. Is there something I have to "enable" or something?

CPU_FAN = Just that, the CPU fan
CHA_FAN = Chasis Fan
OPT_FAN = Optional Fan

The CHA fan and OPT fan's have different setups in the BIOS (well they do in my BIOS anyway..)
Typically you can enable or disable control of these fans in your BIOS setting, if not, then try doing a Google search on your particular motherboard to see if there is a way to enable it another way.
The possible reasons it might not work are as follows:
The fan is disabled (most likely)
You have it plugged into the motherboard incorrectly (most motherboard fan connectors have a little notch that makes it kinda hard to plug it in incorrectly however..)
The fan connector pins on the motherboard are bent or not working correctly (I haven't seen it happen often.. but it's a possibility)
Your fan is defective (you can rule this out by connecting some other fans that you know work, into that connector..)
It is not a fan connector (check your manual... because on some motherboards there are pins that look identical, but used for a completely different purpose)
If none of these solve the problem, just connect that fan to a different connector (if your board only has a strict number of fan connectors, then you might consider unplugging a less important fan to make room for fans that will make a substantial cooling difference).. (the hard drive fan for example.. it's nice to have, but it is not absolutely necessary, and an intake or exhaust fan could make better use of the connection)

Just my two cents...