95c from new cooler :/

[Deders]

I've just invested in an Arctic Cooling i30 to replace my Thermaltake Contac 29 cooler, but after installing it 4 times I'm still getting temperatures over 95c with Prime95.

The i30 is supposed to be able to handle 320W and has 4 heatpipes instead of the 3 the Contac 29 had. I was previously getting around 60c with my sig rig, but the fan sounded like it was starting to go and at one point wasn't giving full RPM's so I thought it was time for an upgrade.

I've tried using a card to get a flat thin layer of MX4 on the CPU, I've also tried a thin line on each of the heatpipes but for some reason core 4 always shoots up to 95c.

They are all around 30c when idle.

I can't feel the heatpipes getting hot but the air behind the cooler is slightly warm.

The CPU is definitely making contact with the heatpipes as I can see the imprint when I take it off.

What do people think? Is it a faulty cooler? or maybe it doesn't work as well with 1156?

 

[dma0991]

Where are you getting this figure? I doubt that the AC i30 is capable of handling up to 320W. If you are indeed running at 3.8GHz (as mentioned in your signature) from a 2.66GHz stock frequency, then there's nothing to be alarmed about those temps. The Thermaltake Contac 29 performed better as it used a faster fan, 1350RPM vs 2000RPM.

 

[Deders]

Where are you getting this figure? I doubt that the AC i30 is capable of handling up to 320W. If you are indeed running at 3.8GHz (as mentioned in your signature) from a 2.66GHz stock frequency, then there's nothing to be alarmed about those temps. The Thermaltake Contac 29 performed better as it used a faster fan, 1350RPM vs 2000RPM.

320W is from the box, the website, every review I've read of it. whether it is capable is still yet to be seen. I used one on my brother's Ivy Bridge build and it was very effective.

I think there is everything to be alarmed at. I rarely had to run the old fan at 100%, It should definitely not be peaking at 95c. The core's are as follows.

1: 75c
2: 80c
3: 72c
4: 95c

Before they were all very close to 60c.

The Arctic fan has more fins then the TT, and from what I've read the same airflow. I think the issue here is that the heat isn't being transferred to the heatsink properly.

Speeding the fan up and down makes no difference to the temperature.

 

[Drummerdude]

If your cores are that much in fluctuation, either you don't have it seated properly, it's a defective unit, the cpu is bad, or the TIM is bad. Easy way to check. If you put your old cooler back on it, and they all go back down to 60, then it's not your cpu, not your TIM, but either a bad seat, or a defective cooler.

 

[serpretetsky]

I'm not sure if you meant you simply can't get access to touch the heatpipes, or if you touched the heatpipes and they do not feel hot.

I haven't felt heatpiped systems running near 95C, but I know regular heatsinks that are cooling chips near 95C are uncomfortably hot (I usually can't hold my finger on the metal longer than 3 seconds without it becoming painful).

If, indeed, you made contact with the heatpipes and they don't feel hot, I would think there is something either defective with the heatsink, or some incorrect mounting. Remove the mobo and cooler from the case and make sure the heatsink clears everything if the heatpipes are indeed not hot.

 

[dma0991]

320W is from the box, the website, every review I've read of it. whether it is capable is still yet to be seen. I used one on my brother's Ivy Bridge build and it was very effective.

I think there is everything to be alarmed at.

The rig in my signature with a custom 240mm watercooling gets me about 75C, overclocked to 4.5GHz running Prime95. The TIM in Ivy Bridge sucks, so more realistically I should be getting 60-65C if I delid. But remember, I'm running a beefier heatsink than a Noctua NH-D14, and definitely a whole lot more than an AC i30 is capable of. Even with that, I'm still peaking at 75C.

I also happen to have a Core i7 2600 with a CM Hyper212+ gets about 60C+ on Prime95. This is bone stock, no overclocking and no crappy TIM.

My ambient temps are 28-30C and typically my rig idles at 28C or less. Unless you live in a fridge, I doubt that you can have 60C temps with a >1GHz overclock and cool it with a mid range heatsink.

 

[Deders]

If your cores are that much in fluctuation, either you don't have it seated properly, it's a defective unit, the cpu is bad, or the TIM is bad. Easy way to check. If you put your old cooler back on it, and they all go back down to 60, then it's not your cpu, not your TIM, but either a bad seat, or a defective cooler.

I've seated it 4 times, and used TIM from different tubes. I would hope the CPU wouldn't just go bad after changing the heatsink :/

I'm not sure if you meant you simply can't get access to touch the heatpipes, or if you touched the heatpipes and they do not feel hot.

I haven't felt heatpiped systems running near 95C, but I know regular heatsinks that are cooling chips near 95C are uncomfortably hot (I usually can't hold my finger on the metal longer than 3 seconds without it becoming painful).

If, indeed, you made contact with the heatpipes and they don't feel hot, I would think there is something either defective with the heatsink, or some incorrect mounting. Remove the mobo and cooler from the case and make sure the heatsink clears everything if the heatpipes are indeed not hot.

