O'C my i7 920 processor, but temperature is pretty high

[Diabolical]

i overclocked my process from 2.67ghz to 3.8ghz, i got a i7 920 processor, with dual Ati Radeon 5970's. My processor is Liquid cooled but its idle temperature is at 58C to 63C, is that high for being at a idle state? how high would it go if i play Battlefield 3 with maxed graphics? i got a Alienware Area 51. I'm not sure if my liquid cooling is really working becuase without me O'C the idle temperature is around 48-53C. How can i make sure that the Liquid cooling is working?

 

[pparks1]

58 to 63 at idle is too hot. It sounds to me like your thermal paste might not be applied properly between your CPU and your heatsink.

 

[Diabolical]

ok well, i finish playing some of battlefield 3 at High Graphics, it lagged and spiked a bit, but for the most part it ran pretty smooth, I tried Ultra high graphics but i experience extreme lagg, this game is intense, ull need to O'C your processor to 4.2-4.5 GHZ in order to play at Ultra High graphics.. But besides the point, my average temperature was about 72C-76C while playing, is that normal?

 

[Diabolical]

58 to 63 at idle is too hot. It sounds to me like your thermal paste might not be applied properly between your CPU and your heatsink.

i doubt is the pasting between the heatstink and my cpu considering that the pc was made from alienware, i had it for a couple of years now, some people said to try to dust out my pc, i haven tried that yet

 

[pparks1]

My Q9550 is running at 3.4Ghz and isn't breaking above 30-40% with settings at High.

 

[profdlp]

58 to 63 at idle is too hot. It sounds to me like your thermal paste might not be applied properly between your CPU and your heatsink.

i doubt is the pasting between the heatstink and my cpu considering that the pc was made from alienware, i had it for a couple of years now, some people said to try to dust out my pc, i haven tried that yet

Dusting is a good idea. Also, if your thermal paste is a couple years old I would clean it off and reapply it.

 

[Beta]

Also you should clean the inside of the case and just because it is a "Alienware" does not mean it is bullet proof from issues. You ask for solutions so please be polite and do slam the brand name in are faces when we suggest a solution.

 

[Wordsworth]

i overclocked my process from 2.67ghz to 3.8ghz, i got a i7 920 processor, with dual Ati Radeon 5970's. My processor is Liquid cooled but its idle temperature is at 58C to 63C, is that high for being at a idle state? how high would it go if i play Battlefield 3 with maxed graphics? i got a Alienware Area 51. I'm not sure if my liquid cooling is really working becuase without me O'C the idle temperature is around 48-53C. How can i make sure that the Liquid cooling is working?

Do you know what the idle temperatures were when the computer was new? Even 48-53C without overclocking is a little warm, especially for a liquid cooled. My i7 920 with the stock Intel cooler ran around 41C. I rebuilt later with a new case, Noctua cooler and fans and without overclocking this i7 920 idles around 21-23C depending upon the ambient temp.

As others have said, try dusting out the case and all the fans.

 

[Darkelk]

Where is the computer placed, a well ventilhated room? They are rediculusly high for watercooling. I usually dust out my computer every month and check over cables and such to make sure everythi
ng is In working order. Is the fans in your case (not sure if they are changeable) around the right way for good airflow?

 

[Diabolical]

Also you should clean the inside of the case and just because it is a "Alienware" does not mean it is bullet proof from issues. You ask for solutions so please be polite and do slam the brand name in are faces when we suggest a solution.

Sorry IF YOU took it the wrong way, but i wasnt trying to show off at all, i was just saying or stating a hypothesis, im not a expert on computers like you guys. I fail to how i was being impolite, i just said i doubt its the pasting problem, they guy i said it to didnt take it the wrong way so why did you..? :sarc:

 

[Diabolical]

well i dusted off my Desktop and the temperature dropped about 10C on each Core, its about 49-55C overclocked at 3.2 ghz.. for the heatstink i would have no idea how to do that, i really had never performed any operations inside of my desktop.. is there any test that you can do to test if the watercooling is really working?

P.S i found out that the liquid cooling got is Asetek liquid cooling, if any of you know any information on this type of cooling system

 

[profdlp]

...i found out that the liquid cooling got is Asetek liquid cooling, if any of you know any information on this type of cooling system

I'm pretty certain that is a sealed system liquid cooling setup, meaning that there is no user maintenance required (or even possible). Does it look similar to the picture attached at the bottom?

What you can do is replace the thermal paste between the cooler and the CPU. Since you've mentioned that you're not a computer expert it would not be a bad idea to get a more experienced person to help you do it. It's not hard at all but there are a few little tricks to getting it right - and a few places where a mistake could be costly.

