Is my PC cooking or is it the weather?

[Pitbull30]

ASUS PRO Motherboard. AMD Phenom quad core 9500. XFX GTS 250 Card. 500 GB Hard Drive.

Have 2 case fans. 1 puller. 1 pusher. Thermaltake CPU cooler.

However it is about 80 degrees right now. Past few days have been more like 80-90.

My temps show this on CPUID with just the internet running:

CPU: 46-47c

GTS 250 Card: 53c

Hard Drive: 41c

This all seems too hot to me....

 

[EXT64]

The processor and Hard Drive are a little warmer than they should be, but the card isn't too bad. First step I'd suggest (which is good to do regardless) is to check that all fans are working properly and the dust buildup inside isn't too extreme yet.

 

[Paperdoc]

Agreed, check for dust. Make sure to check and clean any air intake dust filters. Also ensure there is free space outside the case so the air flows easily in and out.

 

[Pitbull30]

Its pretty much dust free. I put it together just a few months ago. Im thinking that the pusher puller fans are cheap. Ibeleive they are by antec (red glow). I think im going to order a arctic cooling cpu cooler off the net too. Unless anyone else has a recommendation.

 

[threednonsense]

Everything seems okay to me except the cpu. What exact model cpu hsf do you have? Seems a bit high for an aftermarket one... If you overclocked then I'd say your temps are fine.

 

[Pitbull30]

Its the Thermaltake TR2-R1

 

[threednonsense]

Hmmm, not really the best aftermarket hsf, but should be better than the stock one. Although, your temps are fine. Did you overclock?

 

[Pitbull30]

No I never overclock. I dont game much. Only alittle. More into streaming and video etc

 

[threednonsense]

I just checked the temps from some sites. People say that cpu normally runs a bit hot, so those are all normal temps.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

I checked a few technical references. Your video card is within thermal specifications. Your cpu temps are a little high at idle.

You might want to consider purchasing a different cpu heatsink. Here is a link to a web site with good information about cpu heatsinks:

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

Which pc case do you have? It would help if we knew which case you have because case ventilation, air flow, and cooling could be a problem.

Another problem could be the application of thermal compound between the cpu and heatsink. Which thermal compound did you use? Did you follow the manufacturer's application procedure for your AMD cpu? Is the cpu heatsink seated properly?

OOPS! I almost forgot. What was the room temperature (aka ambient temperature) when you took the measurements?

 

[Pitbull30]

The case I have is a APEX case. I dont remember the model number but it has one large vent grill on the opposite side of the motherboard. The front of the case has no vents except for the bottom where the puller fan is mounted. The the back has another pusher case fan and vent.

I used the stock thermal compound that came preinstalled on the heatsink. I believe it is making positive contact with the CPU. It was sitting right on top of it and I could feel the thermal compound kind of slide a bit when I clamped it down.

The room temp doesnt really change the temp. It is hot right now about 80 degrees outside but even with the AC on it doesnt change much.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

There are several possibilities.

You could replace the stock thermal compound with a third party compound. Arctic Silver 5 is pretty popular. My personal favorite is IC Diamond 7 Carat compound.

You might be able to install a 3rd fan on the left side panel to help cooling.

Room temperature can make a difference. I live in Scottsdale, Arizona where it can get hot as you know what in the Summer. Daytime highs over 110F are very frequent. We had a record number of days above 110F this Summer. When I'm home I set the AC thermostat to 80F. The Winters are very mild so I do not bother with heating. Some mornings the room temperature is around 65F. That's a difference of 15F. At idle I see the equivalent difference with the cpu temperature. This is consistent with technical reports I have read. Sometimes cpu temps at idle are described as being a X number of degrees above the room temperature (ambient) at idle. I have also seen technical reports where both the idle temp and the load temp both were described as X number of degrees above room temperature.

It's also possible that case ventilation, airflow, and cooling might need to be increased. Here is a link to a variety of Apex cases at newegg.com. See if your case is there.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010090007%2050002179&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE

 

[Pitbull30]

I found it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154095