Good CPU Cooler for Phenom II X4 940?

[tastegw]

Okay so while I did this, I bumped my Corsair DOMINATOR ram up to 1066 which is it labeled for and it seems to be unstable, which some did complain about in their reviews of it. When I ran 3DMark06, I stepped away for a meer moment and I came back to find my screen black and nothing happening. I turned it back down to 800 and ran 3DMark06 and was very impressed with the increase.

With my AMD X2 Dual Core 6000+ at 3.2Ghz and the rest of my current PC being the same, I got this score:
3DMark Score: 11331 3DMarks
SM2.0 Score: 4845
HDR/SM3.0 Score: 6 K
CPU Score: 2162

Now, with my AMD Phenom II X4 940 at 3.3Ghz, this is my newest score:
3DMark Score: 16340 3DMarks
SM2.0 Score: 7 K
HDR/SM3.0 Score: 8 K
CPU Score: 4396

I am going to go back and try to bump up my Memory again, see if it still causes a problem and benchmark once more.

Throughout the whole Benchmark the CPU cores touched 60 degrees C. What would be a decent "Highest Temperature" to not go over? Some people have said no more than 60, so I am wondering what you guys think. My friend on a stock CPU Cooler is running 46 degrees at idle on 3.4Ghz compared to my 40 degrees at 3.3Ghz on the Rifle. Doesn't seem like a substantial difference to me

with a good cooler, those idle temps will be closer to 30C, but idle temps are not what you want to be looking at.

 

[Slam'n Systems]

Well I bumped it up to a 3.6Ghz and got a 17.3k 3DMark score, and it is idling ~ 44 degrees C and got as high as 66 degrees C in 3DMark06. I am gonna go stress test it and see how it holds.

taste, I have the 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler on it. It seems to be a bit hot for such a highly reviewed cooler.

 

[hikaricloud]

You have the rifle and it's that high? That's not right. What thermal paste did you use? And are you sure it's seated right? I mean, I get a max of 60c at 3.5ghz on my stock cooler...

 

[tastegw]

44C idle, ya thats not good.

@ 3.7 i think i idled around 32-34C with the sunbeam,

how much thermal paste and what kind did you use?
this alone can be the difference of +/-15C or more

bad thermal paste application can cause horrible temps.

 

[Slam'n Systems]

44C idle, ya thats not good.

@ 3.7 i think i idled around 32-34C with the sunbeam,

how much thermal paste and what kind did you use?
this alone can be the difference of +/-15C or more

bad thermal paste application can cause horrible temps.

I used Arctic Silver.

You know, it may be seated wrong, I was trying to fidangle my head into my face to take a look and see if it was on the full CPU. I didn't use much thermalpaste but enough where the whole bottom of the heatsink was covered. I figured having a little more than too less would be better.

I will have to take it back apart and check, I was thinking it may be sitting up too much, if you know what I mean, so the heatsink isn't sitting on the entire chip.

 

[tastegw]

I used Arctic Silver.

You know, it may be seated wrong, I was trying to fidangle my head into my face to take a look and see if it was on the full CPU. I didn't use much thermalpaste but enough where the whole bottom of the heatsink was covered. I figured having a little more than too less would be better.

I will have to take it back apart and check, I was thinking it may be sitting up too much, if you know what I mean, so the heatsink isn't sitting on the entire chip.

grab the top of the heatsink and see if you can rock it, or if its loose at all.
but if its up there tight and snug, then the seating may be correct.

just be sure you didnt use too much paste, for AS5, use an application about the size of a grain of rice in the center of the cpu, and when you put the heatsinkfan on it, it spreads it out evenly.

 

[Slam'n Systems]

I reseated it, I think it is on properly now (It was about 1.5mm off) but it is still idling the same.

If a grain of rice is all you use, then I have too much, I used about 4 grains ^_^

I will have to wipe some off and see if that helps.

EDIT:
So I wiped some paste off, remounted, I think its on even better this time (Was still about 1mm off) but its still idling at 40 so tomorrow after work I will probably end up taking my whole motherboard out of my case since I find it to be impossible to see how well it is seated inside the case, clean off all the paste and redo this all again.

Now, also I have the fan on the bottom of the heatsink blowing onto my GPU, that is correct, yes? Or do you guys have it facing up?

 

[james.wired]

Now, also I have the fan on the bottom of the heatsink blowing onto my GPU, that is correct, yes? Or do you guys have it facing up?

I would even try turning your sink 90 degrees so that the fan pulls air from the front instead of the bottom. The fan on the heat sink pulls air, not pushes, and you want it pulling from the front so that your rear fan (exhaust) can take the hot air out of the case more efficiently. That is how I set mine up and I like the results. I could be wrong here.

Edit: 1 grain really means 1 grain. Using too much paste can have the opposite effect on the cpu...we can't have that happening to your new system

 

[Slam'n Systems]

I have a Blower Fan actually blowing into my case, and then the fan on the heatsink pushes air from the heatsink, and I have 2 rear fans as exhaust fans.

Why would the fan on the heatsink want to pull air in? Don't all heatsink fans want to disperse air from the heatsink, not pull air into it?

 

[Slam'n Systems]

You guys are frickin genius's !

Redid the whole build, took the motherboard out, cleaned off the thermal paste and reapplied it. Now instead of idling at 42 degrees C, it is idling at 34 degrees C.

Thanks a lot fellas!!