Would you keep this CPU or RMA it?

Check out the pictures of the Sensor Tests. My E8400's temp sensors are both stuck. If you were me and you could RMA this CPU, would you keep it or RMA it?

Sensor Test 1: http://i37.tinypic.com/jj9pmr.jpg
Sensor Test 2: http://i37.tinypic.com/k1q3hi.jpg
Total PC Up time: http://i38.tinypic.com/2ez466t.jpg
Intel Convo: http://i38.tinypic.com/261oxh2.jpg

I have owned this E8400 since April 2009. I have kept it at stock settings and it has been great. But the Sensors are stuck. I am going to Overclock my computer soon, and I want to know what my Idle and Load temps are accurately, if at all possible. I would hate to OC the CPU, have it die on me due to false temp readings, and then not be able to RMA it. So what would you do?

My Specs:

Antec 900,
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3ghz,
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 with: Arctic Silver 5,
GigaByte GA-EP45-UD3R,
EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked,
Antec EarthWatts EA650 PSU,
G.Skill 4GB DDR2 1066,
Western Digital 500GB 7200RPM SATA3Gb/s 32MB Cache,
Acer X193W+BD 19in LCD

Yeah.

http://i38.tinypic.com/25gxqm8.jpg

Might as well send it back....lol what kind of name is Adolfo..

Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835186134 with Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835100007
It has been reseated multiple times with the same results. It has always been attached properly.

I clean the whole computer thoroughly every time I notice it is getting too dusty. Once every 2 months or so(My room is pretty dusty). I also have the Antec 900 fans on high(3 120mm and 1 200m) so its moving a lot of air, and that's going to add to the dust.

Common problem with this series of processors, and yes Intel normally would replace it. What you MAY have a problem with is the time that has elapsed, you really should have done this months ago........just have to call and ask them I guess.

If you're saying that for the 6 months you've used this processor, the temps have never varied, then I would RMA it for defective temps sensors. I've never heard of anyone using a technique to "unstick" temp sensors.

Did you try Prime 95 while running Real Temp?

Renuts,

There's another alternative that so far, hasn't been mentioned; the 3rd sensor in your dual core processor, which is CPU temperature. Your screen shot shows a normal and healthy CPU temperature response in Hardware Monitor.

It's been well documented that Intel manufactured many 45 nanometer Core 2 Quad's and Duo's with Digital Thermal Sensors (DTS) which can "stick" below 50c. Intel has repeatedly stated that the DTS is not designed for temperature monitoring; it's designed for overtemp protection only, such as Throttle and Shutdown, so you don't toast your transistors. This means that users typically get reasonably accurate load temperatures, but not idle temperatures.

Intel intends users to instead rely on CPU temperature, which is designed to show a linear response across the entire thermal range from low idle temperatures thru high load temperatures. This is why motherboard manufacturers, as per agreement with Intel, include a monitoring utility on the driver CD that shows CPU temperature only, but not Core temperatures. Moreover, the Thermal Specifications shown in Intel's Processor Spec Finder http://processorfinder.intel.com/Default.aspx - is Tcase Max (CPU temperature) not Tjunction (Core temperature), which is a very common misconception among most enthusiasts.

Although the accuracy of CPU temperature depends upon which BIOS version you're running and how accurately it was encoded, there's a consistent 5c gradient between CPU temperature and "mean" or average Core temperatures when calibrated during 100% workload with Prime95 Small FFT's. Since Real Temp doesn't monitor CPU temperature, and Hardware Monitor can't be calibrated, CPU temperature and Core temperatures can be individually calibrated in Everest Ultimate, which you already have. Since your CPU temperature shows a 3c gradient, simply give it a -2 offset, and you'll have accurate CPU temperatures from idle thru load.

If you'd like to learn more about temperatures, then just click on the link in my signature.

Hope this helps,

Comp

You're very welcome!