Athlon 64 X2 overheating issues

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Dave

I upgraded my computer recently to a new motherboard/cpu/etc.. and I'm
having a lot of overheating issues with it when I do intense 3D renders.

At present I have the following:

GIGABYTE GA-MA78G-DS3H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Brisbane 2.5GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W
Dual-Core Processor

At first I was using the stock fan that came in the retail box for the
processor, but after reading numerous reviews on NewEgg, I upgraded to a

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler

However, it's only marginally better. Not the great performance others
have claimed.

I am not overclocking the system at all and I did use Arctic Silver
compound when I installed the heat sink.

I am planning on upgraded to a QuadCore CPU in the next month, but I'm
concerned I may have issue with that as well.

Any tips? Any sites I should visit?

Thanks!
 
Dave said:
I upgraded my computer recently to a new motherboard/cpu/etc.. and I'm
having a lot of overheating issues with it when I do intense 3D renders.

At present I have the following:

GIGABYTE GA-MA78G-DS3H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Brisbane 2.5GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W
Dual-Core Processor

At first I was using the stock fan that came in the retail box for the
processor, but after reading numerous reviews on NewEgg, I upgraded to a

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler

However, it's only marginally better. Not the great performance others
have claimed.
Click to expand...

Define overheating issues. -Dave
 
I upgraded my computer recently to a new motherboard/cpu/etc.. and I'm
having a lot of overheating issues with it when I do intense 3D renders.

At present I have the following:

GIGABYTE GA-MA78G-DS3H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard AMD
Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Brisbane 2.5GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W
Dual-Core Processor

At first I was using the stock fan that came in the retail box for the
processor, but after reading numerous reviews on NewEgg, I upgraded to a

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler

However, it's only marginally better. Not the great performance others
have claimed.

I am not overclocking the system at all and I did use Arctic Silver
compound when I installed the heat sink.

I am planning on upgraded to a QuadCore CPU in the next month, but I'm
concerned I may have issue with that as well.

Any tips? Any sites I should visit?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It should have been fine with the stock cpu fan and better with the Artic
cooler as long as it's rated for the 4800, and you applied a thin layer
of Artic Silver.

Check your internal cooling, dust and room temps. Some applications
will overheat a cpu and lowering the room temp helps keep it cool.
 
It should have been fine with the stock cpu fan and better with the Artic
cooler as long as it's rated for the 4800, and you applied a thin layer
of Artic Silver.

Check your internal cooling, dust and room temps. Some applications
will overheat a cpu and lowering the room temp helps keep it cool.
Click to expand...

Thanks much. The location of my computer does have some wild
fluctuations in temperature.

Right now the room temp is 72f (system temp is 109f). The processor is
running at 102f (39c), however, if I start a render in Cinema 4D using
both cores it quickly jumps to 127f (53c) and then slowly rises to 141f
(61c) and if the render is long enough it'll go up enough to shut the
system down. The system temp goes up to 111f (44c) max.

I've got two case fans, one in the back blowing in (towards the CPU fan
and in the same direction as the CPU fan) and one in the front blowing
out. So the airflow pulls from the back, across the system and out the
front.
 
Dave said:
Thanks much. The location of my computer does have some wild
fluctuations in temperature.

Right now the room temp is 72f (system temp is 109f). The processor
is running at 102f (39c), however, if I start a render in Cinema 4D
using both cores it quickly jumps to 127f (53c) and then slowly rises
to 141f (61c) and if the render is long enough it'll go up enough to
shut the system down. The system temp goes up to 111f (44c) max.

I've got two case fans, one in the back blowing in (towards the CPU
fan and in the same direction as the CPU fan) and one in the front
blowing out. So the airflow pulls from the back, across the system
and out the front.
Click to expand...

Your air flow is reversed. Cool air should be pulled in from the front,
the CPU fan should be oriented so air is pushed out the back (if you
have the type heatsink/fan where you have a choice), with the back case
fan exhausting the hot case air.

Just reverse the air flow and you should see an improvement.
 
I upgraded my computer recently to a new motherboard/cpu/etc.. and I'm
having a lot of overheating issues with it when I do intense 3D renders.

At present I have the following:

GIGABYTE GA-MA78G-DS3H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Brisbane 2.5GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W
Dual-Core Processor

At first I was using the stock fan that came in the retail box for the
processor, but after reading numerous reviews on NewEgg, I upgraded to a

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler

However, it's only marginally better. Not the great performance others
have claimed.

I am not overclocking the system at all and I did use Arctic Silver
compound when I installed the heat sink.

I am planning on upgraded to a QuadCore CPU in the next month, but I'm
concerned I may have issue with that as well.

Any tips? Any sites I should visit?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

No idea of what too hot is to you -- to me, 125F. Some people
disagree, but I've never liked an AMD much above 115F. Sparkle server
PS that weighs same as a brick. Not sure offhand if it vents over the
CPU, but in the summer if I don't keep the front grill clean, I've
encountered problems w/an A64/3G. Put some Panaflow or 120mm 100cfm
minute thing Newegg was giving away on the back plane mount. Don't be
fooled just because it looks like a case, it's really a jet airplane
that vacuums floors in a pinch.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-m...DFZ5X/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_1?ie=UTF8&index=1
 
Your air flow is reversed. Cool air should be pulled in from the front,
the CPU fan should be oriented so air is pushed out the back (if you
have the type heatsink/fan where you have a choice), with the back case
fan exhausting the hot case air.

Just reverse the air flow and you should see an improvement.
Click to expand...

Crap. Okay, well any recommendations on a different processor fan?

I can't turn mine around, or the fan will block all of the memory slots.
 
Dave said:
Crap. Okay, well any recommendations on a different processor fan?

