CPU Bottleneck and Other Questions

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trogdor796

trogdor796

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Here is the specs of my desktop -
E6600@2.4Ghz/3.00Ghz(unsure which, see question below)
4GB RAM(3GB really since I'm on XP)
HIS 4870 512MB
Now, as for my cpu speed, I am unsure. If I go to control panel and then system, it lists this -
"6600 @2.4GHz
3.00GHz, 2.93GB RAM, etc..."
And on canirunit.com when I select a game and have it scan under CPU Type it says 6600@2.4GHz but then under CPU speed it says 3.00GHz.
Second questions, do you guys thing my cpu is a bottle neck to my gpu?
Third and final question, what should my cpu idle temp be at? It's currently around 56-58C idle, havn't checked under load. I know it has one of these(http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/wp-content/uploads/prolimatech-armageddon-1.jpg)coolers on it, but I didn't install it(bought this off craigslist).
EDIT - I just remembered that I did transport this in a car a while abck. Could that have caused the cooler/heatsink to come lose? If so, could I fix it w/o reapplying the thermal paste and re-seating the cooler? I don't think I would be comfortable with doing that.
 
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jerreece

jerreece

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1) Your E6600 is set for a default speed of 2.4Ghz. Apparently it is OverClocked to 3Ghz. So some software will read it by it's default as a description, but then list the ACTUAL speed as 3Ghz.

2) No, I highly doubt the E6600 @ 3Ghz is going to bottleneck a 4870.

3) Idle temp of 56-58C is fairly hot. If your room temp is warm, or you're using the stock/generic cooler this could be normal for an OC'd processor with the generic fan. I wouldn't recommend it though. At load your temperatures must get pretty darn hot. It would not hurt in the least to put a better aftermarket cooler on it.

RE your Edit: If the cooler has come loose at all, you have no choice but to completely remove the heat sink. Clean off the heat sink and CPU, and then reapply thermal paste and reinstall it. If you just put it back on, it'll likely be worse than before.

BTW: Reference your cooler (you said it was http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/wp-content/uploads/prolimatech-armageddon-1.jpg ). Does it have a fan mounted to it? Or is it just what's pictured? If it has no fan on it, that would make a pretty big difference. :) Just making sure it does.
 
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gerardb

gerardb

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+1 :pt1cable:
 
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trogdor796

trogdor796

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No, it does not seem to have a fan on it. Whenever my pc starts up it states"CPU Fan Error!". I was concerned about this but I thought that these types of coolers were not supposed to have fans on them/worked w/o fans. But there is a spot for a fan power plug on my mobo. So my CPU is overclocked? I did not know this seeing as I bought this machine used. Could the high temps be due to overclocking? If so, I would gladly take it back down, and I'm guessing I wouldn't lose too much performance i games right? I don't want to reseat it seeing as I don't have any thermal paste and I would most likely just make it worse, but I will do this if necessary. BTW, I also just noticed that the fan in the back of my case(directly behind my cpu/heatsink if you look through the front case door) is not moving. It's most likely because I don't have it plugged into the PS. That fan sucks air out and away from the cpu/heatsink. Would that be the reason for these high temps too? There is a case fan over the heatsink on top of the case sucking air away from the cpu/heatsink but I'm sure those tmeps would go down if I got the back one working also.
EDIT - I am RETARDED. I was just doing some research and can't believe I thought I didn't need a fan. Sorry for making such an idiotic statement guys. Should I shut down now and not use this pc at all until I get a fan installed or am I fine as long as I don't game/do any demanding things with it? And I'm guessing that I will have to remove the heatsink to install the fan to...great. That means I have to buy thermal paste. I'm so scared that I am going to mess something up. I can't believe I've been using this pc for all this time like this, playing WoW and Crysis frequently. Could my abuse have a long-term affect on the cpu?
 
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gerardb

gerardb

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well IMO you are lucky cuz core 2 duo, the e6600 is not known for been hot like, the q6600 per se.
You should run and get a fan for the heatsink or a new heatsink, they are not that expensive now days :lol:
 
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trogdor796

trogdor796

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Do I need to get a certain size or kind? Can anyone link one that will work? I don't really want to order one(rather get one at best buy or somewhere like that), but I will if that is the absolutely the better choice. So I will need to remove the heatsink to install the fan, correct, as well as re-apply thermal paste/grease? Is this hard to do? I have read many posts on here about people re-seating theirs and it ending up with hotter temps than before. I don't wanna mess anything up. And can someone tell me if my cpu should be ok even after installing a fan since it's been like it is now for a while?
 
