problem with cpu overheat and heatsink

[madmonk888]

hey everybody, i got some problems

first off, i have an asus mobo ... thats a problem in itself, but thats not the main problem

my cpu is overheating for some reason, its like ... 63 deg idle..and thats with case side panel OFF. have like .. 3 80 mm fans inside and the psupply has 1 80mm and 1 120 mm.
cpu is amd 2800+ xp barton core
it had the retail boxed fan and sink that came with it.. now .. i have an extra volcano 7+ sitting around, so im going to install that one instead of retail.. i have a BUNCH a questions about installation process....
1. How do i remove the hardened thermal paste? any instructions will help

2. How much thermal paste should i apply? on the processor or on the heatsink?

3. I heard something about twisting it 1 degree 1 way and another the other way to clean out air bubbles in the thermal paste, is this true ?

4. Could the mobo cause the overheat? it in itself isnt overheating, just the CPU

5. if i cant stop the overheating problem, i might end up buying a new CPU /mobo(not ASUS those sunsa...) whats better Athlon 64 3500+ (939) or pentium 4 3.4 GHZ 800mhz 1meg cache? also, which one creates more heat?

thank you very much for all your input

Madmonk

 

[ShoobieRat]

1. How do i remove the hardened thermal paste? any instructions will help

Depending on how brave you are, you have a couple solutions. If you're a brave soul with the hands of a surgeon, use a flathead screwdriver and gently scrape it off. If you're not so brave, you can get some circuit-cleaning solution from Radio-Shaft (or wherever) and loosen it up, then wipe it off with a tissue. Sometimes, if you're careful, you can just pick it off with your fingernail. If you're crazy, you can lick it.

2. How much thermal paste should i apply? on the processor or on the heatsink?

Always mount the processor FIRST, then put the heatsink on second. Once you have the processor in the socket, put a small dab of past on the core and a little around it. About a pea-sized dab should do. Smooth it up a little with your finger or something, just so you know what it's covering. Then carefully put the heatsink on, and try not to shift it any from the position you had it when you first made contact with the past, otherwise you'll smear it all over the place and create gaps.

3. I heard something about twisting it 1 degree 1 way and another the other way to clean out air bubbles in the thermal paste, is this true ?

If you use good paste, smooth it out a little after putting it on the chip, and make sure you're heatsink is firmly fixed to the processor, then you're fine. And 1 degree is so little you'd be lucky if you hadn't shifted it that much already.

4. Could the mobo cause the overheat? it in itself isnt overheating, just the CPU

The motherboard only has two things on it that get hot. The twin chips that make up your chipset (north and south). The northbridge chipset gets very hot, and most mobo manufacturers sell their boards with chipset fans on them (or at least a heatsink without a fan). The southbridge doesn't get that hot. Now, as far as the processor is concerned, there are a bunch of factors involved in making it hot. One, the chipset can cause things to run hot (read the specs from the manufacturer of the chipset to see). Also, the chip itself, depending on the make and model, can run hotter than others of the same make, just because they're a different model that runs slightly different. Lastly, you can have a faulty motherboard heat sensor that is reporting the wrong temp. You could also have bad processor drivers, mobo drivers, and BIOS, which will heat things up too.

5. if i cant stop the overheating problem, i might end up buying a new CPU /mobo(not ASUS those sunsa...) whats better Athlon 64 3500+ (939) or pentium 4 3.4 GHZ 800mhz 1meg cache? also, which one creates more heat?

The P4's are by far the hottest processors. Going to the AMD64 is going to require a little more work than just a new mobo and processor. There's a whole new set of reqs when you go that route. Second, I wouldn't suggest buying a chip just on how hot it gets. If that's how hot a chip gets, that's how hot the chip gets. There's nothing wrong with a chip being hot, if it's suppose to be that hot. No one's going to sell a processor that is set to run at 120C but can't handle 120C. If you read the specs and find out that the chip is running as it should, then leave it alone. It's fine.

