I5 2500 Temperature Too High?

[ehcanadian]

Hello Folks,

Almost two months old, I'm worried the I5-2500 (not unlocked) in my computer is running too hot. I applied my own thermal paste, since that was recommended by my computer-savvier friends (compared to me). I went through all the steps: Removed factory TP from stock intel cooler with alcohol and lint-free cloth, I used the vertical line method of application on the cpu, and placed the cooler where it's supposed to go.

I did notice a good drop in idle temperatures (used to be above 40, now mid-to-low 30s) after the "break-in" period. However, when I play games it goes up to a maximum of 98 Degrees Celsius. A friend of mine said that as long as the computer isn't shutting itself down, it's fine. I haven't had any problems with my computer over the two months, it's been running as beautifully as it can.

Is that temperature too high, even for a stock cpu cooler? Should I invest in an aftermarket? Even if it's supposed to go that high, I'm thinking lower temps would help increase life-span. If it's supposed to, I'll take my time waiting for good deals, as opposed to rushing to get an aftermarket cooler if it's not.

Thanks.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

98C is definitely WAY too hot. A stock, non OC'd 2500 like that should only ever get to maybe 70C at the absolute most (and it's usually lower) with the stock cooler. It sounds to me like either the thermal paste is incorrectly applied or more probable, the HSF just isn't seated well.

Those stock Intel HSF's have that stupid pin design that makes it hard to know if it's done right or not. Make sure that the HSF is seated well and is firmly in place. If you can pull the pins out without much force, they're not locked in correctly.

If you decide that you want to try an aftermarket cooler, there's no better for the price than a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo (I have one and can attest that it's a GREAT cooler for its relatively low price).

 

[diellur]

Yup, definitely too high...98 deg C is the Tj max temp for the i5-2500K, I expect it's the same or similar for the i5-2500; ideally you would never approach that sort of temperature.

The Coolermaster heatsink that DJDecibel mentions is extremely good value for money and very quiet...IMHO, I'd recommend it for every build as a minimum, OCing or not, as it is much better than the Intel stock heatsink (performance as well as mounting).

 

[bigcyco1]

That is way hot i have my i5-2500K overclocked 4.7ghz 1.3v 24-7 use and my temps never go above 70C on full load granted i use NH-D14 so it not really a good example lol but yes you should get a cooler but since it getting as hot as your saying i think there other issue at hand it's just not normal to be getting those kind of temps on stock clock settings good news is you only need to spend 30.00 to keep it more than cool on stock setting CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 before you buy it make sure it fit your case

 

[Maximus_Delta]

Far too much fuss on here about temps, you probably have an issue as its hitting the max before throttling but just check the heat sink is seated properly etc as above. Sounds like an installation issue.

Beyond that, depends how long you want to keep it... if you only need the chip to last 2-3 years don't worry about it, stock heat sink is fine. You have a 3 year intel warranty also. They do survive high temps its just when your PC is your pride and joy some do tend to become a bit obsessive compulsive I guess.

 

[win_myint512001]

mine also i5 2500k,when i do video converting temperature go up 95C.

 

[amuffin]

Yeah, because you aren't using any thermal paste!

 

[geekapproved]

If your temperature is going over 70c, something is wrong.

Use the method described in the instructions on the package for the particular paste you bought, not how someone told you to do it. They are all different and require different amounts. The better stuff doesn't require break in at all.

 

[mobrocket]

i recommend u buy an aftermarket cooler, they are relatively cheap...

second if your bios is not set to turn off at a certain temp, you could slowly kill your CPU

to me it sounds like you dont have the cpu fan installed correctly.. and its not making good contact

 

[ehcanadian]

Edit: I put it through some testing, played some arkham city and BF3. I've got a max temperature of 73 degrees after playing for over an hour (as opposed to 98 after a short while).

Well technically the cpu does slowly die/degrade overtime, but yeah, I'm speeding up the process.

It seems better.

At first I was sure I had properly seated the cpu cooler. I opened up the back panel and realized that one pin wasn't in properly, and another was half in. I took it off, reapplied thermal paste, but was slightly more generous. I placed it back in and made sure the pins were seated in.

My idle temps (although I wouldn't call it idle, since many many windows are open), are staying in the 30s range. This didn't happen until a month (or after the "break-in" period) after I had applied the thermal paste last time.

Thanks guys. The cpu cooler seating should have been common sense.

 

[ehcanadian]

Best answer selected by ehcanadian.

 

[Maximus_Delta]

I think you need to give best answer to DJDeCiBeL, he nailed it with respect to this one.

 

[ehcanadian]

I think you need to give best answer to DJDeCiBeL, he nailed it with respect to this one.

And that I did

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

He did. And thanks for that!