Temperature Range for a Phenom II?

J

JoshuaD

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Feb 13, 2005
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I'm idling around 32-35* celcius right now and my load temperature is somewhere around 42-45*.

I know this is safe. What should I set the overheat protection to in Core Temp? I have it at 60* now but I'm not sure if that's too high or too low.

My room isn't air conditioned, so when the summer comes I expect my idle and load temperatures to increase. I may be getting a floor unit, but I'd like to know the values anyway.

Thanks!
 
i think 70c is where the core starts to shutdown to protect it self, so I'd say a daily max, say if your under 100% load lots would be around 60-65, but i make my goal to keep it under 55c for longevity of the chip
 
JoshuaD said:
I'm idling around 32-35* celcius right now and my load temperature is somewhere around 42-45*.

I know this is safe. What should I set the overheat protection to in Core Temp? I have it at 60* now but I'm not sure if that's too high or too low.

My room isn't air conditioned, so when the summer comes I expect my idle and load temperatures to increase. I may be getting a floor unit, but I'd like to know the values anyway.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I believe max temperature from AMD is 61 degrees C. Which Phenom are you running? Those are some good temperatures!
 
leave it at 60, no need to go higher......if your hitting 45 load you dont have to worry anyhow.
 
it would probably bsod on you before it superheated anyway, but yea 62-63c would be the limit. id just leave it at 60c.
 
amdgamer said:
I believe max temperature from AMD is 61 degrees C. Which Phenom are you running? Those are some good temperatures!
Click to expand...

Phenom II X4 965 BE (Deneb) with a Scythe Mugen-2 HSF combo. Also, three 80mm silent scythe case fans.

23611380954667916502642.jpg

23611380954732916502642.jpg


The video card is passively cooled with an Accelero S2. The loudest thing in my tower now is the hard-drives, which is very important since this computer is used in a home recording studio. :)
 
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JoshuaD said:
Phenom II X4 965 BE (Deneb) with a Scythe Mugen-2 HSF combo. Also, three 80mm silent scythe case fans.

23611380954667916502642.jpg

23611380954732916502642.jpg


The video card is passively cooled with an Accelero S2. The loudest thing in my tower now is the hard-drives, which is very important since this computer is used in a home recording studio. :)
Click to expand...

Whoa, WTH is that thing? I don't think i've ever seen something so big before. I am currently running a Phenom II X4 965 as well with the stock heat sink and fan. I am desperately considering upgrading to a better air cooler, or possibly water cooling for it.

What kind of motherboard is that? Using your current cooler, are you able to utilize all of your ram slots? I have a Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 in which the ram slots are very close to the cpu socket. As a result, i'm finding it very difficult to find a cooler that will work as I am using all 4 ram sockets.
 
It's a Scythe Mugen 2, linked above.

I can use all 4 of my ram slots, but I can't change the first two without pulling out the motherboard, unscrewing the HSF, etc. Thankfully i have a 2gb stick in each slot right now, so I don't think I'll need to change them anytime soon. (That maxes me out around 10gb, which would be plenty sufficient for this build).

It's a gigabyte 790xt motherboard.

edit: This HS/F is getting good results, but I wouldn't recommend it unless noise is a factor for you. The only reason I got something so absurd is because I need my computer to be almost silent.
 
JoshuaD said:
It's a Scythe Mugen 2, linked above.

I can use all 4 of my ram slots, but I can't change the first two without pulling out the motherboard, unscrewing the HSF, etc. Thankfully i have a 2gb stick in each slot right now, so I don't think I'll need to change them anytime soon. (That maxes me out around 10gb, which would be plenty sufficient for this build).

It's a gigabyte 790xt motherboard.
Click to expand...

Ahh, thanks. That rules this heat sink and fan setup out then since I must have access to all 4 of my ram slots. I am surprised that you had to remove the motherboard to screw that thing on. That thing looks really heavy though....
 
I'm curious what the technical reason is for AMD setting their maximum at around 60C. I haven't used an AMD box in at least 7 years so I wasn't aware of that. My Intel CPU is comfortable with 85C (only happens during synthetic loads like Linpack).

Maybe AMD's different (weaker) manufacturing process doesn't like those temperatures? That's the only thing I can think of. (Also, that was not an attempt to start a flame war... I think we can all agree Intel's 45nm process is superior because it's more power-efficient.)
 
amdgamer said:
Whoa, WTH is that thing? I don't think i've ever seen something so big before. I am currently running a Phenom II X4 965 as well with the stock heat sink and fan. I am desperately considering upgrading to a better air cooler, or possibly water cooling for it.

