AM2 6000+ 40 idle, 55 load... (probably the case)

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Sp4nk

Limp Gawd
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Jan 9, 2005
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My Athlon 64 X2 6000 is running a lot hotter than I'd like and I've got a Zalman 7000 sitting on it. I'm pretty sure the problem is the case. I have a Lian-Li PC-V600B which puts the PSU above most of the CPU fan. CPU idles at 40 or so, goes up to 55-57 on load. I'm not sure if its just the mobo (I've got an ASUS M2N-E), but the temperature reading bounces back and forth 4 or 5 degrees. Are these okay temps for this kind of processor? The stock fan was beefier (with pipes) than the ordinary A64 fans I'm used to.

I'm curious if anyone else has this case and what solutions they've come up with to help cool this thing down more. My HD's and video card are nice and cool. I'm all for water cooling, but I'm not quire sure what kind of setup to use for this particular case.
 
that is not out of the ordinary.

describe your method of thermal paste application and heatsink installation?
 
It should idle around 34-35c whith stock cooler! Its a lil high seeing the 6000+ heat index is 50-65c on the top end! I usually use As5 thermal paste or even the Ceramique paste and that i know makes a differance. Definatly you might want to modify your case to get more air inside . Install a 90mm fan on your side panel as an intake and may be another one on top as an exaust. This should improve your airflow dramaticaly.

I get it that the PSU is smothering the intake of your Zalman right?

For a simalar setup a buddy of mine used the 8000 series zalman 4heatpipes and sits The same Height,Width has same 90mm Fan as the 7000 ,but it cools way better than the 7000 night and day on a 5600+ chip he is @28c idle and mid 40's on load overclocked @3.1ghz. He had same problem. I know the 6000+ is a nuclear reactor with 125watt draw. Yes i would be a lil concerned with the heat/Cpu in your case but if every thing else is fine Video card motherboard temp its mostlikely the cooler or the way it is installed. If your temps go way down with the Case door open install some type of fan mod to case and or try get more powerfull Cfm fan on your heatsink/cooler or change heatsink/ cooler.

If you decide to get a new Heatsink The 8000Zalman will fit and cool way better even in a lowflow place due to its copper heatpipes and large copper base.very effective at heat dispersal.

Ps before you buy new cooler install the stock two pipe cooler bet it works beter than the 7000! Also water cooling is a plus if ya got the room . DangerDen and Swiftech have good stuff for water:D
 
(cf)Eclipse said:
that is not out of the ordinary. describe your method of thermal paste application and heatsink installation?
Click to expand...

Standard AS5 thermal paste, thin layer across the top. The Zalman is mounted on custom retention brackets that have holes for a 939 and connect to an AM2 board.

!gOtVolTage! said:
Install a 90mm fan on your side panel as an intake and may be another one on top as an exaust. This should improve your airflow dramaticaly.

Ps before you buy new cooler install the stock two pipe cooler bet it works beter than the 7000! Also water cooling is a plus if ya got the room . DangerDen and Swiftech have good stuff for water
Click to expand...

I can only use two 120mm fans on this particular case: one drawing in on the front and one blowing out on the side, positioned over the PCI slots. They're responsible for cooling the HD and video card and are doing a great job.

I originally had the stock cooler installed and it's pretty much the same story. The only difference was the volume of the fan based on its speed.

I'm all for switching to a water cooling solution, but I'd like to keep it simple. I don't need a hard core setup that's practically freezing the CPU. Something small and quiet that'll keep the CPU at standard temps (or a pinch lower) and still keep the system noise at or below a whisper would be nice. I've looked at those Koolance 5.25 kits with the reservoir and the pump (the model without the flashy display), but would gladly accept more opinions.

Thanks for the replies, look forward to your thoughts.
 
55c load? HAH that is nothing my friend. My chip in sig gets up to 65c playing videogames, 70c in orthos. Of course I'm using stock heatsink and fan though.

