Core 2 Duo E8400 temperatures

[hamzah442]

I installed a Core 2 Duo E8400 in my PC and the temperature is sitting at around 40-50C when just utilizing the computer. I ran a stress test (prime95) and the temps hit 88C on the first core and about 77C on the second core. Is this too high?

 

[Nuckles_56]

That is much higher than it should be, did you put new thermal paste when you installed the CPU?

 

[hamzah442]

That is much higher than it should be, did you put new thermal paste when you installed the CPU?

Yeah. I used the pea method and then placed my fan on it.

 

[Nuckles_56]

interesting as there is no reason that your CPU should be so hot if you applied it correctly, have you made sure that CPU cooler fan is spinning and also that the case is getting enough airflow through it?

 

[InvalidError]

Intel's push-pin stock HSF does not work properly for much longer than about four years. The plastic just seems to deform ever so slightly over time and can no longer apply sufficient pressure to get good heat transfer.

Everyone I know with an LGA775/1156 has had to replace their HSF at some point after the third year because of this.

Conveniently enough, Intel's warranty is three years.

So, the stock HSF design appears to be engineered to just barely outlast the warranty.

 

[hamzah442]

Yeah the fan is spinning and there's airflow. To be honest my other PC has been running for 3 years and its idle speeds are higher than this computer's. If I see the temperature going past 60C while I'm using the computer then I'll just check the thermal paste and maybe order some more

 

[Nuckles_56]

also, how old was the thermal paste you used, if it is older than three years, then some new paste would be an excellent idea

 

[hamzah442]

Intel's push-pin stock HSF does not work properly for much longer than about four years. The plastic just seems to deform ever so slightly over time and can no longer apply sufficient pressure to get good heat transfer.

Everyone I know with an LGA775/1156 has had to replace their HSF at some point after the third year because of this.

Conveniently enough, Intel's warranty is three years.

So, the stock HSF design appears to be engineered to just barely outlast the warranty.

This other PC has a stock cooler. This one (with the E8400) has a cooler master one which if I'm honest seems more or less equivalent to the stock cooler.

 

[hamzah442]

also, how old was the thermal paste you used, if it is older than three years, then some new paste would be an excellent idea

I just got it new. I had a P4 530HT in this machine so decided to upgrade it. Maybe I didn't use enough thermal paste?

 

[Nuckles_56]

or you used too much which is just as bad

 

[hamzah442]

I used about this much

 

[Nuckles_56]

That certainly isn't an issue, the only thing I can think of is that it is misreading the temperatures

 

[InvalidError]

or you used too much which is just as bad

Unless the paste has very high viscosity (ex.: Intel's almost clay-like paste), most of the excess will simply ooze out the sides and create a mess but otherwise work fine. Many HSF with "flat" bases are slightly convex to help with that. With direct-contact heatpipe type heatsinks, the surplus paste will flow through the small gaps between pipes.

 

[randomizer]

What is your ambient temperature?

Unless the paste has very high viscosity (ex.: Intel's almost clay-like paste), most of the excess will simply ooze out the sides and create a mess but otherwise work fine.

He's using IC Diamond. That stuff is about the most viscous aftermarket TIM available, so much so that they had to change the syringe to make it easier to squeeze out. It's also highly abrasive.