Nothing gets hot, I can get my finger in behind the cooler and neither the plate, the fins or the pipes are getting hot. I wonder if I have to use the other spacers, it stated the plastic ones for 1156 in the instructions and metal for 2011. They are slightly different heights.

I'm sure the pipes are touching the IHS as I can see the imprint when I take the cooler off.

If I tighten the screws any tighter the motherboard won't switch on so there must be a decent amount of pressure there.

The rig in my signature with a custom 240mm watercooling gets me about 75C, overclocked to 4.5GHz running Prime95. The TIM in Ivy Bridge sucks, so more realistically I should be getting 60-65C if I delid. But remember, I'm running a beefier heatsink than a Noctua NH-D14, and definitely a whole lot more than an AC i30 is capable of. Even with that, I'm still peaking at 75C.

I also happen to have a Core i7 2600 with a CM Hyper212+ gets about 60C+ on Prime95. This is bone stock, no overclocking and no crappy TIM.

My ambient temps are 28-30C and typically my rig idles at 28C or less. Unless you live in a fridge, I doubt that you can have 60C temps with a >1GHz overclock and cool it with a mid range heatsink.

It wasn't a particularly cold day or particularly warm either but my case has great airflow. I do live in Britain so there might be a difference in ambient temperature right there. Also the Contac 29 was known for punching well above its weight.

If I fired up Furmark on top of Prime95 both the CPU and GPU would approach 70c, and that is with the GPU overvolted.

 

[serpretetsky]

Hmm, weird.

Again, I haven't touched heatpiped heatsinks at anything above 50C, so I can't really say how hot it should feel, just my gut reaction.

Have you found reviews comparing your new and old heatsink by any chance?

Did you use the same version of Prime95 before and after?


The numbers you are reporting don't seem particularly crazy for a good air heatsink cooling an overclocked processor at extreme load, but at the same time i'm not familiar with either of your heatsinks so I can't really say much about that.

 

[Tristor]

Have you verified that the none of the heatpipes are punctured? I'm wondering if one of the heatpipes has malfunctioned. Even with no lapping, no delid, etc. a 20C+ core delta is insane. There's no reason that core should be at 95C. I'd bet on either a defective heatsink, a mismount, or a thermistor that is malfunctioning.

What software are you using to measure your temperatures?

 

[mindbomb]

try laying the case on it's side and seeing what happens. If temps go down, it's from gravity lessening the effect of a bad mount.

 

[Deders]

Hmm, weird.

Again, I haven't touched heatpiped heatsinks at anything above 50C, so I can't really say how hot it should feel, just my gut reaction.

Have you found reviews comparing your new and old heatsink by any chance?

Did you use the same version of Prime95 before and after?

The numbers you are reporting don't seem particularly crazy for a good air heatsink cooling an overclocked processor at extreme load, but at the same time i'm not familiar with either of your heatsinks so I can't really say much about that.

I've touched my graphics heatpipes in the past and got a slight burn, but that was after a while of use. I would think it should feel warm before the CPU hits 98c.

Yeah exactly the same version of prime 95, I tested it the day before I installed the new heatsink.

Unfortunately the 2 coolers came out so many years apart that there won't be any reviews with them both in.

I remember when I had my old case with my the Thermaltake cooler and I was getting 80c if I left prime95 running, but then changing from Arctic Silver 5 to MX4 dropped the temps about 10c, then upgrading the case and optimising the airflow dropped it another 10c.

Have you verified that the none of the heatpipes are punctured? I'm wondering if one of the heatpipes has malfunctioned. Even with no lapping, no delid, etc. a 20C+ core delta is insane. There's no reason that core should be at 95C. I'd bet on either a defective heatsink, a mismount, or a thermistor that is malfunctioning.

What software are you using to measure your temperatures?

Argus monitor, it's a great utility. Couldn't see any defects on the cooler but then the pipes are in the fins so it's hard to tell.

 

[Deders]

Old cooler back on:

Such a shame the fan is about to go. Was looking at Be Quiet PWM fans but they don't have the right mount holes, then need to be like normal case fan mounts so they can fit the rubber mounts that look like this:

Can anyone suggest a decent quiet PWM fan with at least decent airflow and static pressure but low noise?

 

[Z15CAM]

Noctua NF-A14 PWM - Rather expensive at around $25 a pop but probably the best Rad and Air Finned CPU Cooler fan available.

 

[Deders]

Noctua NF-A14 PWM - Rather expensive at around $25 a pop but probably the best Rad and Air Finned CPU Cooler fan available.

Why do they have to be so brown? My current orange one already clashed enough!

Would probably have to go for the NF-F12 PWM, about the same CFM as my current one is rated.

 

[Zardnok]

If you are not a fan of the Noctua Brown, check out the Corsair SP series fans. The SP stands for Static Pressure and they are designed to be used on Heatsinks and Radiators. Definitely worth a shot.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Phanteks makes some awesome looking fans that push a ton of air. I've never used them, but they might work.