I5 2500k idle temps high?

[hedshotx]

Hello! Today I built a new computer with an i5 2500k and a cooler master 212+ on an asrock z68 extreme3 gen3 and I was wondering if my temps looked high to you guys. I haven't installed an OS or updated BIOS or anything, just went to BIOS to make sure temps were okay etc. My cpu is showing about 40C hovering, while the mobo is showing about 32C. Are these high to you guys? I may have been a bit skimpy with the thermal compound that was in the 212+, just because I'm afraid I'll put too much on and insulate the chip. Can you guys offer some assistance?

Secondly, should I try to update the BIOS first or install Win7 first?

Lastly, while putting the load plate back in place and locking the cpu into the socket, not only was there a decent amount of pressure I had to exert, but also there was a very faint squeal. I stopped and check it out, and the load plate was rubbing the lower part of the cpu (metal part that doesn't touch the heatsink), and it even left a very small mark/indentation. I looked up if anyone had this issue and couldn't find anyone, so I just assumed that is what the load plate did, and since it wasn't pressing against the heatsink that touches the coolermaster, that it was alright. There was literally nothing else I could do. I double checked that the cpu was all the way down and in the right position. It was. Made sure nothing was interfering. All clear. Should I not have proceeded? The system booted fine and everything, am I just being paranoid? 200$ chips are expensive to me!

 

[PreferLinux]

Those temps look OK for in the BIOS – it isn't a true idle, but rather a low load, situation.

As for the noise on installing, mine did the same, and I have read of others having it also. It is just the socket load plate rubbing against the heat spreader, and can't really cause a problem – not to mention that it didn't for me, or anyone else I've read about.

I would update the BIOS first if you can do it easily – simply because installing the BIOS will require a CMOS reset (if it doesn't do it itself, but it is best to do it manually after installing from what I've read) so you only have to make changes once (probably including SATA mode) – but if you can't do it easily, just do it after installing Windows.

 

[sarinaide]

I get 25-30 on idle and 45-55 on load with mine and I live in a hot area. I am sure if you are around 30 and 50 at stock then you are doing fine.

 

[hedshotx]

Last night I figured they were high and that I did something wrong, so I cleaned off the paste as best I could from both the cpu and the heatsink, reapplied, found after that I had used all of the paste the coolermaster came with, put it back on, and now I'm hovering around 43 and that may even go up some more :/. I was told the coolermaster was a huge improvement over the stock, but honestly right now I'm thinking of just uninstalling the coolermaster and going with stock. I don't know if I didn't install right, or if I didn't apply the thermal paste right, or if it's defective or what. The first time I did the credit card method to both the cpu and heatsink and got the 40 degrees, second time all I did was fill the lines between the heatpipes on the heatsink, and then put two long rice grains on the two middle heatpipes, and am getting ~40c. Ugh. Not a great way to start a new build. I'm worried that some of the paste might have gotten on parts of the cpu that it shouldn't have, or that while trying to get it all off, that some of the rubbing alcohol may have contacted the cpu or something. From the temperatures I hear people getting with this heatsink, these are abnormally very high.

What do you guys suggest I do? I can't reapply the coolermaster (again) without getting new paste. I almost wish I'd just had someone put it together for me at this point. Should I just put the intel heatsink on?

 

[seumas_beathan]

Its not a problem with the cooler, That cooler is fantastic. The way you should apply thermal paste is put about as much as a rice grain on the processor and on the heatsink if you want

 

[sarinaide]

True story, you need only a thin as possible layer over the central area of the die, to much and you restrict heat being conducted away from the chip to the cooler. rice grain amounts of thermal grease is needed.

 

[hedshotx]

The second time I applied the thermal paste I applied a rice size grain on the two middle heatpipes (two total rice grains). Like I said, I tried different methods of applying the paste, neither proved any better. Is it possible that perhaps I didn't screw the back plate under the motherboard tight enough or something? I don't understand why I'm getting 42-43 C with this cooler :/

 

[sarinaide]

That temperature is to high considering a stock cooler does mid 30's idle. It may be the contact, re do your mountings and make sure it is firmly secured. Before you do that check the bios and ensure your fan is running at its highest RPM, I have found some issues may lie in the fact the fan is running at 1000RPM rather than 1800~2200

 

[hedshotx]

I thought about fans as well, they are running at max, and you can tell by the cool air being blasted out. If I remount everything, can I use the thermal paste already on the cpu and heatsink? between the two times reapplying it, I'm out of the paste they gave me

 

[cbrunnem]

Guys stop telling him that these are too high of temps. The temps he is give are bios temps which are going to be higher then idle temps so please do him a favor and stop telling him how low an idle temp should be. You guys are wrong this is a bios temp we are talking about.

