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Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > CPUs > [Solved] AMD Phenom II X4 955 Running too Hot?

[Solved] AMD Phenom II X4 955 Running too Hot?

Forum CPU & Components : CPUs [Solved] AMD Phenom II X4 955 Running too Hot?

Hi all,

I am running the CPU with the stock cooler. However, I just replaced the default thermal paste with some Arctic Silver 5. I followed the directions on their site, didn't use too much etc.

Using SpeedFan, my core idles between 48 and 50 deg C. From what I have read, this is very hot for an idle temperature. Under load, it gets up to ~56 deg C.

My system is in an NZXT Vulcan case, which provides quite a bit of ventilation. I am also running an EVGA GTX 470, but it is usually 5 deg C cooler than the CPU!

I know stock coolers are not the best, but people using the one I have report much lower temps than I have. Is there a possibility that SpeedFan is wrong? What is going on with my CPU?

Thanks

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to GamerOnABudget

It is a bit high for sure. You sure your cpu is making direct contact? Also - you don't want to use 'too little'. People tend to fall into this trap. They literally put a tiny micron of cooling sauce down in hopes of 'little is more' but its not really true. I usually put half a dimes worth and have great temps. Beyond this - I highly doubt the CPU sensing software is outright wrong. Has your comp ever force shut down from temps?

------------------------------ E8500 @ 3.8 (Normal settings)
E8500 @ 4.5 (Benchmarking settings)
Reply to werxen

I believe that the cpu is making direct contact. I was surprised at how much force was needed to attach the cooler to the socket, and when I replaced the thermal paste, it was clear that there was contact.

I do not believe that I used too little paste, I followed the directions on the Arctic Silver site. Switching pastes has actually dropped my temperature by a degree or two.

My computer has never force shut down from the temps. As far as I can tell, there seem to be no problems stemming from the hot CPU.

Reply to GamerOnABudget

GamerOnABudget wrote :

Using SpeedFan, my core idles between 48 and 50 deg C. Under load, it gets up to ~56 deg C.

What kind of load?
That low 6C~8C spread makes me suspicious that one of those temps is wrong.

Did you get any utility software with your motherboard to read the BIOS temps?
It might be a good idea to download and run HWMonitor and or Core Temp to see what they are telling you.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to WR2

WR2 wrote :

I did some more specific testing. At idle, the CPU was 48-50deg C. I then ran Prime95 in the "In place Large FFTs" mode, and the temperature was 61-62deg C.

As a side note, I can manually adjust the speed for all my case fans, and increasing them to full does not lower the temperature, which I found a bit strange.

Message quoted 2 times

Reply to GamerOnABudget

The load temps actually look good, which is the most important thing.
During idle, what is the speed of the CPU fan? Is it throttled wayyyyy back?
Anything like a 'quiet mode' BIOS option selected?

Reply to WR2

During idle, the fan is at 25% although it will rev up if it gets to 50C. I set it up in bios so that the target temperature was 50C and the minimum fan speed was 25% because before that, the fan was running at high percentages even when idle and was really loud.

Reply to GamerOnABudget

Anyone?

Reply to GamerOnABudget

Bump

Reply to GamerOnABudget

GamerOnABudget wrote :

As a side note, I can manually adjust the speed for all my case fans, and increasing them to full does not lower the temperature, which I found a bit strange.

Nothing too strange about that. It just confirms that your case cooling is already adequate even before running the case fans higher.

If you're not happy with your CPU running in the 48~50C range at idle change the BIOS to a different target temp besides 50C/25%. Or let the computer (BIOS) run it's own AUTO temp control program.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to WR2

WR2 wrote :

How the hell does that logic work? Fan speed ALWAYS makes the difference - especially with AMD fans since they are parallel to the CPU itself.

------------------------------ E8500 @ 3.8 (Normal settings)
E8500 @ 4.5 (Benchmarking settings)
Reply to werxen

AMD fans? Did you mean case fans?

GamerOnABudget wrote :

As a side note, I can manually adjust the speed for all my case fans, and increasing them to full does not lower the temperature, which I found a bit strange.

When increasing the speed of case fans does not lower temps it's an indication that the original case fan speeds were doing a good job of case ventilation.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to WR2

WR2 wrote :

AMD fans? Did you mean case fans?
When increasing the speed of case fans does not lower temps it's an indication that the original case fan speeds were doing a good job of case ventilation.

