51'C isn't really all that hot. I would be perfectly content with a load temperature of 50'C, on my X2 3800+ I get55'C during gaming, and Pentium 4 chips are really power hungry beasts, and give out a lot more heat. You shuold be fine with that setup mate ;)

I had a 3800+ for a while and I didn't ever go past 45'C, what sort of system are you running?

It's overclocked on the stock cooler right now...

is thermal paste good for keeping your hair in shape?

<font color=skyblue>I dunno, but when I downloaded the instructions for using this stuff, the very first sentence was "do not put it in your mouth". I was just wondering why that was the very first sentence...</font>

Why is there a sign in most american restrooms that say "Please do not eat the little white mints" above each urinal?

those are mints?

Your not supposed to eat those things???

Hmm, maybe we should have those signs in Australia....

<font color=8fbc8f>Well darn it man! You must of had the new counter guy. My counter guy agreed with the reputation, this stuff is what NASA uses on the shuttles. [img]graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]
I would not say negative approach towards AS, but a comparative approach. Of all of my custom builds, they were all assembled with just plain ol RS thermal grease. AMDs run a little warmer than others, but I have never had one go over 48*C with air, OC'd, and blazing 3d benchtest for days straight. This current Athlon is running 411 over spec, and sitting on 33* C. Rising to 41*C under heavy load, and 47* C when watching "Johnny's" movies.

A spot the size of one-half of a single grain of rice is the trusted standard. However, I still understand folks confuse the size of a grain of rice with that of a dime! This will cause issues.

I did not read your CPU specs, nor that of the heat sink. Copper coolers which are way more expensive cool faster, and quicker, yet weigh more, and strain the MB.

Fresh air in, hot air out, fill all openings with fans, till you have to shout!
We could get into case mods, but that would be another topic. Maybe I can get some pictures hosted, and share some on the cheap but effiencient mods to help.</font>

<font color=skyblue>Felix, since your post opposes some people's claims that I have talked with recently, I have to keep bugging you so I can try to figure out who is more "right" or if both you and them merely have "opinions" that differ.

Please do not take the following as what I believe in, rather what I have been told I should believe.

You said: AMD runs warmer.
The guy at Intrex said: Intel runs warmer.

You said:Fill all openings with fans. (my current objective).
An engineer friend said: Only two case fans should be used, one in, one out. Too many fans ruins the proper air-flow needed.

I am so confused. Shall I simply flip a coin?</font>

<font color=skyblue>Test 7:

Five Minutes: 122/113F, (50/45C)
Eight Minutes: 124/115F, (51/46C)


Tomorrow night will be the final test and according to AS, the full time will have been met for it to reach its full potential.

I will perform a "special" test that goes beyond the 8-minute barrier and will actually test in a high-activity area.

All that want to see the historical event be at the ready and come marvel! </font>

Intel used to run warmer. Pentium 4s are very hot chips, but Intel has sorted their act out with the newer Core Duos and Core 2 Duos, and now AMD have the hotter high end chips. I believe.

So long as you plan it logically, you can fill the case with fans and still keep the correct airflow.

Those 2 things dont have to necessarily be in conflict. Get 2 case fans, close off all other holes (as mentioned before in here?). This will ensure maximum effenciency with those 2 fans.

It depends on the CPU. Later model P4s are very power inefficient (ie, they dissipate more power as heat).

Core Duos, otoh, are made with the 65nm process and offer considerable power efficiency advantages. (this, btw, is the key reason why core duos currently dominate - they still use an inferior architecture than the A64's)

<font color=skyblue>Tonight's Final Test

This is the final one, and I did about half an hour of testing stuff.

First, the average test. 5 minutes of "gaming" in Undermountain = 122/113F. This is the same as yesterday's standing around and doing nothing. The 8 minutes test proved the same. Therefore, I conclude that it does not matter if the game is merely on or I am battling three dragons. The heat is the same.

Next, I played through fifteen minutes, and ended up in Skull Port. Testing the temperature proved that after fifteen minutes, I was holding at 127/118F, but not going any higher. I decided to try something else. I removed the case cover from the PC to see how well it would cool down. The result was amazing. In 5 minutes, I was cooled to 115/109F!! This tells me that I just do not have enough good air flow like I need, right?

This is what I have, as I used a piece of tissue paper to verify which direction the air flow was on each fan.

Intake: 1 Fan. Front, bottom of machine.
Output: I have 5 fans. 1 on top, 1 on side panel, three in back. One of the three in back is the Power Supply's fan. Another is the high-performance output I bought to set under the GPU.

All case fans came with the case. I am wondering if I should replace these cheap fans with higher power fans, especially the intake one.