Op you have bios temps and idle temps mixed up. I guarantee when you get to the desktop you temps drop to were they should be. I do recommend that you get some more good paste and re apply the paste as you have put too much on.

 

[sarinaide]

Good point, I did assume you checked this in the operating system using your motherboards software or 3rd party software........DID YOU?

 

[hedshotx]

No :O. In my OP I said how I was scared to go any further into installing an OS or updating BIOS because of the temps I found in BIOS. Well, now I'm a little bummed out because I'm starting to think I did the thermal paste and installation correct the first time since my temps were hovering around 39-40C. Now after this second thermal paste installation I'm getting 42-43. :/. Cburunnem, the second time I applied thermal paste, I only applied two rice grains, one on each heat pipe, was that too much as well? They were pretty skinny rice grains

I just checked temps with Real Temp, and my 4 cores were at 28c, 26c, 34c, and 32c under about a 5% load. How do these temperatures sound to you guys?

Are there any tests I can run to make sure that the cpu is good to go?

 

[sarinaide]

It seems very normal to me, I am getting maybe 3 degrees at best under you.

 

[XcS Dead Deer]

That's exactly what mine hovered at with the same setup. Z66 ext3, gen3 with a hyper 212 plus cooling unit. When idling it was anywhere from 32-40, and under basic surfing and such (as well as gaming) it was usually about 40'C, MAYBE 45 under heavy duress, and that was overclocked to 4.0 through the bios

 

[PreferLinux]

Those temps sound exactly where they should be. Just as I said originally, the BIOS temps are not idle temps. Load temps are more interesting anyway.

 

[hedshotx]

You guys have no idea how relieved that makes me haha. You think even 43C in BIOS is okay? I'm gonna check it again once GPU drivers install and stuff. It just worries me and disappoints me at the same time that the first time I did the paste I got 3C less than I did now :/.You guys are positive about those temperatures being okay? I literally had nothing up except Real Temp and some things in the tray.

Are there any CPU testing programs you guys think I should run to make sure the CPU won't overheat on games or anything?

 

[hedshotx]

Just thought I'd give a snapshot for more info.

 

[PreferLinux]

Yes, those temps are definitely OK. Try LinX or IntelBurnTest to get a temp under extreme CPU load – if it is less than 60, it is right where I'd expect it. 70 C is a good maximum temp to keep under when overclocking, although I'd go to more like 80 C with those stress testers.

 

[hedshotx]

Are those safe programs to use? I've never used a cpu stress tester before and I don't want to do anything wrong :O. I looked at the readme for Linx and it talked about a couple other programs that you should have running that I had never heard before, so I didn't give that a go.

 

[PreferLinux]

They are perfectly safe, except that they can produce a lot of heat. So as long as you have a modern CPU (with protection against overheating, which everything since the P4 has, with Intel anyway), it won't be a problem. And if you monitor the temperatures, then even better – you wouldn't want to see them over 60 C because you have a good heatsink, but I don't worry until it gets to 90 C (because I'm using the stock cooler).

 

[hedshotx]

So I don't need any of that secondary Linx software that it describes? I can just close the software if the temps get high? I'm scared haha

 

[PreferLinux]

If the temps get too high, just click "Stop" – it is the same button as is used to start it. The other software (if it is what I can see mentioned) is for monitoring temps. But you're doing that yourself, so it doesn't matter. I doubt the temps will get high, and there's no need to panic if they do anyway – the CPU will just throttle the clock speed to keep them reasonable (around 95 C).

 

[hedshotx]

Gotcha. I'll run Linx tomorrow afternoon when I get some freetime and can monitor it just in case. What temperature would you say I should stop the test at, in case the cpu does get overly hot.

 

[PreferLinux]

Around 80 C, although I'd say something is wrong with the heatsink if it is over 60 C at stock (although you'd need to check up, as I don't really know).

 

[hedshotx]

Alright. I ended up having time to run the Linx test last night before bed, and I took a screen shot to show you guys, but I totally forgot to save it . I'll run it again later this afternoon, but the temperatures if my memory serves me right for the four cores were : 46,44,55,51C

How do those sound to you? The test ran for about 7 minutes (it stopped after this time, I'm assuming it was the end of the test?). I didn't click stop or anything, but the test just ended on it's own, and stated " Ran 6:51 with 0 errors".

I'll upload a screenshot of it after class today, but let me know what you think about those relative numbers? I also ran 3dmark 11, and checked the temps after it and the highest any of the cores got was 51C. Idk if that tells you anything either.