CPU Cooler warning: stays cool while CPU gets hot

[CthulhluRules]

I've just upgraded my PC with an SSD drive and a new cooler Scythe Ashura. I run a Phenom II X6 1090T black edition processor with 480 GTX GPU in a NZXT Guardian Midi Tower on a Gigabyte 970-UD3 mainboard. I replaced my last 770-UD3 after it became unstable because of heat damage caused by insufficient cooling with a boxed AMD cooler. I remember temps getting up to 80°C but being inexperienced I made no connection at the time.

Anyway since I installed the Ashura I've noticed that even at 60°+ (full load=67°) the heat pipes barely feel above room temp while the GPU heat pipes are warm even at lower temps (40/50°). At idle and low loads the CPU sticks at around 30-40°, the GPU steady at 50°. Ominously however I receive a warning from an unidentified program that "Your CPU fan doesn't work properly. Turn off your system now and check it!" I've opened up the case and see there is a slight leftward offset (because of the ram slots) and I see a very slim strip of CPU (covered in thermal paste) but otherwise the cooler fits perfectly over the cpu. I can also see the fan adjust its speed (SMART mode) to match the changing temperature. What could be generating this warning, should I be concerned, and are these temps within acceptable range?

 

[profoundnoah]

Well, thats quite difficult to say. Do you know the name of the program? Also, the cpu cooler has no relationship to the graphics card temp unless the heat output decreases from the CPU, or you're running liquid cooling. If you want better temps for other components I would recommend better case fans. I don't think you should be concerned, but just keep an eye out once in a while.

 

[CthulhluRules]

I can't tell because the window doesn't identify but most likely it's Open Hardware Monitor, but I also have ET, AMD OD and CPU-Z. I did a heat test with Prime95 and that got the CPU temp up to 67°C (1400rpm) but it reported no mistakes or warnings.

I only mentioned the GPU heat because it seems strange the pipes should be warm at lower temps while the CPU pipes remain cool at much higher levels. Do you consider those CPU temps are ok with that equipment? I had expected at least the idle CPU temps would stay in the 20-30 range.

 

[christopherjames]

Of course you don't feel any heat on the radiator fins. It doesn't work that way. If you used a thermal non contact temp probe and aimed it at the base of the heatsink you would see that it gets warm. As far as the warning is the cpu fan actually plugged into the cpu fan header?

 

[CthulhluRules]

The fan is definitely running I can see the fan rpm values in OHWM and ET vary between 400-1400 rpm in line with CPU temp and can see the fan moving through the panel window. Also I get no other error warnings except the one I mentioned. If there is a problem, then it must be the way it's seated but as I said that looks fine to me.

If you say it's normal for the CPU heatpipes not to get warm then I guess I shouldn't worry and just keep an eye on the temp monitors.