recommend good hsf

[GoStumpy]

You wouldn't really feel it on top of the case, since there is airflow in the case (and hopefully an exhaust fan!) the air is never allowed to sit on top of the case...

For a real way to know if you're CPU is the temps it reads, open the case and touch the heatsink with your hand (after touching the case for static of course). A hot CPU will be a hot heatsink... it won't burn you if you just tap it... but if its hot enough to burn you I'd think its over 60C!

This should at least give you an idea of how hot your CPU really is...

 

[zCypher]

The heatsink is somewhat cold.
I started prime95 and touched the heatpipes underneath the heatsink, and they're still not hot at all. Am I doing it wrong?
A friend said to try the "maximum heat" setting in Prime95 instead of the "blend" one, trying that now. So far at 25c.

 

[GoStumpy]

All appears to be working well, then? Not getting hot is a good thing If you want it to get hot, raise the voltage! D:

 

[zCypher]

lol.

I enabled the 4th core but left everything to default.
right away it idled at 48c like expected.
touched heatsink, not warm. touched heatpipes, not even warm either. so i'm thinking the readings in HWMonitor are bogus. Unlocking the core must mess something up.

loaded up prime95, went up to 66, then 67c. touched again.. still not hot at all.

edit: interesting... look at the temps in hwmonitor vs toverclocker:
http://s1081.photobucket.com/albums...rent=hwmonitorvstoverclocker4coresprime95.jpg

 

[deimos3428]

The temperature diode can get messed up when locking/unlocking cores. Used to happen to me with my PhII X3 710.

 

[zCypher]

Bonus pics:
http://s1081.photobucket.com/albums/j350/marcbyron84/?action=view&current=testingfirst.jpg

http://s1081.photobucket.com/albums...rrent=biostarta870u3installedcpuhsfandram.jpg

http://s1081.photobucket.com/albums/j350/marcbyron84/?action=view&current=212evotall.jpg

http://s1081.photobucket.com/albums/j350/marcbyron84/?action=view&current=212evoincase.jpg

Apologies for the shoddy quality, phone pics!

 

[deimos3428]

edit: interesting... look at the temps in hwmonitor vs toverclocker:
http://s1081.photobucket.com/albums...rent=hwmonitorvstoverclocker4coresprime95.jpg

Oh. Different temperature sensors, I believe.

1. "CPU" as reported by toverclocker is the same as "TMPIN0" reported by HWMonitor. This sensor is located directly underneath the IHS lid. It's a good overall indicator of the thermal output of the whole CPU/ TDP.

2. The "Core #[1,2,3,4]" reported by HWMonitor are the individual core temperature sensors. (toverclocker doesn't report on these). They'll always be higher than TMPIN0, particularly if the system is under load. They'll also tend to be jumpier and warm up/cool off faster in response to CPU load. This is because they are closest to the heat source.

3. "TMPIN2" as reported by HWMonitor and "SYS" temp as reported by toverclocker is your Northbridge. It's usually cooler than TMPIN0 with good airflow, and it's a decent indicator of the quality of airflow across the motherboard components.

4. Some motherboards have an ambient or case temperature sensor. TMPIN2 may be one of these instead, if it stays low on load. You don't seem to have a TMPIN1.

NB: Sometimes these TMPIN sensors seem to change order for certain CPU/mobo combinations, sometimes they are called different things, sometimes the temps of the individual sensors seem to be lower than the IHS temp; an impossible situation. Sometimes the sensors are flat-out wrong or faulty and read things like -128C, etc. I'm just listing the most likely situation above.

 

[pederson_76]

Confirmed (for me anyway) temp sensors go haywire when unlocked. I unlocked my 550 to 4 cores and all of the cores register 0 C/ 32 F. My mobo has a cpu temp sensor (must be a socket reading or something) and that seems pretty accurate.