CPU/Mobo Phenom 955BE Stock Cooler - Keep or upgrade?

[surajspai]

ive got a athlon x4,and its really noisy.add to that,that my case has cutouts for fans on the sides that ive left open,my pc is quite loud.

 

[RD274]

No idea how good the non-BE HSFs are. Can someone with a non-BE comment?

i had picked up a 1055T recently for a secondary rig, the fan noise was horrible, replaced it with a spare ocz vendetta 2, even though i dont OC, the drop in noise levels are really appreciated

X6 1055Ts are shipped with BE HSFs. The cooler is quite good, but the problem with that cooler is that the moment a CPU temp rises above 55c the cooler picks up speed (and noise) effectively turning it into a noisy jet engine.

That said, the X6 is a very hot processor, often touching 60c even in a well cooled cabinet at stock. Stock cooling is pointless.

 

[thetoxicmind]

For reference sake, this is the stock HSF for the 955 BE:

shipped with BE HSFs. The cooler is quite good, but the problem with that cooler is that the moment a CPU temp rises above 55c the cooler picks up speed (and noise) effectively turning it into a noisy jet engine.

While on load, the fan spins at 5000-6000 RPM, which is bound to be loud. That said, it only just manages to keep the temps under control, in spite of the audible fuss.

 

[RD274]

For reference sake, this is the stock HSF for the 955 BE:

While on load, the fan spins at 5000-6000 RPM, which is bound to be loud. That said, it only just manages to keep the temps under control, in spite of the audible fuss.

Thats the exact same one supplied with the X6 series.

Exactly ... Perhaps its time we see stock heatsinks with 120mm fans.

 

[bottle]

There was one AMD series that came with a tower heatsink, cant remember which

 

[thetoxicmind]

Hi Guys,

I would really appreciate your inputs here.

My primary concern is that the CPU Cooler isn't doing a good job of cooling the CPU.

Setup:

Case: CM Elite 334 + CM EP 460W
CPU: 955 BE (Stock)
Cooler: CM Hyper 212 + (Push and Pull with 2X Blademaster 120mm fans)
T.C: CM Thermal paste bundled with CPU Cooler
Airflow: Front 120mm -> 120mmX2 CPU Cooler -> Rear 120mm

Having seen no improvements in the past few months, I decided to clean out my cabby today and redo the HSF assembly, removing the old paste and reapplying it again.

Paste application: 3 thin lines instead of 2 (as shown here), evenly spread into a thin layer, channels leveled.

Testing:

OCCT > CPU Test > Type: Infinite

Temperature Read Out: SpeedFan, HWMonitor, CoreTemp

At 100% Load - It hovers at 62-64 *C ! :O

At Idle: 40-43 *C

Room temperature: 33-34 *C

Second test:

RT: 30 *C ; At 100% load: 62-63 *C !??

With the above setup, I would atleast expect it to hover at 57-58 tops at Full Load and Idle at 38-40 *C...

Am I expecting too much or has some part of the equation gone wrong?

Secondly, will using a paste like AS5, TX-2 or the likes make a whole lot of difference?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dOm1naTOr]

Maybe the temp sensor is faulty. Try touching the tower cooler, while registering temps like 60+. While CPU doing 60+, the top of the tower should be pretty hot as well. have seen couple of cases, where CPU is registering too high temps, while they are actually cool. 60+ for a Phenom II is really too high, as its around some 65~68c, it starts to become unstable. My B50 hasnt even seen 64c even at 4.1Ghz OC on Baram.

 

[thetoxicmind]

Thanks for your input! Will check it out and report back.

 

[asingh]

^^

When you applied the TIM, did you just fill in the gaps or also put a bit on the CPU header. Also OCCT is way way to much over kill. It is taking your cores at least 12-15C then they would ever be. Ideally to "check" if you HSF+TIM combination + assembly mount is decent, you should induce the most stressful scenario you foresee. Gaming or some encoding does decent pressure on the silicon..!

Also the bundled CM Nano Fusion is not that great of TIM. See if you can manage a tube of Tuniq.

 

[thetoxicmind]

After some additional testing:

OCCT (64*C)

Prime95 - Torture Test (65*C)

AIDA64 Stability Test (60*C)

Try touching the tower cooler, while registering temps like 60+. While CPU doing 60+, the top of the tower should be pretty hot as well.