What kind of motherboard is that? Using your current cooler, are you able to utilize all of your ram slots? I have a Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 in which the ram slots are very close to the cpu socket. As a result, i'm finding it very difficult to find a cooler that will work as I am using all 4 ram sockets.
Click to expand...

if your looking for one to allow you to use your mem slots....the SunBeam Core Contact Freezer is a great choice :p it can match a TRUE in some setups, and performs high for a $25(after Rebate) cooler...


as for why the max is 60....maybe because of different manufacturing processes, though im not sure how many people like having their CPU(intel or amd) above 60 anyhow......as for more power efficient, most of the power rating(watt) are lower on AMD for comparable models(IE same stock speed/cores....the i7 920 is 130w, while most AMDs that compete with it are 125w....so essentially very close....yes i know this isnt a great estimate on power efficiency......)

edit: BTW, arnt Intels "comfterable" at 99 C ? since their max temp is technically 100 C ?
 
@JoshuaD

Nice temps. is that overclocked temps or stock? Also is that open case door or closed (doubt it is closed since the 80mm is more restrictive to airflow)

I'd say look for a case with better cooling/ventilation down the road for summers since your ambient will be going up soon.

You also may want to tape up the sides of the heatsink that are not used so you create a better tunnel from one fan to the next. I did this along with other things and get some good temps.

For me. I had a stock HDT-S1283 that would run about 52c at 3.4GHz on my 940BE (3.0GHz stock). using IC Diamond 7 paste. Before and After are all closed case!

So far my cooling mods are:
-IC Diamond 7 TIM
-2 Slipstream 1900RPM fans (one as a push, other as a case fan)
-Custom made AM2+ bracket so I can mount Horizontally instead of vertical and get better pressure.
-Fan Shroud behind the case fan to push it closer to the heatsink
-Tapped up the sides of my Heatsink for better airflow.

Now with these mods running stock 3.0GHz I get no more than 37c load. @ 3.4GHz I get upwards of 44c avg load. Weak overclock I know, I can't get stable @ 3.6GHz with 1.475 which i'm not comfortable with going higher VID. Maybe a Thuban will take its place soon :eek:


Another tip, I also use PhenomMSRTweaker instead of cool-n-quiet to downclock my cpu when no big demand is on it. helps my idle temps stay around 28c.


As for the others. Thermal temp is probably there to help current leak over and electromigration which leads to shortened lifespan. I've heard others run upwards of 70c before. With my old Gigabyte G-Power Lite HSF I would always load at low 60's c.
 
W.Feather said:
if your looking for one to allow you to use your mem slots....the SunBeam Core Contact Freezer is a great choice :p it can match a TRUE in some setups, and performs high for a $25(after Rebate) cooler...


as for why the max is 60....maybe because of different manufacturing processes, though im not sure how many people like having their CPU(intel or amd) above 60 anyhow......as for more power efficient, most of the power rating(watt) are lower on AMD for comparable models(IE same stock speed/cores....the i7 920 is 130w, while most AMDs that compete with it are 125w....so essentially very close....yes i know this isnt a great estimate on power efficiency......)

edit: BTW, arnt Intels "comfterable" at 99 C ? since their max temp is technically 100 C ?
Click to expand...

Thanks as I will look into that. I also need a cpu cooler that is quieter than this stock cooler. This stock cooler sounds just like a dust buster when it starts going over 5000rpms.
 
RogueTrip said:
@JoshuaD

Nice temps. is that overclocked temps or stock? Also is that open case door or closed (doubt it is closed since the 80mm is more restrictive to airflow)
Click to expand...

Stock temperature. I don't have a need to overclock the thing. Protools is a demanding piece of software, but this phenom with 4 gigs of ram has been doing the trick.

It's closed case. I have two intake 80mm fans up front (one at the bottom of the case, one flowing over the hard drives) and the one exhaust fan you can see in the photos. The PSU also acts as a bit of an exhaust fan.

RogueTrip said:
I'd say look for a case with better cooling/ventilation down the road for summers since your ambient will be going up soon.
Click to expand...

