Overheating problem: ASUS A88MX-A with APU A8-6600K

[inix]

Hi friends,

I assembled my new PC last night, but when I monitored the temperature in UEFI dashboard, it was pretty alarming. My configuration:

APU: A8-6600K
Motherboard: Asus A88XM-A
PSU: Corsair VS 450
Case: Cooler Master K380
No additional GPU or other cards

The reason why I have tagged it motherboard is because after assembling it, when I checked BIOS utility, it showed me motherboard temperature of 35C and APU temperature of 41C. Gradually, within 5 minutes motherboard went to 47C and APU to 61C, after which the rate of heating slowed down. Few things I'd like to point out:

1. The case came with a default fan in front, I hadn't bought a chassis fan (didn't reckon that as this is the first time I assembled a PC) so didn't install one. I suppose that can be one of the reasons it's heating up, but can that explain why temperature was at 40C within 30 seconds of turning the PC on? I googled a lot, but couldn't find a reason for that. I made sure heatsink is properly seated and there's PSU's fan as well.

2. The Corsair VS 450 didn't have 12V 4-pin connector, I googled and found this thread - http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1797457/pin-12v-atx.html Was able to boot up PC after using the eight-pin connector, however that didn't have any marking as to whether it's EPS or not.

3. I'm using stock heatsink and thermal paste right now, I'm ready to buy aftermarket cooler and thermal paste, but first I want to ensure that I'm not missing something.

I know it's kinda noob question and might require simple troubleshooting, but I have done all I could think of and have googled a lot. Please help.

 

[Malignant PC]

Those temps don't seem too crazy. Maybe a little on the high side, but with the stock cooler \ paste you probably aren't getting the best cooling.

The temperature in your case is extremely dependent on ambient temperatures, so if the air on the outside of your case is on the high side it will strongly effect your temperatures.

Do not worry about the motherboard temps, as the cores in the processor and APU are of more importance.

Check this thread out:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1859509/amd-6600k-confusing-temp-readings.html

Check a few things, try to wiggle the heat sink a bit. If it moves around then reseat it and make sure that it is tight enough. Also, monitor the temperatures with a different utility. Try using Realtemp or Coretemp. Read that thread I linked you also.

 

[inix]

Those temps don't seem too crazy. Maybe a little on the high side, but with the stock cooler \ paste you probably aren't getting the best cooling.

The temperature in your case is extremely dependent on ambient temperatures, so if the air on the outside of your case is on the high side it will strongly effect your temperatures.

Do not worry about the motherboard temps, as the cores in the processor and APU are of more importance.

Check this thread out:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1859509/amd-6600k-confusing-temp-readings.html

Check a few things, try to wiggle the heat sink a bit. If it moves around then reseat it and make sure that it is tight enough. Also, monitor the temperatures with a different utility. Try using Realtemp or Coretemp. Read that thread I linked you also.

Hey, thanks for replying. I checked the heatsink several times, it is stuck there and doesn't move a millimetre. Room temperature at night was about 25C here, so I thought it shouldn't surpass 35C for idle motherboard. Thanks for the link to that thread, that clears some doubts although I need to wait for my SSD to arrive and then I'll be able to install an OS to check with other utilities.

Should I install a chassis fan as well? I'm going to order an aftermarket cooler and thermal paste now as overheating was the one of the reasons why I sold my old PC. Which ones do you recommend?

 

[Malignant PC]

You will notice a huge cooling increase once you upgrade your heat sink. The more fans the better. If you have open slots for a chassis fan, I would recommend grabbing one with high static pressure. You can go with liquid or air cooling. If you are spending under 100 dollars, the difference between air and liquid is so minimal I would say to go with air cooling. Something like:


http://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-Silver-Extreme-Universal-Heatsink/dp/B009ARE2YE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395991029&sr=8-1&keywords=silver+arrow

or

http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D14-SE2011-Heatpipes-Bearing/dp/B00631QFG8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395991065&sr=8-2&keywords=noctua+nh-d14

Both of those are great picks.

Try this thermal paste below it's what I've been using:

http://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-Carbon-Based-Thermal-Compound/dp/B0045JCFLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395991127&sr=8-1&keywords=mx-5+arctic+silver

 

[inix]

Thanks mate.