Before I start to lap...

the_syco

'lo all,
Currently, my Q9550 temp is around 50 degree'son idle (If I run GTA4, for 3 or 4 hours staight, it'll go up to 54 degrees).

I have a TRUE120 heatsink stuck to it, but it's at a right angle, as it's stuck to a mobo in a tower.

Having Googled it, I found an article where something similar happened to someone else, who also had the TRUE120.

Over the next while, I'll try reseating the heatsink, but if that doesn't do anything, I'll be looking at following this guide on lapping the CPU. Have some old 478 CPU's, so I'll practise on those first.

Other than that... does anyone have any idea's why the temp should be so high?

PogMoThoin

Seems high. What fan You got on the Thermalright? Try reseating first as lapping will void Your warranty. Check the bottom of the chips IHS for flatness by holding it up to the light with a razor blade against it, also do the Thermalright. See if either are dished. Try using less thermal compound, less is more, little more than a grain of rice sized strip across the middle in the right direction.

If all else fails lapping isn't really that hard, I've done 2 chips and a few coolers and never had any bother. Just make sure You got all the grades of sandpaper from around 400 to 1500 in increments like this; 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500. Lap in the one direction for each grade paper and turn 90' for the next one. Might be worth doing the cooler also.

the_syco

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Seems high. What fan You got on the Thermalright?

Think it's a 1600RPM Scythe S-FLEX 120mm Fan. Have a 1400RPM fan on the case (upgrade from the Coolermaster one there already, as it wasn't fast enough). Lovely and quite, but still high temps off the CPU. Don't get too much heat from that exhaust fan, so I don't think there's much heat going to the Heatsink. Will try reseating it in the coming days.

PogMoThoin

You sure You got the fan pulling the right way

the_syco

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Temps have dropped about 3 degrees, so now Core #0 is 51 degrees, and the other Cores are 44 degrees each, on idle.

Okay, so I took out the TRUE120 heatsink, cleaned it (looks like I did overkill with the thermal compound last time), and applied the small amount of compound, in the direction as on the Artic Silver site.

I then put the fan on the other side of the heatsink (so that it'd suck air into the heatsink, and then the case fan would then suck out the hot air), as seen here. Temps have dropped about 3 degrees, so now Core #0 is 51 degrees, and the other Cores are 44 degrees each, on idle.

Looking at the heatsink bottom, it looks like it'll need lapping, as it doesn't look smooth: there are concurve lines going from the left to the right of it.

As it's very hot anyway, I may have to wait until the heatspell is over to find out how much of a difference it has really made, as room temp is roasting as it is.

the_syco

the_syco wrote: »

Temps have dropped about 3 degrees, so now Core #0 is 51 degrees, and the other Cores are 44 degrees each, on idle.

From a cold boot (machine was left off overnight), temps are 46/47 degrees for Core #0, and 39/40 degrees for Core #1 and 40/41 degrees for Cores #2 & #3.

I'll have a go at playing... Crysis or Farcry2 later, and check the temps mid-game.

/edit
Just under 20 minutes later, and all temps have risen by 3 degrees. Not great