Can't keep processor heat down -no overclocking!

KiLLerCloWn · Post by **KiLLerCloWn** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:38 pm

hi all,

I run an i5 2.67 running on an ASUSP7P55D and am having a really hard time keeping the heat down. I'm not overclocking it, and I'm pretty sure that I didn't have heat problems before, but then again I never monitored so closely.

My room temperature is fairly high, it's a problem I've always been having in summer. But I've always managed to control the computer heat by simply leaving the side open and having one or two room fans blowing into them - noisy but cool

But now at 30% processor load it goes up to 80°C. Are these things known to run hot? Even at idle (or 1/2% processor load) it's around 50°C. My laptop runs at around 50 - 55°C in the same room even under higher processor loads.

First thing that came to mind is To pull the CPU out and add some thermal paste, maybe it's worn off? (Does that happen at all?). Otherwise I don't really have any ideas. the fan seems to work fine, it's reported at 2400 rpm.

Anything else I could do?

Cheers

Chris

Err · Post by **Err** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:27 pm

I would try replacing the thermal paste. What heatsink are you using?

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:38 pm

80 C is too high, if it's an accurate reading. Most mobos shut down at 85 C to protect the CPU.

I find that number hard to believe but easy to confirm. Touch the heatsink. At 80 C it should be too hot to touch without burning your fingers.

normalicy · Post by **normalicy** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:59 pm

Agreed, either you have a thermal paste/contact issue or you have a defective reading.

KiLLerCloWn · Post by **KiLLerCloWn** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 5:41 pm

Hmmm, it's not too hot to touch But it's pretty damn hot, close to burning my fingers. I can lay my hand on the graphics card no problem and it's just lukewarm, but touching the processor Is very very hot. So I would say that reading is probably accurate.

I'm touching 85° right now, and it's not shutting down. I get the reading from both "coretemp" and "speed fan".

I definitely think I have a problem because it's now late night here, temperatures have gone down and the Processor temperature on my lap top processor has dropped by about 8°. But my main box processor still goes up to over 80 despite cooler room temperatures and the two fans blowing at it.

Also it seems to go Up dramatically as soon as there is little use. I have it idle at 50° and I just switch on one processor intensive application and it goes up 30° immediately.

I'm going to shut it down and get some thermal paste First thing in the morning... Hopefully that's all that's to it!

Thanks as usual

Chris

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:07 pm

90 C is 176 F. It should be impossible to touch. If you can wrap your hand around the heatsink and hold it for a second, it's not 80 C - not all over.

You could have voids in the heatsink compound and maybe there's a hotspot near the sensor.

Clean all the old paste off completely with alcohol and/or Goof Off, then spread a THIN EVEN layer on both the HSF and the chip. Make sure it's good paste like Artic Silver. They sell it at Best Buy and even Staples nowadays.

KiLLerCloWn · Post by **KiLLerCloWn** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:24 pm

Thanks Penguin.

Ok, I could touch, but not hold for more than a second.

I did the following: took off the heatsink. Paste underneath was just this gray dusty compound, nothing compared to the white rubber like texture it has when new. But then I don't know if that's to be expected after about 9 months use. Also the fan had acumulated a lot of dust.

I wiped it off cleanly and cleaned the dust off. Then sat it back on, just to see. Booted the PC, without any paste, just the sink on the processor.

It runs pretty much the same temperatures as before. It does heat up quicker, but it also comes down quicker. And it comes down to lower temperatures then with the old paste!

I can't actually work with it because temperature shoots up immediately when I launch an application. But in idle it now runs at 42º where before it wouldn't go below 50º ... so I guess it must have been sth with contact or paste?

I'll let you know results as soon as I get paste in the morning...

Cheers

Chris

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:35 pm

I'm pretty sure I saw actual Arctic Silver at Staples or Office Depot, but Best Buy has their store branded stuff which is basically the same:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex%26%23 ... 8152478854

No one uses the white stuff anymore. It should be gray or light gray. A Mom & Pop computer shop should have some too.

normalicy · Post by **normalicy** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:18 am

Nothing all that wrong with the white stuff. I've seen tons of tests saying they're all within a degree or two for the most part.

Oh & the hotter the heat sink, the better. That means that heat is actually transferring. I am wondering though if something might be wrong & running your processor harder than necessary.

KiLLerCloWn · Post by **KiLLerCloWn** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:30 am

OK, They only had the white stuff at that store downstairs, so not much choice for me in any case

Nevertheless it makes a world of difference. Same processor load, no house fans, and I run at 45°C. So this really was the problem!

@normalicy: Definitely nothing near running my processor too hard. The hardest I dared because of the heat was to use my line6 Toneport ( guitar amplifier Emulator ) And that runs the processor at 30% usage solid. Apart from that it was never higher than 10% or so.

I didn't dare try doing any 3-D rendering which runs it at 99%...

I'm now wait for the midday heat to come up and then we'll see whether I actually still need the house fans at all!

Thanks again for all the help as usual

Cheers

Chris

normalicy · Post by **normalicy** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:15 pm

Well if the thermal grease did it, then no worries about something running your processor hot. Sounds like you're good to go though.