Heat and Athalon

[Grognard]

I can't find the posts on this, and I am too sick right now to spend too much time looking.

System:

1ghz Athalon w/ ASUS A7Pro Motherboard amd coolermaster fan
256mb PC-133 RAM
15 gb W-D HD @7200 rpm
Wintek GEForce 2GTS video w/ 32 mb
DVD
CD-RW
Sound blaster live x-gamer
modem

ASUSProbe2 tells me that I run between 125 and 136 degrees F (the higher temp after a gaming session), the average temp seems to be right at 129 F.

SHould I open the case to cool more or is this an acceptable temp range?

[MBMarduk]

THAT IS HOT!

(136F - 32)*(5/9) = 57.78C (needed that for my reference)

...take a look at these temps: http://www4.tomshardware.com/cpu/01q2/010521/cooler-29.html

[willk]

Opening the case should only be an emergency thing for cooling. This defeats the designed air flow.
There are a number of little things to be done to help.
Rearrange the cables inside to providw and redirect airflow.
use rounded cables.
install an intake fan. (make soure it is drawing air in and not out)
clean you fan blades. (I prefer to vacume as opposed to blowing them off...compressed air can force dust or dirt into sleeve bearings on inexpensive fans...they will be history in short order then)
slot covers are in place. if you are sucking air in here it is just shotcircuted...no cooling for the rest of the machine.

[Craig McPherson]

Many cases will run cooler with the cover off. Cases with very well designed air flow will not.

What I do is take the cover off, then strap a large box fan to the case. Get a fan about the size of the case at Wal-Mart. That cools it down a lot.

I tend to use these as guidlines for CPU temperature:

< 110F - very good
110F - 120F - no worries
120F - 130F - watch carefully
130F - 140F - you'll have problems
> 140F - it's going to fry

[MBMarduk]

No reply from Grognard...heh, I think we were too late for his CPU. :p :p

[Bernd]

On several our athlons (university theoretical chemistry department -- we need a lot of calculation power) we have measured temperatures between 50°C and 71°C (122F - 159.8 F). When the temperature goes up to 72°C the computer crashes immediately. The temperature in our office is usually between 27°C-33°C (80F - 91.4F) -- modern computers are heating a lot.

Bernd

[ 19 June 2001: Message edited by: Bernd ]

[Craig McPherson]

An average computer puts off about three times as much heat as the average human body.

If one computer can replace three humans, you break even. If you can make a computer replace four or more humans, you actually get a cooler office.

[vvx]

57C isn't really as bad as it sounds. Yes, if you're used to intel chips, or the older k6 line of AMD chips, 57C is outrageously hot. However, high end thunderbirds routinely run this high, not all, but some. Some might run at 45C, others 55C, it's just a matter of luck. That said, there could be other reasons, the one thing I would check is to make sure the heatsink is hitting the CPU right on and is making level contact. If the heatsink was hitting the CPU at an angle only a tiny itty bitty portion of the heatsink would be in contact. With these high-pressure clips now in use it's far too easy for the heatsink not to sit right on the CPU. But as long as it's running stable it's probably nothing to worry about.

[Grognard]

Been a very long day, so I am just now getting 20 minutes of computer time. I am ordering a CAK38 pure copper heatsink/fan combo from Pricewatch. According to the link it is major league cooling. Thanks guys. And yes, the machine does run hot.

[pwrhouse]

AMD's specs have 90 degrees C the temperature where you are gonna fry your CPU. Of course I don't know anyone who would ever run one that hot.

[Bernd]

As I said our Athlons always crashed at temperatures above 71°C. But since the thermometer is not integrated into the ship there is a temperature gradient between the chip and the thermometer -- so it might be possible that the real temperatur is about 90°C.

Bernd

[Grognard]

SO really I don't have to worry about killing the box until I get to 90 C??? AMD never did respond to my question. I am still going to get the better heatsink/fan to cool it more. Maybe a tower case would help as well?