How do I attain safe temperatures for my new i7-2600 non-k?

Question

I'm apparently having some cooling problems.

I recently moved from a Core 2 Quad Q6600 on a P5K with 4GB and a Asus ATI 5770 running Windows XPsp2 Pro, to an i7-2600 non-k on a P8P67 (latest BIOS) with 16GB and an eVGA GTX 460 SSC+ running Windows 7 Pro.

First, I did the primary install with the stock Intel fan that came with the chip, using only the dab of thermal material included on the boxed heat sink. Installed the OS, moved on -- was seeing a variety of 30-40c when idle with a little hotter specs in the Asus BIOS - about 60c.

Then, I got back to work after reinstalling my apps like CS5 Photoshop/Premiere/After Effects. The GTX 460 and the i7 made Premiere Pro scream like I'd never seen before -- but when I queued up a 5 min render, after a minute or so the Asus AI Suite was suddenly screaming at me: my CPU had reached 85c.

Eventually after some testing with Prime 95, CPUID Monitor, and some side-apps like Real Temp, I came to find that on load after only a few minutes I was getting up into the 80s and 90s; during a particular test one of the cores hit 99c.

Today, I figured I would go grab some Arctic Silver 5 and try to re-seat my old HS from my Q6600: an Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 Rev 2 - ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134 ). Went ahead with the installation.

Idles are now about the same place: varying between 33-38c across the cores. Load testing with Prime 95 has gotten better but introduced some new issues. Things hover for a while around that 70c mark, approach 80c and then the system simply reboots. Granted, this hasn't happened repeatedly thus far, but I'm cautious to repeat tests.

It's going to prove impossible to do any rendering or output work inside Adobe apps until this is solved. Can anyone help?

More info:

I am pretty certain I have some minor case cooling issues. I have an older ATX mid-tower circa 2002 that has a 120mm feeder on the front, and then plastic cowling on the exterior that seems to kill most of the 120mm's air flow into the system. On load, air coming out is warm, and the heat sink and its copper pipes are hot -- but not horribly uncomfortably so. Upon some more cash, I plan on building up a new case with new fans. I have tested with the case open and not -- seeing a difference of about 5-7c.

So, reviewing numerous threads across the web, I'm seeing that people are seeing the i7-2600 go full load anywhere from 58c to 75c -- and that's with the stock cooler. Further, no one is reporting reboots.

What should my next step be? Should I look at getting another, newer fan like the CM Hyper 212+ or is what I'm seeing an indication of more serious problems? At what point do you start suspecting that your processor's heat shield is wonky?

Answer 1

I also have a P8P67, my sixth build, and over the years I've bought lots of fans to experiment with different fan configurations, so this is personal experience.

The stock cooler should have been fine. I've never used a Freezer Pro, but it should have worked fine. You already suspect you don't have enough air flowing through the case and details you included support that (assuming the 5-7c drop with the case open was at idle.)

(There is something else that might be causing the reboot: the power supply. Before you invest more time and money in fans, run your stress test again, this time watching the voltage levels in ASUS AI suite. If they don't stay where they belong, you need a new power supply.)

For a 2002 case I'm assuming a 120mm fan in back, no ventilation openings in back except where there's an exhaust fan, and a side fan position (probably smaller) aligned with where the Q6600 would have been. There was probably a snorkle there, and you probably tossed it when you first installed the Freezer Pro.

Assuming the above, my advice is to buy a name-brand high-RPM 120mm fan and install it in back as an exhaust fan (shiny label facing back) replacing the existing exhaust fan. Remove the existing 120mm intake fan altogether, and while you're working at the front of the case with the bezel off, use compressed air to blow out the dust. Clean the air filter if there is one. Install a low-RPM fan on the side panel, where the snorkle used to be, as an intake fan (shiny label facing in.) An Antec tri-cool on low, for example. Orient the Freezer Pro so that its fan is blowing air toward the 120mm rear fan, if it isn't already.

If my assumptions about your case are off base, please update your question with case details.