This video might give you an idea:

 

[Diabolical]

eh.. this looks kinda scary, and i do not know any computer experts other then my uncle, but he lives far from where i do (out of state), you think a computer repair shop will solve this?

 

[profdlp]

A shop would be glad to do it, but they might charge you an arm and a leg. If your temps fell 10C just from a fan cleaning I might be inclined to tell you to wait on the thermal paste. if you're not comfortable with the idea, you would be better off watching someone else do it before you try it yourself. Also, I would not remove the CPU from the socket like he shows in the video. That's just one more place for a beginner to go wrong.

Looking back at the bottom picture from my previous post, see the part on the left? If your cooler looks like that then that part is the radiator. Make sure it is dust-free and has good air circulation through it. The part on the right that says "asetek" is the cooler on the CPU. The coolant flows up one of the tubes where the heat is removed by the fan(s) blowing over the radiator, then the cooled fluid flows back down the other tube to cool the CPU. Keeping that radiator nice and clean makes it easier for it to dump the heat out of the back of your case.

 

[Beta]

The best way that I have done is to remove the fans from the case every 3 to 6 months. Then take the removed fans to a well lit area, such as a desk, and clean them by hand. In my case I see about a 2-3 C drop in temps at most but it makes the fans last longer and I know I can leave my system running when I am not home and do not have to worry about something bad happening.

As for the radiator I put mine in a plastic bag which is doubled baged (all while still attached to the CPU) and use a can of compressed air to blow out the dust that sits in the inlets for the air flow. I only have the nosel of the can inside and the bag is closed. You hold the radiator towards the top of the bag and push the dust to the bottom. Not 100% at getting all of the dust but it gets most of it.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Diabolical,
I would invest in several cans of compressed air or if you have access to a compressor like many people have in there garages with a reservoir tank on it then purchase or locate a high pressure nozzle. I don't like to clean with air inside the house so disconnect and take to a safe outdoor location. I use a soft paint brush, an old tooth brush, Q tips and air. Use the brushes first to get most of the dust then spray the fins of the radiator, mobo and fan blades. Look to see if your system has hidden front air intake fans, fans underneath and access and clean them all. This deep cleaning needs to be done once a year minimum and every quarter is best of more often if you have carpet and pets. When using the nozzle please use light blasts and remember there are delicate things in the computer so pin point the dust and dirt only and back away for mobo and overall dusting. Some say that we should hold the fan blades as they can become little generators when spinning so hold the blades stopped with your other hand. Concentrate on the radiator as I'm sure it still has lots of dust in it! Good luck and report back.

 

[frogger4]

ok well, i finish playing some of battlefield 3 at High Graphics, it lagged and spiked a bit, but for the most part it ran pretty smooth, I tried Ultra high graphics but i experience extreme lagg, this game is intense, ull need to O'C your processor to 4.2-4.5 GHZ in order to play at Ultra High graphics.. But besides the point, my average temperature was about 72C-76C while playing, is that normal?

Dude. That doesn't seem right. Battlefield 3 does not use much processor at all. It runs as fast on an i3 as it does on a new Bulldozer (see the end of this article). Overclocking is not going to help that. I have a single 6970 and I play BF3 on Ultra flawlessly. You should be getting be getting somewhere around 100 fps with your graphics cards. Seriously. That said, I know there are some bugs with crossfire and bf3, update your drivers to 11.10 R3 and CAP 4, that will get you the best results.

And regarding the temperatures. No. That is not normal. That would be normal with a stock air cooler - either there is something wrong with your water cooling, or it is not mounted well with good thermal compound.

But again, update the video card drivers, that will make a huge difference for BF3

 

[Darkelk]

Is the overclocking completely necessary? I'm sure I could run at stock speeds and get somewhat of a good result.

 

[DaGooN]

#1 Rule. How Stable is this OC? did it pass a 24hr Prime95 run?
#2 What Voltage is the Vcore at?

There is a lot to over clocking, and a lot that will hinder results.
BTW AlienWare ain't anything to be proud of. i look at AlienWare the same i would a PC Pre-Built from a PC Store/Shop. Dell ect lol

this is more of a Guide than Copy my Settings!

My i7 920 @ 3.8Ghz for the last year and a half.
Room Temp was i think 23C & i use a H50 P/P.

might give you a idea of Temps and Vcore ect.

http://www.sevenforums.com/1346002-post638.html

Also Have a look here. i posted some good links that might help you out to.

http://www.sevenforums.com/1425733-post2.html

Hope it Helps.
Click sig to see my Cpuz.