Burn baby BURN!!! :cool:
 
I am running a Zalman 9700 cooler at 48% speed, and an Antec P180 Case

Here are my temps in windows just surfing and watching movies,

cpucnc.jpg


And here is some temps under some load,

cpuload.jpg
 
What's your ambient temp? I was around 52C at load on a the stock HSF, but it's hot as hell on the second floor of my house, during the spring, and in So. California. Scythe Ninja Rev. B brought that down to 35-40C.
 
Check for plastic covers on the heat sink remaining from installation.
 
Mine during summer idles around 35-40C and 55+ Load on a coolermaster.
 
Sp4nk said:
Thanks for the incredible insight. :rolleyes: However, my thermal application is fine.
Click to expand...

What he's saying is correct; you should only use an extremely small dot on the center of the IHS (obviously after cleaning the surface entirely with a lint free cloth and rubbing alcohol). It should look like this:
arctic%20silver%20proper.JPG


Either way, the temperatures are not out of the ordinary.
 
Yes, I'm well aware of that and that's how it was done. I guess I should've been more clear.
 
Is your case the one with the motherboard upside down and the PSU right on top of the processor?
 
Those temps are normal..

Funny thing happen to me last night actually, My water pump died, the CPU reached 90c in about 5 mins. Then the mobo shut her down.

Everything is fine, I just put my zalmen 8000 back on and its working. I have some RMA the pump, I reolly will not go back to water cooling in this case though. 80mm RAd needed too much air to cool the CPU, and I have hit 3.3-3.4 With the zalmen on high, so Ill stick with that.
 
Sp4nk said:
Thanks for the incredible insight. :rolleyes: However, my thermal application is fine.
Click to expand...

Sp4nk said:
Yes, I'm well aware of that and that's how it was done. I guess I should've been more clear.
Click to expand...

You've got a pretty sharp tongue for a guy that came here looking for advice and got some from one of the most experienced guys in this forum. It's not his fault you made it sound like you applied the thermal paste improperly.

As for your high temps, your case is indeed the main cause of the problem. In that case the CPU fan is fighting the power supply for airflow. Combine that with the fact that the Zalman 7000 is designed more for quiet than huge cooling gains and your temps are going to be higher than optimal.

You may be better off installing the factory heatsink and flipping the fan so it pulls the air from the bottom of the sink and blows it directly into the PSU to be vented out of the case. I'd be willing to bet you'd see a noticeable decrease in both your case and CPU temps with that configuration.
 
I have gotten some pretty crappy results form Arctic Silver when I "Cake" a thin layer over the entire CPU IHS.

Its like anti-thermal-xfer if used in mass.
 
Rabid Badger said:
You've got a pretty sharp tongue for a guy that came here looking for advice and got some from one of the most experienced guys in this forum. It's not his fault you made it sound like you applied the thermal paste improperly.
Click to expand...

I see. Only the most experienced guys on this forum can be smartasses to others. Got it. :D

Rabid Badger said:
As for your high temps, your case is indeed the main cause of the problem. In that case the CPU fan is fighting the power supply for airflow. Combine that with the fact that the Zalman 7000 is designed more for quiet than huge cooling gains and your temps are going to be higher than optimal.

You may be better off installing the factory heatsink and flipping the fan so it pulls the air from the bottom of the sink and blows it directly into the PSU to be vented out of the case. I'd be willing to bet you'd see a noticeable decrease in both your case and CPU temps with that configuration.
Click to expand...

This is exactly how the system is configured, save for the stock fan. As I mentioned earlier, temperature differences are negligible between the stock fan and the Zalman; the Zalman is merely quieter. Even with the stock fan increasing speed to compensate for higher temperatures, load temps remain the same on the Zalman at a constant speed.

I've opted for a water cooling solution, which is something I've wanted to try anyway, so hopefully this will help in both areas. Nonetheless, thanks for the input.
 
Im sitting in a ~20*C room with an open case, a HUGE desk fan doing ~2500rpms pointed inside the case towards the XP90C with a high cfm triblade. Still hitting 50-53*C.
Although I am running 1.5vcore, you are running 300mhz higher and probably have 1000cfm less case flow.
 
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