> Memory Sensor says 93C / 197 F! > Help!

[bambiboom]

Mates,

This is not an overclocking question, but I figured the OC set would have more experience in hot memory. And I mean HOT!

I have a Dell Precision T5400 workstation (2009) > [Xeon X5460 QC @3.16GHz, 12GB DDR2-667 ECC, Quadro FX 4800, WD RE4 500GB, Segt Barac 500GB, 875W PS, Win 7 Ult 64 / BIOS is A11- probably about the latest] The RAM fills all 8 slots > 4,2,1,1,1,1,1,1, not optimum as it should be in 4's or at least in pairs. There is a case fan at the front pulling, a large 5 bladed fan blowing directly on the RAM, mounted on the back of a swing-out double HD carrier. The CPU has a large stacked plate cube heatsink with a fluid tube running through
it but no separate, special CPU fan.

As I am planning a big Solidworks and rendering binge, I bought a 2nd CPU, heatsink, and +4GB of RAM and I received the final part, the CPU heatsink today. The new RAM will be > 4,2,2,2,2,2,1,1. As I wanted to check the general health before adding the CPU and RAM, I downloaded and installed GPU-Z and CPUID Hardware Monitor.

The computer had been running for a couple of hours, streaming music and Internet. I was astounded when checking the CPUID Monitor -which lists the temperature of each RAM stick- to see one at 93 C or 197 F ! others were 65-75 C. The CPU was at 56 C and the GPU 54 C. "Fans PWN" showed all three fans at 35%

I immediately opened the case side, which has an intrusion switch. This switch is linked to the fan controller and if the case is open when starting up, there's a "Thermal Solution Compromised" error message and the fans go into a varying high speed mode- they really roar, also also vary in speed. If I replace the cover and reboot, the fans are at their normal, quiet level. At the moment, I replaced the cover and the fans have continued the high, varying speed. RAM temperatures are 53, 44, 50, 44, 40, 40, 48, 47 C - not so frightening and the CPU cores are 48,45,51,46 C, and FX4800 46 C. Even though they're roaring along, the fans still all show 35%

......

I've rebooted with the cover closed and the fans are quiet again, with the RAM temperatures climbing rapidly into the upper 60's.

I'm quite alarmed at this as of course this could have been going on along while. I didn't even know RAM could survive those temperatures. Is something is amiss with the fan controller ? Chassis intrusion switch ? Can the temperature monitor be wrong as the RAM is so hot while everything else shows more consistent temperatures? Is there a way to manually control fan speed- or even see the settings- so the fan near the RAM runs at some medium speed?

One RAM core is now 73C. CPU 55 C ,..

Of course, I won't be adding the CPU or RAM until this is solved. Should I not even use the computer with these temperatures?

Help!

Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[bambiboom]

Just a few minutes later to the OP >

Mates,

As a check to CPUID Monitor, I've downloaded and installed AIDA 64 Extreme Edition, a trial version which does not give HD temperatures, but everything else. When I rebooted, I saw for the first time, a Message "HD Fan failure" , but was allowed to continue start up. Fortunately, AIDA is displaying the RPM of every fan and not frozen at 35% for each one as CPUID>

Fan #1 797 RPM
Fan #2 1510
Fan #3 1243
GPU 1112 (34%)

The DIMMS are showing > 70, 64, 74, 61, 66, 55, 65, 62 C
CPU cores > 43, 40, 43, 39

As Fan #1 as it's running more or less 1/2 speed of the other two, plus the error message, mean that Fan 1 is "retired"? Also, Fan #3 is also running almost 20% slower than #2. I'm not sure if these fans are identical or not.

More questions >

1. Is fan #3 weak and
2. Are the fans all controlled from one controller or separate sensors.

Thanks for looking! Everything's getting hotter, time to shut down!

Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[bambiboom]

Just a few minutes later to the reply to the OP >

Sorry, Update 2

Restarted with cover off which triggers the fans at high speed >

Error message > "Hard Drive Fan Failure"

Fan #1 varying 2878 -3176 RPM > so this is the one that is continually hunting for speed
Fan #2 2975 -2980
Fan #3 3604- 3609
GPU 1100 (34%)

The DIMMS are showing > 50, 45, 54, 44, 50, 40, 48, 46 C (54 C = 129 F)
CPU cores > 35, 32, 36, 31 C

As Fan #1 in this mode is running at the highest speed, and varying 3100+ RPM- not therefore not mechanically pooped, does this then narrow this problem to a fan speed controller issue, and/or more likely involving the intrusion switch which triggers this mode?

Thanks again for looking! Everything's continuing to cool, but only a couple of degrees!


Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[bambiboom]

Good Morning,

Further investigation concerning the very hot RAM in my Precision T5400 reveals a possible case of premature panicification. But, this is not a unique event on this topic.

My old friend Dr. Google found a post to Dell Support from someone who did exactly what I did- used a T5400 for years, then one day downloaded a system monitor and discovered the RAM in his T5400 had been running at 89 C . Like I intend to do- and was worried about the stress, "Noel" had been doing renderings >

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19463576/20171080.aspx

Interestingly, "Noel" seems to have done exactly what I did in this thread- panicked. In his exchange with Dell, Noel asks for repeated confirmation that 89 C was acceptable from the reassuringly calm "Ravi ch" the support chap, who repeated >

"I see that you are using the computer to full load while doing the 3D rendering and the high temperature seems normal because of the load."

So, it seems that what you don't know about RAM temperature in a T5400 doesn't hurt you, but only makes you panic at 3AM.

Last evening, I tried using SpeedFan, but was unable to affect the fan speeds- the T5400 isn't allowing the alteration. I've noticed that the Precision is a bit over-proud of it's design and standoffish to attempts to fuss with anything, certainly Xeon CPU's are locked against overclocking and, it seems, even a change that could only help such as increasing fan speed is blocked.

Although 'Ravi ch" says these temperatures are acceptable, I'm still reluctant to add more RAM and the 2nd CPU. It's apparently a signal from the MB controlling fan speed, and since the fan currently at 815 RPM runs at 3000 RPM when the case is open on startup, these fans have a speed range- though I wouln't want that full-speed roar. > Is there any device you might know of that I could install some kind of in-line manual control- that is, something of a stepped switch or potentiometer nature- from the MB fan plugs to the fans?

Thanks for your patience while I play with myself- uh, -keep replying to my own post.

Cheers,

BambiBoom