 

[madmonk888]

should i apply pressure when i put the heatsink+fan on the cpu?
also .. whats better p4 or ath 64 =D

 

[ShoobieRat]

The heatsink clip should apply all the pressure you need. You don't need to smash the chip into a new lack of dimension. Often I actually bend the clip so that it fits on easier, to protect myself from accidentally cracking the chip. You don't want it so loose that it shifts easily or a small bump can twist it. You want it on there plenty firm...Go with your gut.

I'm not answering your second question.

1. It's been asked to death.
2. It's been fought-over to death.
3. This forum is already chok-full of AMD-vs-Intel threads.
4. It boils down to a matter of preference and use.

 

[madmonk888]

thanks for the input man, it helps alot, and , since ive found about 200 amd vs. intel threads, ive decided to go with AMD because its better for gaming, and thats mostly what i use my pc for, and, in case i DO go and upgrade, id like to know why going to AMD64 will require more work than mobo and cpu, thnks for future input. plz tell me all i need to know if ya can or steer me into the right direction, because i dont want to fry my computer, or buy parts which are not compatible =D

 

[Nubius]

If you're crazy, you can lick it.

lol funny..

You DON"T want to use your finger to spread the compound on your CPU Core as it gets grease in the thermal paste and then it loses it's quality with the addition of your slimey fingers

As far as 'Going AMD will require more than just mobo and CPU' I'm going to have to disagree there. If you've got a hard drive, CD-ROM, RAM, and a video card, then all you need is the motherboard and CPU...but you will need to install the motherboard..clear the CMOS, then immediately format your HD, don't even let the computer attempt to boot into windows from the HD as switching out the motherboards will produce tons of errors.

What are your current specs madmonk? Meaning what pieces do you have? Because there should be nothing that you have that would make going AMD 'harder' and have more 'requisits' to switch over to.

 

[madmonk888]

well.. im not going to replace my CPU right now because its not overheating anymore since i installed my volcano 7+(aka fighter jet engine) in it, however it keeps temps at like .. 45 deg idle and 50 deg running, but only with case open .. im not sure if thats a good thing, since i thought it would collect tons of dust.. however, compared to my other computer which was running for 2 years and never opened, this one(only a year old) looks like you could eat off of( would not recommend doing that due to electric hazards tho).. however.. is it safe to run it with the case open? also ... ill post specs here

AMD Athlon XP 2800+ Barton core
2x 512 generic ram at pc2700( does major brand improve performance?)
A7V8X-X Asus mobo ( dont buy this one .. trust me)
western digital 80 gb HD
Asus Nvidia GeForce Ti4400 o/c'd to like .. 4600
MGE 400 watt powersupply (dual fan)
and thats about it that i can remember
now .. initially i was going to upgrade my card to a PNY 6800GT 256 MB cuz i have 400 bucks to blow on something, and it seemed like a better thing than a new processor.. however in about 5 mths i will upgrade processor to the new amd 64s once i get more cash, so if you can tell me what hardware might need replacing im more then in need of info, since im going to upgrade soon anyways.. thnx for info =D

madmonk

 

[Nubius]

get eVGA 6800GT as they are a better brand, will put on a better heatsink and will have better support shall you need it than PNY.

It's safe to run with the case open but generally it's closed to create a vaccuum and suck out the heat so it's not getting an actual fir flow with it just open..but the only thing that can hurt it is putting your foot into it or something along those lines

 

[ShoobieRat]

Don't buy the 6800GT from PNY. Buy it from eVGA. That's where I got mine and I love it. Great support, all the cables and converters I needed, software, game, and an installation guide that read like it was written by English speakers.

 

[madmonk888]

i know you guys are eVGA fanboys, but at like .. 30 dollar difference what does eVGA have to offer over PNY? i heard something about some aftermarket parts being added to it? whats it have thats extra? also .. does it have a lifetime replacement warranty like the PNY ?! thats very important in case i manage to burn it