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gerardb

gerardb

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Well first things first.
Open your pc and look at the heatsink, then gently try to move it in a clockwhise and then the other way around, if it moves really easy, yes, it's loose, you might need to take off your motherboard to mount it correctly.
Now, you mentioned that the side door from the case has a dead fan right? well, go to your local pc shop and ask an employee to get you one of those, and replace the dead one.
Please try to do this and come back, i'll be glad to help you :D
 
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trogdor796

trogdor796

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Well I'm not sure if the heatsink is loose, but I know that the lack of a fan is what is causing my high temps. And the case fan works now, I simply had it set wrong. Can someone link a good fan that will work in my mobo? It's an Asus P5B. I hope that this wont be more than $20 total.
 
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gerardb

gerardb

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Im almost 100% positive that your heatsink uses a 120mm fan.
This one has the best reviews, and the best rating among all the 120mm fans:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811998121&cm_re=120mm-_-11-998-121-_-Product
It's somewhere around $11 with the shipping included :lol:
Do you have the hardware to mount it?
 
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trogdor796

trogdor796

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Mine is kind of like the one i linked, but not the same model. Your link doesn't work so I can't see what you linked. I'm not exactly sure what model mine is, but I do not see a fan on it at all. The fan is supposed to be in the space between the vent-like top part and the bottom square part(where the pipes go down into) right? Mine has not fan there and there is no 3-pin fan wire for me to plug into my mobo.
 
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jerreece

jerreece

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Many of the best CPU cooling solutions these days are large blocks full of fins with no fan. Some come with a fan included in their package, and others you add a fan to them. In those cases, there are little rubber connectors you use to mount the fan to the cooling tower.

HDT-S1284-B.jpg


Here's an example of a Xigmatek HDT system with the rubber grommets mounting a fan to the tower.

If you can locate a fan (and the rubber mounts) to attach it, it's important that you mount the fan in the proper direction. It must blow air THROUGH the cooling tower, toward the rear of the case. That way it's pulling cool air from the front, pushing it through the cooling tower, and toward the exhaust fan on the back of your case. You'll want to identify which direction the fan blows before you mount it to the tower.
 
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trogdor796

trogdor796

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Ok, so any 120mm fan should work and be able to mounted to my heatsink device with fins? Also - should i still re-seat the heatsink, or should I just try to mount a fan on it and see if that helps the temp go down? I just examined the heatsink not long ago and it didn't appear to be very loose at all, I couldn't really move it actually. When the tower is standing up, it seems to sag/drop down a little bit if you know what I mean, but not alot at all.
 
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jerreece

jerreece

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If you could not move the heat sink, and there's a sag when the tower is standing, it could be a couple things. Large heat sinks like these tend to be fairly "heavy". It could be a small flex/bend in the motherboard that you're seeing as the weight pulls against it. This may be normal, or it may also be a sign that the motherboard doesn't have all it's proper screws installed to attach it firmly to the case itself. :)

Any 120mm fan "should" work, however they may not come with the little rubber grommet things that attach it to this cooler. Most 120mm fans are sold as "case fans" to be screwed onto the case itself. Also keep in mind, most "case fans" will have the 4-pin molex power connector. Where as a 120mm CPU cooler fan will have the smaller 3-pin motherboard power connector on them. :)
 
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gerardb

gerardb

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+1
Excelent! :lol:
 
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gerardb

gerardb

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+1 again, thats why your a veteran and im just an aprentice :lol:
 
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trogdor796

trogdor796

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I did see a screw or two missing from the top of my mobo(top when case is standing up), so that most likely explains the sag. I'm guessing I should get a screw to go in there, but I'm just wondering - would it be bad if I left it? And I know my mobo has a 3pin slot for a case/cpu fan, but is it the same no matter if I got a fan that uses the 4pin to attach to the power supply or a 3pin to attach to mobo? Like is one preferred over the other? Ty guys for all the answers and for being patient, I just want to get back to playing WoW and Crysis again.
 
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