I might, but this one has always treated me so well. It's a cold morning here, my room temperature is 20* and as I'm posting this message the CPU temp is siting at 29*c. That's not bad. :)

It seems my CPU is idling about 10* hotter than the room and loading around 20* hotter. If that's the case, if my room gets up to 100* Fahrenheit, (hotter than I could imagine it ever getting), then my CPU will be max loading at like 58*.

You also may want to tape up the sides of the heatsink that are not used so you create a better tunnel from one fan to the next. I did this along with other things and get some good temps.
Click to expand...

I think I'll give that a shot. I might also get another "silent" 120mm fan for the front of the HS/F to help airflow.

For me. I had a stock HDT-S1283 that would run about 52c at 3.4GHz on my 940BE (3.0GHz stock). using IC Diamond 7 paste. Before and After are all closed case!

So far my cooling mods are:
-IC Diamond 7 TIM
-2 Slipstream 1900RPM fans (one as a push, other as a case fan)
-Custom made AM2+ bracket so I can mount Horizontally instead of vertical and get better pressure.
-Fan Shroud behind the case fan to push it closer to the heatsink
-Tapped up the sides of my Heatsink for better airflow.

Now with these mods running stock 3.0GHz I get no more than 37c load. @ 3.4GHz I get upwards of 44c avg load. Weak overclock I know, I can't get stable @ 3.6GHz with 1.475 which i'm not comfortable with going higher VID. Maybe a Thuban will take its place soon :eek:
Click to expand...

Sweet! I'm going to borrow some of your ideas to increase airflow. Thanks :)

Another tip, I also use PhenomMSRTweaker instead of cool-n-quiet to downclock my cpu when no big demand is on it. helps my idle temps stay around 28c.
Click to expand...

Cool idea. Does this increase the longevity of the chip or anything?
 
Motherboard on fabric = massively fried board. Never put stuff on static ridden surfaces. :)
 
Conker said:
Motherboard on fabric = massively fried board. Never put stuff on static ridden surfaces. :)
Click to expand...

Probably smart. That said, I've done that a number of times with no problems. I guess safe is better than sorry though.
 
eddieck said:
I'm curious what the technical reason is for AMD setting their maximum at around 60C. I haven't used an AMD box in at least 7 years so I wasn't aware of that. My Intel CPU is comfortable with 85C (only happens during synthetic loads like Linpack).

Maybe AMD's different (weaker) manufacturing process doesn't like those temperatures? That's the only thing I can think of. (Also, that was not an attempt to start a flame war... I think we can all agree Intel's 45nm process is superior because it's more power-efficient.)
Click to expand...

Is an i3 at 73W tpd more power-efficient then say one of AMD's 45W tpd cpus like mine?
 
eddieck said:
I'm curious what the technical reason is for AMD setting their maximum at around 60C. I haven't used an AMD box in at least 7 years so I wasn't aware of that. My Intel CPU is comfortable with 85C (only happens during synthetic loads like Linpack).

Maybe AMD's different (weaker) manufacturing process doesn't like those temperatures? That's the only thing I can think of. (Also, that was not an attempt to start a flame war... I think we can all agree Intel's 45nm process is superior because it's more power-efficient.)
Click to expand...

Before I got my current Zalman CNPS9900, I used an old Athlon64 cooler. When my CPU approached 63-65C, I started losing threads in Prime95. So you definitely need to follow the guidelines and keep your temp below 60C.

I think AMD and Intel CPUs measure temperatures differently so when the temp sensor inside a Phenom CPU indicates 64C, parts of the core may well be at the 80-90C mark. It's nearly impossible to get a Phenom CPU to indicate 85C, even if you somehow managed to keep the system from crashing. Maybe if you stop all fans including the CPU fan, or use some aluminum cooler meant for Semprons, and just leave it running some stress test. But the system would probably crash before it hit 70C.
 
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My PII 965 @3.6 runs at 32C idle and around 48C at full load. My processor is air cooled with a Zalman 9900.

Your temperatures look just about right.
 
JimmiG said:
Before I got my current Zalman CNPS9900, I used an old Athlon64 cooler. When my CPU approached 63-65C, I started losing threads in Prime95. So you definitely need to follow the guidelines and keep your temp below 60C.

I think AMD and Intel CPUs measure temperatures differently so when the temp sensor inside a Phenom CPU indicates 64C, parts of the core may well be at the 80-90C mark. It's nearly impossible to get a Phenom CPU to indicate 85C, even if you somehow managed to keep the system from crashing. Maybe if you stop all fans including the CPU fan, or use some aluminum cooler meant for Semprons, and just leave it running some stress test. But the system would probably crash before it hit 70C.
Click to expand...