No I mean AMD fans - the CPU heatsink.

Listen - you should be getting lower values unless your ambient temp is very high. Case fans or no, the biggest change to your overall system temp will be ambient.

------------------------------ E8500 @ 3.8 (Normal settings)
E8500 @ 4.5 (Benchmarking settings)
Reply to werxen

I'm using the stock fan with the paste that came on it, running at 3.2 ghz (955) at ide my temp 34c, play team fortress II around 44c. using AUSU MB M4A89GTD PRO 4 G DDR3, 4850 video card, are your case fan going in the right direction to provide proper air flow, is your case in the open of box in a small space.

Reply to Anonymous

My ambient temperature is usually somewhere in the mid 30's C.

My case fans are going the correct direction.

My case is in the open, sitting on top of my desk.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to GamerOnABudget

GamerOnABudget wrote :

My ambient temperature is usually somewhere in the mid 30's C.

What are your operating temps like when the ambient temps are around 21C?

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to WR2

WR2 wrote :

What are your operating temps like when the ambient temps are around 21C?

The temperature outside has cooled off, and my room temperature is now ～21C.

My computer is not running anything intensive, and SpeedFan reads the following:

GPU: 37C
Temp1: 53C
Temp2: -128C
Temp3: 29C
Core: 49C

I don't really know what Temps1-3 mean, especially since 2 is obviously wrong.

Reply to GamerOnABudget

That Temp2 report of -128C is just indicating there is no actual temp probe there. The -128C is more like an error message.

A 10C drop in ambient (room temps) really didn't alter the CPU core idle temps at all.

What this is telling me is something in your system - probably in the BIOS - is telling your CPU cooler fan NOT to run at optimum cooling speeds. Instead it seems to be weighted more toward quiet operations with a 'trigger' temp of around ~50C.

What kind of load temps did you get at the 21C ambient temps?

Reply to WR2

I ran Prime95 again, and the temps still hovered at 61C.

As for the BIOS regulating the CPU fan, that is the case. As I mentioned above somewhere, I set the minimum fan speed at 25% and the goal temp at 50C for the sake of a quieter system since the CPU fan was the loudest part of the system and was running almost nonstop.

Reply to GamerOnABudget

Best answer

Prime95 @ 61C is a good result.
The higher idle temps are the result of your changes in BIOS to get a quiet system.

Reply to WR2

i have the same problem here....addition of that, i get freezes and spikes while installing programs, games.. exploring websites...

any ideas?

Reply to blackhamachi

this is my rig:
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 955 @3215x4
Ram: 4GB Kingston (800MHZ)
MB: Gigabyte GA-MA78G-DS3H (http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2931#sp)
HDD: WD 1TB HDD
GPU: MSI GTX 470 (i got it new instead of 8800GT)
PSU: Gigabyte Superb 550P (http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2794#sp)

Reply to blackhamachi

Gameronabudget: WR2 is right, more idle cooling requires more fan power at lower target temperatures.

Blackhamachi: Run a temperature program in safe mode with nothing else running, or check the CPU temp in the bios to see if you`re spiking high temps because of an electrical problem (voltage or otherwise) or whether it is weak cooling/bad heatsink contact.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ sudo apt-get BEER
Reply to tu_illegalamigo

tu_illegalamigo wrote :

Gameronabudget: WR2 is right, more idle cooling requires more fan power at lower target temperatures.

Blackhamachi: Run a temperature program in safe mode with nothing else running, or check the CPU temp in the bios to see if you`re spiking high temps because of an electrical problem (voltage or otherwise) or whether it is weak cooling/bad heatsink contact.

-i did what you said and i got 40c-49c in bios...
-fan speed is sooo loud its now ~5500rpm right now....in games it goes to 7000rpm 81c :S...so crazy!...i got open cased on top of the table...thermal pasted in and every thing is clean and new hardware...(5 days ago got the mobo and the cpu)....

Message edited by blackhamachi on 09-09-2010 at 10:05:37 PM

Reply to blackhamachi

ok...fixed the problem with new thermal paste and adjust the voltage of vcore and rams > 1.325/1.800

Reply to blackhamachi

Best answer selected by GamerOnABudget.

Reply to GamerOnABudget

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