What do you guys and dolls think?</font>

Wow. Erm, yeah, I'd say your air flow isn't quiiite optimal. Generally you want air in to equal air out. A 5:1 ratio isn't ideal. ;)

Try switching the fan on the side panel, and the one on top around, so they are also intakes, and only the fans on the back are outtake fans.

<font color=skyblue>I might try that, but let me mention an issue with that first.


Since heat rises, it makes since that a fan would be on top to remove that heat. The fan on the side panel is directly aligned with the processor's fan so that it takes the hot air from the processor area on out. If I had either of those fans reversed, would that not just blow hot air directly back onto the components?


I understand what you mean about 5:1 not being ideal, but before I even added my own fan, the ratio was 1:4. Why would they construct it that way if it was not correct? I am not sticking up for the manufacturer of the case, I just don't understand why they would build something that was not good and sell it for nearly $100 (three years ago). </font>

<font color=8fbc8f>@Larry. This is from the AMD site, and is similar to my CPU, I've built nothing but AMDs, and understand a letter difference might or might not make a difference (yes it's that old). I made a quick peak at Intel but could not find their well hidden true specs. Maybe one of the Intel warriors can scrounge it up?

Anyhow, what I meant by runs hotter. If you notice the temp band calls for 70* C max, that is when it will go into self protect mode, and render your current work useless. However, it will run right upto that maximum without any complaints. Hence runs hotter!

Mine is currently O/C'd and is happy at 2011Mhz, by pushing the FSB up, and the CPU voltage to 1.55V. I have grown to REALLY like the nVidia nForce chipsets, especially on an MSI M/B. You can push the CPU only, (no other component) or push CPU, and Video (DO NOT DO THIS)! And you can tweak the memory separately as well. I'm pushing my DDR PC3200 (400) upto 440, while reducing the lag, and lat times as well. End result? This setup has never risen above 50*C, even under full 3D load. And only using the stock AMD fan, and RS grease.

<font color=8fbc8f>@Larry's case. Dude, if your dropping 5*C with the side panel off you DO NOT have air flow, you have air turbulence! This is created when too many fans are pushing/pulling from each other and become inefficient, and the case may or may not have a well designed flow.

I will try to get some pictures up, and make a post on what works for 'me'. You may or may not get any ideas from it, but I received an honorable mention with this design in 2004, on a silly bet to send it to the over clockers club contest. It has hosted my last three builds, but has recently been retired to a new custom case that is easier on both the eyes and ears.

Cabling. Do you have yours wrapped, routed and tucked?
HDDs. Are they in the airflow?
VidCard. Is it well ventilated, and in the air stream?
CPU. Does the fan push or pull from the heatsink?
Is it tubed? (tubing from the side panel to face of the fan).

Fans. What size are they by position?
What brand are they?
Are they filtered?
Are they guarded? (shrouds, finger protectors).

In a nut shell. Large intake down low, pulling filtered air into the front, should be cooling HDDs. Side panel fan, 80 or 92, pulling filtered air into the middle of the case. One exhaust, somewhere center top, 80 or 92, unfiltered blowing the hot air out. Rear case. I do not prefer a rear case fan.

Power supply. Good quality name brand? How many fans? Are they fighting each other, or flowing with each other?

(I do work on my PS, I do replace the fans, and reverse their flow. The inner one pulls the hot air from directly above the CPU, and blasts it into the PS, the back fan is pulling this hot air out, and creating a vacuum for the rear of the case, which brings some cool filtered air in from the side panel fan). It is not quiet! But it will keep a O/C'd Sempron chilly cool!

General (CAUTION) nobody should be messin with their power supply without EXCELLENT knowledge, and having taught basic elec at least ONCE! They are dangerous, and can KILL you! </font>

This is of course true, and an airflow from bottom-front to top-back of the case is often recommended, but the large difference in the number of fans prevents this because of the turbulence its creating. And there aren't really any other places you can change round.
Well, on my previous Penitum 3 and 4 computers, and my current AMD X2, the stock heatsink fan blows air ONTO the processor's heat sink. So ideally, you want the side panel fan to blow air into the case.
May I ask the brand? It may simply be that they are relying on more fans to sell it to consumers.

<font color=skyblue>I never tested the fan on the heat sink to see its direction. I'll do that today.

Wow...guys this is a load of good information. I'll try to answer them later. </font>

<font color=skyblue>Its been over a month since you've heard from me on the cooling. I have been able to play NWN with no overheating (no longer reaching +130), and this is after I applied the Arctic Silver, the new specialty fan under the Vid Card and reversed the side panel fan to intake. Just for the record, the reversal of the side panel fan from output to intake has actually not helped nor hurt the temp. control. That is a surprise, as I had hopes. </font>