I think my motherboard is insane: 127 degrees C??

[tomasjevne]

Hi all!

I have a i7 950 at stock clock on an ASUS Sabertooth X58 MB and use a Thermalright Ultra 120 Xtreme cooler. I use CoreTemp and Aida 64 to monitor my temps. However, as I was just checking my settings in BIOS after the n-th Blue Screen today, I just had a look at the hardware monitor.

Apparently, my CPU temp was -24 degrees celsius and my motherboard at a flaming 127 c.
CoreTemp actually said the same; my MB is cooking.
However, my CPU idles at around 15 degrees above ambient temperature.

What gives?

Is my MB temporarily insane? Did I break some sensors? What is up with this?

 

[jaquith]

I assume you're not looking at 'Tj Max' http://www.alcpu.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=892 Apps like Core Temp, AIDA, HW Monitor all get their info from the BIOS, and crazy temps generally mean there's no temperature monitor for a 'particular' 'device.' Simply boot in to the BIOS to verify monitored temps.

Look at Hardware Monitor in the BIOS. Also note that BOTH Fahrenheit {F} and Celsius {C} are being displayed. '127' on some Apps or '-###' simply means those temps aren't being monitored {invalid}, and I would prefer to authors of those Apps to use a '-' dash to avoid confusion.

Also try the free HW Monitor - http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

BTW - the temps I look closely at with the X58 are: CPU Cores, Northbridge, and GPU temps. Other temps are rarely an issue even in extreme OC.

 

[tomasjevne]

The thing is, it's the BIOS hardware monitor that's giving these crazy temps.

My cores are at around 30-36 degrees idle. Same with my GPU.
Northbride and MB temps have disappeared from Aida.
HW Monitor gives me the same numbers as Aida and Core Temp.

Did I break some sensors or something?

 

[Noworldorder]

Have you upgraded your motherboard's BIOS lately?
Hmmm......

 

[jaquith]

Yeah a BIOS flash can correct a corrupted 'current' BIOS, try Clear CMOS - use the Jumper method. Also a short or quite frankly a bad MOBO can do the same.

Q - What did you do for a backplate on the Thermalright? If there's metal to MOBO direct contact then go get some plastic washers. Nut | Backplate | Plastic washer [ MOBO ] Plastic Washer | Top plate | tension screw.

 

[tomasjevne]

I'll try and flash the BIOS.

The backplate was mounted according to the instructions, with no extra plastic. I'll look into it...

 

[dgingeri]

Given that Asus is in the habit of using craft paste for thermal compound on their motherboards, and then not applying even that very well, I'd suggest you check out that and make sure it has decent thermal compound and has good contact with the chipset. I've heard a lot of reports on the Sabertooth, in particular, with badly applied thermal paste. My P6T had the thermal paste applied pretty well, with full contact on the chipset, but it was still using what looked more like a crafting paste. I replaced it with Arctic Silver 5 and it worked a whole lot better.

 

[jaquith]

Yeah, I never use OEM thermal paste -- Arctic Silver 5 is what 'most' folks use.

However, it doesn't explain erratic readings. If you used too much paste and it's on the CPU pins then that would be a major problem.