Overclocking Q6600, Frustrated by high temps!

[imported_tgenius]

So my box is a Q6600 on a DS3L using an Artic Cooler Pro 7.

My idle temps at stock speed were in the mid to high 30s. My idle temps running at 3gig (333 cpu) is low 50s. Does that sound about right? It seems a bit too high doesn't it?

I'm also running 4GB (4X1) Crucial Ballistix 800 PC6400 too.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I think these numbers are a bit too high!

Thank You.

 

[Idontcare]

That does not sound right at all.

Can you use Core Temp and post the VID, and then use CPU-Z and post the "Core Voltage" and "Core Speed" when the system is idle?

Have you tried re-seating the HSF? Are you positive the fan on the HSF is actually rotating when the system is at idle?

edit: and from Core Temp please post the "Revision" too

 

[imported_tgenius]

Using Core Temp

The Core Voltage is 1.2250V, and it reports 2997mhz (333x9)

Using CPU-Z It says Core Voltage is 1.264 and Core Speed for some reason shows 1998, 333x6.


I have not tried reseating the HSF, but I think the only way I'm going to be able to do that is taking the mother board out and mounting the HSF outside of the case.

Also, (don't know if it matters or not) I removed the silver surface on the Artic Cooler because the Artic Silver 5 instructions said to remove all of that so that it would be the Heatsink direct to the cpu cores.)

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: tgenius
Using Core Temp

The Core Voltage is 1.2250V, and it reports 2997mhz (333x9)

Using CPU-Z It says Core Voltage is 1.264 and Core Speed for some reason shows 1998, 333x6.


I have not tried reseating the HSF, but I think the only way I'm going to be able to do that is taking the mother board out and mounting the HSF outside of the case.

Also, (don't know if it matters or not) I removed the silver surface on the Artic Cooler because the Artic Silver 5 instructions said to remove all of that so that it would be the Heatsink direct to the cpu cores.)

You have a very low VID (1.225V), this is good.

CPU-Z reports the lower clock multiplier because your EIST and C1E are turned on, this is also good.

When you removed the silver surface, did you replace it with AS5 or some other thermal compound? If not then that is likely to be your problem. You need something to be there (between the IHS and HSF)

For your temps, even though it is a hassle, I'd recommend reseating that HSF (cleanup the TIM and replace with new).

 

[imported_tgenius]

So your saying that your supposed to cover the surface of the Artic Cooler 7 with AS5? I thought it was only supposed to be a line across the middle of the cpu?

 

[Imported]

The compound that comes with the Arctic FP7 is supposedly better than AS5. And as far as I know, a line is all you need. Make sure to twist it a couple times though.

 

[imported_tgenius]

but since I completely wiped off the compound on the FP7 I need to cover the FP7 with AS5 now correct?

 

[imported_tgenius]

What should the temps be?

I'm debating taking apart the Solo to take the board out and re-do the heatsink, etc.

Should I cover the FP7 since I removed the compound from it originally?

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: tgenius
So your saying that your supposed to cover the surface of the Artic Cooler 7 with AS5? I thought it was only supposed to be a line across the middle of the cpu?

Well the FP7 will become covered with AS5 when you complete the installation, so you installed it correctly if you put AS5 somewhere between the two surfaces.

Your temps though, ugh...at idle at 3.3GHz with 1.328V on my Q6600 I see 33C with a Tuniq120.

You shouldn't see any higher than 33C at 3GHz with an FP7. It's not that much worse than a Tuniq. Something's afoot.

 

[imported_tgenius]

Well when I took the motherboard out of the case, one of the clips for the heatsink did not engage, so I just pushed it in and remounted everything. Unfortunately, the temps are the same.

I'm going to take it apart again, but this time I will unmount the HSF and clean it then layer it with AS5 correct? The way I had done it before was cleaning the AC7 compound off (down to basically copper) then spread the line across the CPU as the AS5 instructions said. I'm assuming I shouldn't have taken the compound off the AC7 correct?

Any other suggestions?

 

[Idontcare]

Clean off the AS5, then put just the line of AS5 across the CPU as you had done originally.

No layering, when you put the heatsink on it will make a layer on its own out of the line of AS5 you put on the CPU. From the sounds of it you did this part just fine to begin with.

You do not want AS5 on the CPU and the silver patch on the HSF...you did this part right as well when you removed it.

The culprit of your high temps is no doubt that one of the corner clips was not done correctly.

It can take many tries to get all four clips engaged at the same time. If your temps continue to be high then I would continue to suspect one of the corners is still not done correctly. This is very common issue with these push-pin heatsinks, very common.

Mine had this issue where I'd get the final push-pin in and one of the others that I thought was in would all of a sudden pop back up. You got to install them outside the motherboard so you can really inspect and pull/pry on the HSF to confirm no corner is lifting, then install the mobo into the case.

