Are my temps ok?

[CompuTronix]

Good work. Since your ambient is 25c (77F), SpeedFan needs a -4c offset for CPU temperature. Regarding Core temperatures, SpeedFan 4.38 is indicating below ambient, which is obviopusly wrong.

Although SpeedFan 4.37 was 15c too low on my C0, 4.38 reads the Core temperatures correctly. Similarily, SpeedFan 4.38 reads15c too low on your D0, which should be corrected when 4.39 is released. For the present, SpeedFan simply needs a +15c offset for your D0 Cores.

Regardless, I'm sure you'll find that Core Temp 0.99.4 will agree with Real Temp 3.0. Nevertheless, your Core temperatures are still 2 to 3c too high at idle, and about 7 to 8c too high at load. As I mentioned in one of my previous post, when I duplicated your settings on my rig, your Core temperatures with your Dark Knight should've been at least equal to my Xiggy 964 with 68 CFM push-pull fans, if not 1 to 2c lower.

Possible explanations are:

(1) Convex or concave processor IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader).

(2) Improperly manufactured (contoured) heat pipe assembly.

(3) Excess Thermal Compound.

(4) Combination of the above.

Keep in mind that the Dark Knight is slightly less efficient than the original Xigmatek HDT-S1283, which is shown in the following Frosty Tech cooler rankings: http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2383&page=5

 

[hasteveha]

hm... I just sent an RMA for the Dark Knight, I ordered a Megahelam. In the mean time let's try and overclock this one to 3.66 . What settings do you reccomend I change?

 

[CompuTronix]

To be continued ... I've got to call it a day. You're already at 3.6, so 3.66 isn't worth tinkering with.

When you swap out your cooler, be certain to check your IHS for flatness. Once you get squared away with your new cooler, your rig should Prime within Intel's Thermal Specifications (68c CPU & 73c Core @ 22c ambient) at the higher Vcore required for 3.8 Ghz.

Later,

Comp

 

[hasteveha]

finally got my Megahelem installed with 2 fans, push pull. I set all the bios setttings to default, I turned all the case fans to High.
My cpu is an i7 920 D0. Here are the readings on idle, Ambient temp 74. Do my temps look ok before I start OC? I will list my temps with prime 95 running small after 10 minutes also. Thanks computronix

 

[hasteveha]

Here are my temps after 10-15 minutes on small. I think everything is good now. I should probley try and overclock higher?

 

[CottyGee]

Intel has stated that the Core temperature sensors (Digital Thermal Sensors) are designed for overtemp protection only, such as Throttle and Shutdown near 100c (Tjunction Max), which would correspond to a CPU temperature of 95c, and is far too hot for sane operation.

CompuTronix -

OC Noob here, trying to learn and understand. If Intel says Throttle and Shutdown occur at ~100ºC, why would Prime max temps of ~95ºC be "insane"? Not trying to be argumentative, but am trying to understand. I see guys saying 60ºC is the max they're comfortable with for long term operation. I think in your Core Temp Guide sticky you said that my Q9450 should be TJMax=65ºC for "safe" operation.

I'm just curious... If I had a car with an engine that redlines at 6,500 RPM, I ccould run it one heluva long time with wide open throttle shifts occurring at 95% of that redline value, mostly because the car wouldn't actually SEE wide open throttle for very long or very often. From what I understand, Prime is essentially running the "engine" at (in the case of my car engine analogy) the 6,500 RPM "redline" endlessly for a day. Assuming that temperature (TJMax in this case) is the factor that "kills" processors, why such a large safety margin?

Like I say, just trying to understand. I'm fairly lost in all the techno of the individual BIOS settings and have just started fiddling w/ my Q9450 rig on an ASUS PQ5-E on a Dark Knight, and inadvertently ran for about 5-10 mins overvoltage (1.7v on a 1.3625v max Q9450), generating temps near the 99ºC TJMax value, according to (IIRC) CoreTemp.

Not trying to hijack the OP's thread, but am very interested in understanding the statement you made about max temps for sane operation.

Thanks!

 

[CompuTronix]

Remember that 100c = 212f, which is damned smokin HOT! No knowledgeable or experienced overclocker in their right mind would run their processor at those temperatures ... not even for test purposes!

Cool = stable. 😍

Also, don't confuse specifications with temperatures.

Tcase is a temperature.
Tcase Max is a specification.

Tjunction is a temperature.
Tjunction Max is a specification.

Intel's Q9450 specifications:

Vcore Max 1.3625
Tcase Max (CPU) 71c
Tjunction (Core) 76c

Notice the 5c Gradient between the Tcase Max specification, and the coresponding Tjunction temperature? This is the correct thermal relationship between CPU and Core.

Comp

 

[hasteveha]

To be continued from last time. How do my temps look now? I am using the megahelem now.

Remember that 100c = 212f, which is damned smokin HOT! No knowledgeable or experienced overclocker in their right mind would run their processor at those temperatures ... not even for test purposes!

Cool = stable. 😍

Also, don't confuse specifications with temperatures.

Tcase is a temperature.
Tcase Max is a specification.

Tjunction is a temperature.
Tjunction Max is a specification.

Q9450 specs:

Vcore Max 1.3625
Tcase Max (CPU) 71c
Tjunction (Core) 76c

Notice the 5c Gradient between the Tcase Max specification, and the coresponding Tjunction temperature? This is the correct thermal relationship between CPU and Core.

Comp

 

[CompuTronix]

From the temperatures you posted above, they look great, but you don't say at what ambient. Nevertheless, since the mean Core temperature is 63.5c, this means that you have about 10c available to accomodate a higher Vcore and a higher overclock.

Remember the i7 specs:

Vcore Max 1.375
Tcase Max (CPU) 68c
Tjunction (Core) 73c

Comp