Tried touching the top part of the cooler tower and the sides, close to WARM at most.

When you applied the TIM, did you just fill in the gaps or also put a bit on the CPU header. Also OCCT is way way to much over kill. It is taking your cores at least 12-15C then they would ever be. Ideally to "check" if you HSF+TIM combination + assembly mount is decent, you should induce the most stressful scenario you foresee. Gaming or some encoding does decent pressure on the silicon..!

Thanks for your input!

1. The entire base of the Hyper 212+ was covered with a thin layer of thermal paste, as mentioned earlier. Even the uneven channels levelled.

2. By CPU Header if you meant the surface of the CPU, hardly any.

3. While I'm sure it will withstand the most stressful scenario I would put it through in reality, I'm dead curious to know it isn't able to maintain sane temperature levels. The only time I see some good Idle temperatures is when the AC is turned on.

4. Thanks for the heads up on OCCT.

Any ideas?

 

[asingh]

^^

Best is then to get better TIM.

You might see a difference of 4-5C. Guess this is the most Hyper 212+ can do.

 

[Gannu]

Am I missing something here?! :S

I thought 60~65'C was a safe range of load temps for any class of processors although it varies from processor to processor and across batches as well. An idle temp. of 40~45 and thereabouts should be safe is what the thumb rule I have always followed.

 

[thetoxicmind]

Hmmm, so no possibility of flaky temperature sensors right?

I can't believe the Hyper 212+ performs at the same levels of the 955 BE's stock cooler. :S Even with the CM TP, it should have shown some difference thanks to its design.

Also, any suggestions for the thermal paste? preferably one that lasts long, is a LOT more effective than the stock CM paste and widely available?

Am I missing something here?! :S

I thought 60~65'C was a safe range of load temps for any class of processors although it varies from processor to processor and across batches as well. An idle temp. of 40~45 and thereabouts should be safe is what the thumb rule I have always followed.

AMD X4 Phenom 955 BE - Max Operating temp is 62°C

From what I read on the internet, this processor doesn't generally hover at 62-64 at 100%.

As such, I expected to see some difference in temps, between the stock cooler and the Hyper 212+ which I unfortunately don't.

 

[Gannu]

Seems like it, as detailed here. A really low threshold I must say!

I guess the thermal paste must have dried up. Remove the processor, apply a small blob of MX2 or a good alternative and reseat the heatsink. It might be a bit hard to get hold of MX2 since stocks seem to be low with any dealer!

 

[asingh]

^^

The RED world is different my friend. Totally.



@OP:

Suggest, try what Gunmaster has said...! Also you sure the bolt down was firm and integral. At times uneven mounts cause these problems. Never was a fan of HDT coolers anyways.

 

[Gannu]

^It has been a while since I've shifted from the Red camp. The last processor was the Athlon 64 3500+ Venice and it used to be good back then.

 

[thetoxicmind]

I guess the thermal paste must have dried up. Remove the processor, apply a small blob of MX2 or a good alternative and reseat the heatsink. It might be a bit hard to get hold of MX2 since stocks seem to be low with any dealer!

I just applied the thermal paste yesterday. Also, the only paste that seems to be available in Chennai is the Arctic Silver 5...

No MX-2,TX-2, TX-4 and the likes..

Also you sure the bolt down was firm and integral. At times uneven mounts cause these problems.

Positive.

 

[asingh]

^^

Okay do one thing. IF, you have TIM left for 2x applications.

Remove the HSF clean both surfaces with IPA, and apply TIM the traditional way. Thinnest possible layer of TIM on the CPU contact surface. And bolt the HSF on hard. Forget about the gaps for now. Leave the cooler pipes as they are.

 

[bottle]

AS5 is decent enough IMO, more than that is going to give 1-2°C difference. Use a rice bead size and don't over do it

 

[dOm1naTOr]

Close to warm shouldn't be the reaction if the CPU really touches 65c. You wont be able to hold the finger on the cooler for more than 1~2 sec if it really gets as hot as 65c+ as the tower coolers are quick in transferring heat from CPU base to the fins. So it seems to be a sensor issue almost. You can order a 100~200 bucks digital thermometer and touch the base of the heatpipes to double check.

Also applying a better TIM would only be able to educe the heat by some 2~3c, as you are already using a fair good TIM.