I can't turn mine around, or the fan will block all of the memory
slots.
Click to expand...

Remove the fan from the heatsink, turn it around, remount. The airflow
will now be reversed. Not ideal, but better than what you have. Most
heatsink/fans I've seen have the fan mounted on the inside of the
heatsink and have plenty of clearance for the memory modules.

What heatsink/fan are you using that the fan won't fit on the inside?
 
Your air flow is reversed. Cool air should be pulled in from the front,
Crap. Okay, well any recommendations on a different processor fan?

I can't turn mine around, or the fan will block all of the memory slots.
Click to expand...

Ummmm.... he's saying turn the case fans around. If your CPU cooler fan is
situated so that it is fighting the rear case fan (if the rear case fan is
blowing air out of the case), you'd be better off physically REMOVING the
rear case fan, and using the front case fan pulling air INTO the case.

You don't have to change your CPU cooler. The original cooler is fine, the
one you bought to replace it is fine also...and it's probably installed
correctly. Your problem with cooling is your case.

You need at least one fan pulling cool air INto the case, situated down low
in the front of the case. If this is your only fan pulling cool air in, it
should be a high volume airflow (high CFM) fan. It would help if you also
had a fan in the rear of the case, mounted high, pushing air out of the case
(low CFM). But the rear fan is optional, as you also have a power supply
fan that pulls some warm air out in that area.

The problem with your original setup is that you had a small circle of hot
air that went out of the power supply (hot), back into the case (hot), then
through the CPU (hot), and back into the power supply (hot). You never
introduced any cool air into the loop. -Dave
 
Ummmm.... he's saying turn the case fans around. If your CPU cooler fan is
situated so that it is fighting the rear case fan (if the rear case fan is
blowing air out of the case), you'd be better off physically REMOVING the
rear case fan, and using the front case fan pulling air INTO the case.

You don't have to change your CPU cooler. The original cooler is fine, the
one you bought to replace it is fine also...and it's probably installed
correctly. Your problem with cooling is your case.

You need at least one fan pulling cool air INto the case, situated down low
in the front of the case. If this is your only fan pulling cool air in, it
should be a high volume airflow (high CFM) fan. It would help if you also
had a fan in the rear of the case, mounted high, pushing air out of the case
(low CFM). But the rear fan is optional, as you also have a power supply
fan that pulls some warm air out in that area.

The problem with your original setup is that you had a small circle of hot
air that went out of the power supply (hot), back into the case (hot), then
through the CPU (hot), and back into the power supply (hot). You never
introduced any cool air into the loop. -Dave
Click to expand...

Okay, thanks!

I'm gonna have to get a new case to make this work. But I am WAAYY
overdue for a new case, anyway.

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.
 
I'm gonna have to get a new case to make this work. But I am WAAYY
Ordering this case which has a CPU fan duct which I'll use with the
original fan:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147106
Click to expand...

Looks decent. Note that cool air in the front is more important than warm
air out the back, though you should have some of both. The included fan (in
the rear) is probably OK. But whatever you do, make sure you use the two
(optional) 80mm fan mounts in the front of that case. Find a couple of
medium CFM 80mm fans to pull air into the case there. Something like the
following (X2). -Dave

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150053
 
I am not overclocking the system at all and I did use Arctic Silver
compound when I installed the heat sink.
Click to expand...
Did you follow Artic Silvers instructions from their website? too much
compound and it acts as an insulator.
 
Looks decent. Note that cool air in the front is more important than warm
air out the back, though you should have some of both. The included fan (in
the rear) is probably OK. But whatever you do, make sure you use the two
(optional) 80mm fan mounts in the front of that case. Find a couple of
medium CFM 80mm fans to pull air into the case there. Something like the
following (X2). -Dave

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150053
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I am re-using the fans from my old case which are both high end, they
just weren't in the right spots.
 
Remove the fan from the heatsink, turn it around, remount. The airflow
will now be reversed. Not ideal, but better than what you have. Most
heatsink/fans I've seen have the fan mounted on the inside of the
heatsink and have plenty of clearance for the memory modules.

What heatsink/fan are you using that the fan won't fit on the inside?
Click to expand...

I don't think he needs to reverse the cpu fan, these generally blow onto
the cpu or pull air away from the cpu, except for those that have the
heatsink piped away from the cpu.
 
I don't think he needs to reverse the cpu fan, these generally blow onto
the cpu or pull air away from the cpu, except for those that have the
heatsink piped away from the cpu.
Click to expand...

You cannot reverse the fan on the one listed in the original post.

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/35-185-125-01.jpg

Another thing to watch with that heatsink, is the design of the clip
versus the design of the plastic retention frame on the motherboard.
The clip has holes for three tabs on each side. Yet the Gigabyte motherboard
has one tab on each side. The result is the one plastic tab receives a
lot of force. After a while it'll snap, and the heatsink will fall
off. This isn't a real problem, because the processor is protected
by THERMTRIP, but the heatsink may strike something as it falls,
such as an expensive video card.

There are aftermarket retention frames that have three tabs on each
side, but I don't know any details about them.

One example here. There is more than one revision of the design.
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/thermalright-am2-rm-retension-bracket-rev-b-p-16446.html

This is one that Newegg used to have.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835999353

A reference to the "snapping" problem.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=False&VendorMark=&Keywords=(keywords)&Page=9

See: DDN 5/21/2007 3:07:48 PM

"Cons: Snapped my Epox AM2 retention module tab. The clip on this
heat sink has three cut outs on each side; my cpu's retention module
has only one tab on each side. After much difficulty, I got the AC clip
to grab both tabs. A few seconds later - POP! One of the tabs sheared
off. I am now in a panic trying to find a replacement to get back up
and running."

HTH,
Paul
 
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