The Phenom uses a different temp sensor than the athlon 2 X2?
 
ZodaEX said:
The Phenom uses a different temp sensor than the athlon 2 X2?
Click to expand...


no the phenom II sensor is different from the athlon x2's and the phenom I's.. the athlon II is a deneb core so it uses the same sensor.. they record the temp in the center of the processor which is pretty close to what the cores are running at due to the way amd designs their processors.. the athlon x2 and phenom I gave temps for each core..
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
no the phenom II sensor is different from the athlon x2's and the phenom I's.. the athlon II is a deneb core so it uses the same sensor.. they record the temp in the center of the processor which is pretty close to what the cores are running at due to the way amd designs their processors.. the athlon x2 and phenom I gave temps for each core..
Click to expand...

Oh, ok this explains a lot. I was wondering why I could only see one sensor on my cpu. Thanks.
 
RogueTrip said:
@JoshuaD

Nice temps. is that overclocked temps or stock? Also is that open case door or closed (doubt it is closed since the 80mm is more restrictive to airflow)

I'd say look for a case with better cooling/ventilation down the road for summers since your ambient will be going up soon.

You also may want to tape up the sides of the heatsink that are not used so you create a better tunnel from one fan to the next. I did this along with other things and get some good temps.

For me. I had a stock HDT-S1283 that would run about 52c at 3.4GHz on my 940BE (3.0GHz stock). using IC Diamond 7 paste. Before and After are all closed case!

So far my cooling mods are:
-IC Diamond 7 TIM
-2 Slipstream 1900RPM fans (one as a push, other as a case fan)
-Custom made AM2+ bracket so I can mount Horizontally instead of vertical and get better pressure.
-Fan Shroud behind the case fan to push it closer to the heatsink
-Tapped up the sides of my Heatsink for better airflow.

Now with these mods running stock 3.0GHz I get no more than 37c load. @ 3.4GHz I get upwards of 44c avg load. Weak overclock I know, I can't get stable @ 3.6GHz with 1.475 which i'm not comfortable with going higher VID. Maybe a Thuban will take its place soon :eek:


Another tip, I also use PhenomMSRTweaker instead of cool-n-quiet to downclock my cpu when no big demand is on it. helps my idle temps stay around 28c.


As for the others. Thermal temp is probably there to help current leak over and electromigration which leads to shortened lifespan. I've heard others run upwards of 70c before. With my old Gigabyte G-Power Lite HSF I would always load at low 60's c.
Click to expand...
These are some excellent tips!

I originally used tape to close off the open sides of my 212+ as well, then I figured why not overdo it, and sculpted an aluminum foil HSF shroud...I do not have a matching hat, thank you.
Why a full shroud? Most of the airflow of a fan is coming out in a large donut shaped cone, with almost no pressure in the middle, and lots directed out to the sides, so you want to shroud/enclose a fan's output as much as possible, especially on all edges where it doesn't make direct contact with the heatsink fins.
 
i have an athlon 64 x2 2ghz amd says the operating temp range is 55c to 74 Celsius unfortunately mine idles at 55c and surfing the net pushes it up to 71c so id say anything in the 55 to 74 range should be safe for your amd
 
dalun said:
i have an athlon 64 x2 2ghz amd says the operating temp range is 55c to 74 Celsius unfortunately mine idles at 55c and surfing the net pushes it up to 71c so id say anything in the 55 to 74 range should be safe for your amd
Click to expand...

except the maximum stated temp for the Phenom II's is 64 C.....about 10 C below what your max......

and by surfing the net you raise 6 C, you should check your HS.....that CPU shouldnt idle anywhere near that high(my Athlon X2 5000+ running at 2.8 GHz hits 55 load on a crappy cooler....)
 
I have 2 fans on my HS for push and pull.I am using a Hyper 212 plus.I have all the fans set to medium,except for the heat sinks fans,and rear 120 exhaust.HS fans are at 2000 rpms each,both on high.Rear the same.My idle temps are 25 to 29 degrees celsius. Interesting thoughts on covering the sides of the heat sink,but as long as I'm getting these temps,I'll leave it alone.

I am using this CPU-AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGMBOX - Retail

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/557/img0075y.jpg
 
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