I5-750 Thermal Problem

[rodney_ws]

I have recently built a PC primarily for gaming with the following specs...

CPU: i5-750
Mobo: Asus Maximus III Gene
Heatsink: CoolerMaster Hyper N520 w/ AS5
GPU: XFX Radeon 5850
Case: CoolerMaster Scout
PSU: Corsair 650 HX

The PC booted up fine on the first try and has been 100% stable at stock speeds, but I have a nagging feeling that my temps are a good bit on the high side and that they will limit my OC headroom. I idle at ~40C and full CPU load causes it to hit 59C at stock speeds. I have the CPU fans (there's actually 2 92 mm fans on the H520) moving air towards the rear of the case where a 120 mm fan pulls it out of the case. Even under load the heatsink doesn't feel particularly warm to the touch. The Hyper N520 installation wasn't particularly easy, but I managed and it is securely and evenly attached to the mobo/CPU. During the installation I had to raise the heatsink up and realign / reseat it... and I guess I'm concerned this somehow compromised my AS5 thermal paste. Is this possibly my problem? I'm already planning a trip to a local drug store to pick up some alcohol to clean off the CPU / heatsink and try the process again.

I'd just like to know if I'm right that these temps do seem high and if there's anything I could be overlooking that would cause them. My case has a 140 mm intake fan, a 120 mm and a 140 mm exhaust fan... and I actually did a respectable job with my cable management so airflow isn't impeded. 59C doesn't sound THAT bad, but considering I'm running stock speeds I am concerned.

Any help, pointers or advice would be appreciated.

 

[wathman]

your idle temp seems a bit high, but that could be influenced by your ambient temp, load is actually not that bad. The two coolers these guys tested are the intel stock, and the very nice Thermalright MUX-120, so yours should fall somewhere in the middle of those temps, though still significantly better than stock.

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/22151-intel-lynnfield-core-i5-750-core-i7-870-processor-review-20.html

 

[rodney_ws]

Also, I'm using the Asus Probe software that came with my mobo to collect these measurements. Since it just reads directly from the sensors, I'd assume all software would display the same values. I believe they're accurate numbers because I'm seeing similar (idle) results while in the BIOS.

 

[wathman]

you may want to try downloading coretemp which is the app that they used in their review. I never really put much faith in temps collected in the BIOS since it has very little bearing on what the temps will be when the computer has loaded the OS. Once the system is in it's OS environment, idle will take advantage of power saving and load reducing features making your "true" idle probably lower temp than what the BIOS would report.

 

[rodney_ws]

Well, I was observing idle loads while the OS was loaded and just took a peak in the BIOS to verify/refute what I was seeing in the OS. Will definitely download coretemp when I get home (firewall at work doesn't appear to like that download)

 

[wathman]

if you're seeing the same numbers for both at idle in OS and BIOS, I still recommend using coretemp. There's a bit more behind the scenes on how any temp probe software calculates what reading to display, thermal offsets and board sensor stuff I never was terribly interested in. Sticking to the same tools most of the overclockers out there use helps limit the possible variables.

 

[rodney_ws]

Oh, I looked at the screenshots and I want that information. That Asus Probe stuff will be uninstalled... wasn't nearly the same level of information.

 

[wathman]

yeah, ASUS makes really nice boards, but they have plenty of room for improvement when it comes to software. When I had used all the ASUS software on my old computer, I kept getting weird dialog boxes that would pop up when it updated itself. All they would say is "I am Service!!" with an OK check box. Thought it was malware at first, but it was just the Asus crapware.

Coretemp is nice and light, doesn't even require an install. Speedfan is another reporting app I like that has even more features, though a slightly larger footprint.

 

[rodney_ws]

Well, lord I hope that program is right and the Asus one is just blatantly lying. With CoreTemp my lowest idle temp was 26C (cores 1 & 3) and my highest temp under load was 49C (core 0) It was even running 1 step above stock (~2.8 GHz) and maintaining those temps. PLEEEEEEASE let that be the right measurements.

 

[wathman]

those sound much more realistic than the ASUS numbers. You could also download speedfan and triple check your temps.. they probably won't be spot on in agreement with core temp, but it should be pretty similar.

 

[apache_lives]

hmmmm check in the asus bios what fan mode you have selected - i tend to avoid using ASUS's fan modes they offer.

also use the old fashion way and check the temps with your hand (back of your hand for the best result) - warm means 38+ etc

 

[Proximon]

Also, I'm using the Asus Probe software that came with my mobo to collect these measurements. Since it just reads directly from the sensors, I'd assume all software would display the same values. I believe they're accurate numbers because I'm seeing similar (idle) results while in the BIOS.

I'm surprised at this Rodney, I thought you were more tech savvy than that

The sensors are just that. They measure changes in temp, and don't start out with a known value. Your BIOS and Asus Probe make assumptions about the baseline that may or may not be accurate.

Real Temp and/or Core Temp have the more reliable numbers... and even if they did not, they are the standard we use.

Real Temp

Computronix's Famous Core Temp Guide