How do I check my heatsink is correctly seated?

[shikhan]

So I just built my new system:
Q9550 (8.5x366=>3.11GHz)
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L
4 GB G.Skill RAM
XimgaTek HDT-S1283 Heatsink
450 W Corsair PS

This is my first time installing a pushpin style heatsink. I puts some AS on the chip as always and it took me a few tries until it looked to me like I got all 4 pins in and the heatsink seemed to be sturdy.

However, when I was testing the system, I noticed that the heatsink didn't even get warm. My temps weren't outrageous but were a bit higher than I was expecting. What do you guys think? See temps:

8.5 x 366
________HWMON_______SPEEDFAN
IDLE____49,43,45,43____44,37,40,38
LOAD___66,60,58,59____61,55,53,55

 

[modoheo]

Those temps look pretty darn good to me given you've got a very hot overclocked quad core sitting under there. The Xigmatek usually never gets warm to the touch in my experience.

The temps will probably improve a bit over time too as the AS "cures".

 

[shikhan]

I'm inclined to agree with you modo, but it's just been my experience, even with my old Scythe Ninja, that the heat sink gets pretty hot, or at least warm. I just wanted to double check that it really is normal for the Ximgatek no to get warm...

 

[sonnygdude]

The sink not getting warm is a sign of a better cooler (assuming your core temps look good). Since Q=hA(delta T), given that the power dissipation Q is constant, in order to get lower delta T the convective transfer coefficient h must be better or the sink has more effective area. Those are both good things

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: shikhan
I'm inclined to agree with you modo, but it's just been my experience, even with my old Scythe Ninja, that the heat sink gets pretty hot, or at least warm. I just wanted to double check that it really is normal for the Ximgatek no to get warm...

Mine doesn't feel particularly warm to the touch. Neither my Accelero nor my CPU heatsink do really. (Granted I haven't touched the Accelero when the 8800GT is under a heavy load.)

 

[Roguestar]

If the heatsink is doing its job and getting rid of heat it should not feel hot, perhaps slightly warm to the touch at most.

 

[sonnygdude]

Yep. If your heatsink feels warm, you need to get a better and/or bigger heatsink. If you look at the direction of heat flux, your temperature goes up as you go from ambient air --> HSF --> CPU case --> CPU die. Thus, if your HSF is warm, your cpu will only be warmer. If your HSF stays cool (assuming you've got good thermal contact with the CPU case) and it's got good internal conductivity (lower Biot number) then your CPU will be cooler.

Sorry to flog the dead horse.

 

[JackMDS]

When the Mobo iss still out of the case I take a small flash light and point it to one side at the line between the CPU and the HSF.

I look carefully at the other side, if it does not sit well and there is Gaps it might be possible to see it.