i5 2500k NH-D14 temperatues - Are they too high?

Ok i have recently built my new, and first, rig. Had a little trouble with some software issues but the great guys here helped handle that. So i thought i would see if more help could be recieved.

With i5 2500k, nh-d14 and a corsair 600t white case i am experiencing idle temperatures of about 36/37 to about 40 ( C ). Now i am new to the whole thing but thought they would be lower as i had people telling me it would be kept very cool. When i ran Prime 95 for 10minutes the temp was at 51-53.

So are these normal, or is this high? I was wanting to OC, but these are just stock temps. Im trying to know if i have installed it correctly (more about the paste part as i had not done it before. i dont believe i put too much paste on.

Any advice would be much appriciated.

Hello there, Mate!

Well, let me explain something first: the CPU temps are really (i mean, REALLY) variable and it takes a lot of factors to realize if it is a cool temperature. These are the most important variables:

1) Room/Ambient temps. These temps are really important in your investigation.
2) Airflow inside your case. Front and side of the case = intake, rear and upper side of the case = exhaust
3) NH-D14 configuration. right fan = intake, left fan = exhaust.

Did you check all those?

p5bdkw said:

Those are pretty good temps, well within the safe range.
You may be able to get temps lower, depending on fan placement and setup, thermal compound and how it was applied, and other variables like room temperature.
But, well within the safe range.

Arctic Silver Incorporated - Home

I am fine with it if it is said to be fine. my concern was obviously that of a new builder that i didnt want to cook my stuff.


Also i ran CPU-Z and it says that my cpu is only running at 1605.5Mhz (x16 100Mhz). is this because its ina idle power saving mode or something, or will it always be like that?

Punkster said:

Hello there, Mate!

Well, let me explain something first: the CPU temps are really (i mean, REALLY) variable and it takes a lot of factors to realize if it is a cool temperature. These are the most important variables:

1) Room/Ambient temps. These temps are really important in your investigation.
2) Airflow inside your case. Front and side of the case = intake, rear and upper side of the case = exhaust
3) NH-D14 configuration. right fan = intake, left fan = exhaust.

Did you check all those?

1 - my clock says its 24/15 degrees in my room (i dont know how reliable that is tho, but weather outside house is 19 apparantly)
2 - Air flow isall stock fans for 600t (200mm fan intake at front, 200mm top exhaust, 120mm rear exhaust)
3 - the noctua fans seem like they are installed correctly. front facing, the right fan is sucking in, the middle fan seems to be pulling in same direction to blow out the back.

Also i ran CPU-Z and it says that my cpu is only running at 1605.5Mhz (x16 100Mhz). is this because its ina idle power saving mode or something, or will it always be like that?

Yes. Intel SpeedStep causes this, it's ok, you can disable it but it won't give you any increase in performance.

Well, apparently everything is ok, so... as linnemeyerhere said: those temps should fall inline with time. do you have a lot of time with this configuration?

Punkster said:

Also i ran CPU-Z and it says that my cpu is only running at 1605.5Mhz (x16 100Mhz). is this because its ina idle power saving mode or something, or will it always be like that?

Yes. Intel SpeedStep causes this, it's ok, you can disable it but it won't give you any increase in performance.

Well, apparently everything is ok, so... as linnemeyerhere said: those temps should fall inline with time. do you have a lot of time with this configuration?

Does this mean do i intend on using these parts for a long time? yes i do have alot of time to spend with this set up

Nono, what i meant was:

When did you put the Noctua NH-D14 in your case? because it normally takes up to 200hrs of PC use for the Thermal Paste/Compound to break in correctly.