 

[imported_tgenius]

thanks idontcare, going to try again.

 

[imported_tgenius]

Ok.. I HATE the pushpins.. almost all of them were bent the wrong way and they were a mission to put in (had to use some needlenose pliars)

Anyways, temps are now in mid to high 40s when idle which is a lil better.

The thing that jumps out at me is the AC7 fan is only running at about 800rpm.. shouldn't it be running a little harder at that temp?

I don't really feel like taking it apart again though

 

[Imported]

It should be. See if you can disable the monitoring of the fan speed in the BIOS. Should then run at full speed.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: tgenius
The thing that jumps out at me is the AC7 fan is only running at about 800rpm.. shouldn't it be running a little harder at that temp?

That is typical if you are using the DS3L's auto-CPU fan control.

What's important is if you load your CPU with small FFT in prime95 and use speedfan to monitor the CPU fanspeed does the AC7 speed up as the temps climb into the 60's?

If it does then all is working as intended, you may not like how it was intended to work though

My Tuniq's spin at ~800rpms when my DS3L/Q6600 is idle too. When I load though the Tuniqs spin-up to 1600rpms when the temps are in the high 50's to low 60's.

This is normal for DS3L.

 

[imported_tgenius]

When I had it on auto before OC it would spin up when doing prime. Now it's running about 2400rpm all the time, is that right?

I just checked, two cores low 40s, 2 cores, high 30s.. so the fan speed deff has something to do with it.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: tgenius
When I had it on auto before OC it would spin up when doing prime. Now it's running about 2400rpm all the time, is that right?

Is it on auto now? It's not right if the BIOS is set to auto, it means your HSF is not cooling your CPU as far as the DS3L is concerned and it's trying to make the fan spin faster to cool that CPU down.

It implies that the HSF is not making good contact with the IHS. Which sorry to say implies your AC7 is not fully installed to the motherboard.

Welcome to push-pin hell, you have my sympathy.

 

[imported_tgenius]

No, I turned off Auto, when it was on auto, it was in the low-mid 40s with an rpm fan speed of about 830.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

Good job... Next time, you're supposed to put thermal paste on the heatsink, just remember that.

 

[imported_tgenius]

Originally posted by: BlueAcolyte
Good job... Next time, you're supposed to put thermal paste on the heatsink, just remember that.

So there's supposed to be thermal paste AND the Artic Silver 5? Everything I've read said otherwise.

I may turn the fan speed back to auto, because the whir at 2400rpm is kinda loud whereas at 800 its was near silent.

 

[Quiksilver]

Originally posted by: BlueAcolyte
Good job... Next time, you're supposed to put thermal paste on the heatsink, just remember that.

Maybe you should read the thread before you even post, because he had it applied just the damned push pins weren't all the way seated.

Originally posted by: tgenius
So there's supposed to be thermal paste AND the Artic Silver 5? Everything I've read said otherwise.

Arctic Silver 5 is a type of thermal paste/grease so no, you don't need more.

 

[imported_tgenius]

Ok, that's what I had originally thought. i used to build my boxes since I was a kid (8-10) but in the last 5 yrs, Dell got so damn cheap it didn't pay off.

I only went building my quad because I wanted to ensure drive speed, memory capacity,etc. and the Dell Quad was limited to 3.5GB ram on the board itself.

 

[imported_tgenius]

I've been reading that some have raised their voltage and its actually dropped the temps. The DS3L isn't the easiest board to Overclock, the bios is a bit eh.

Should I raise the voltage?

 

[imported_tgenius]

Well I think that finally did it. I'm running Prime as we speak and my Core temps are maxing at 61/61/57/57. The idle temps are mid to high 30s.

If I want to go up to 3.2, what should I set my voltage to?

Also, I somehow doubt my ram is running at 4-4-4-12, and it should (Crucial Ballistix)

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: tgenius
Well I think that finally did it. I'm running Prime as we speak and my Core temps are maxing at 61/61/57/57. The idle temps are mid to high 30s.

If I want to go up to 3.2, what should I set my voltage to?

Also, I somehow doubt my ram is running at 4-4-4-12, and it should (Crucial Ballistix)

With a low VID like you have, if you leave the core voltage to "AUTO" in the BIOS you should have no problem pushing your FSB up to at least 367MHz for a 3.3GHz clock.

The BIOS on the DS3L will automatically move your Vcore upwards as you clock your CPU above stock. It will not raise the voltage above 1.35V (the max VID for a G0). The BIOS assumes it is "safe" to move your Vcore up to this limit since Intel sells G0's with VID up to 1.35V.

The only time you need to start plugging in a manual Vcore on the DS3L is if your overclock requires >1.35V.

You may have to give +0.1 or +0.2 to the NB and/or MCH. And check your memory to make sure you are overclocking the ram too much (if at all).