• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Help! CPU idling at 96C

Z

Zyde

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 8, 2009
Messages
151
I launched Guild Wars 2 and was only getting 8-9fps, and decided to check the CPU temperature while trying to figure out what was wrong. I almost did a double take when I looked at what CPU-Z was reporting, so I restarted the computer and went into BIOS to check the temperature there. This is what I was greeted with:

Now, I have always had some trouble with my HSF (CM Hyper 212 Plus) as discussed in my PC build thread from November. The Hyper 212 obstructs one of the RAM slots on my mobo (MSI P67A-GD55), and I cannot comfortably use slot #1 (currently using slots #2 and #4).

I remember needing to reapply the thermal paste and reattach the HSF one month after I bought it because the idle temperatures were higher than they should be (but still within safe range, unlike now). So yeah, 96C idle is crazy, and this seems like a good opportunity to replace my HSF. I don't know if my existing one is faulty, but I'd much rather buy a different model to also resolve the RAM slot obstruction issue.

What is a good (and preferably not too wide) HSF to replace the Hyper 212 with? I'm considering the Zalman CNPS9900MAX, as it seems to have a plethora of positive reviews everywhere. I'm not overclocking these days, but I'd like the HSF to be able to handle it if I choose to. I perform a lot of CPU intensive operations such as playing MMOs and running concurrent simulations of different search trees. I need the HSF to be able to keep my 2600k at decent temperatures during such activities.
 
I would highly recommend looking into the Corsair or Antec all-in-one watercoolers. I would recommend the H60 or H80 from Corsair, and the 620 and 920 from Antec.

Touch your heatsink when this happens, does it feel hot to the touch? If not, that means you are not having good contact between the heatsink and the CPU.
 
96c? Sounds like you have a bad contact with the CPU. Sorry I can't recommend a heatsink, but I've heard good things from the Corsair H60 and H80 if you want a decent water cooling kit for a cheap price.
 
take off the heatsink clean the cpu and heat sink reapply some thermal paste

i had a simlar problem the cup was just way to hot and doing that fixed it hope fully you just have the same problem I did :)
 
It's very interesting that you guys are recommending water cooling. I hadn't even considered it while building my PC. I looked up the H60 by Corsair and I am shocked by how different and compact the whole thing is compared to my expectations. I remember water coolers in the late 90s and how there were tons of pipes, some protruding out of the case into a small "reservoir" which was placed outside. The whole thing appeared convoluted and messy. But the H60 appears so different! I guess the times have changed, and things are more efficient now.

I read up on the basics of water cooling and want to ask some questions to confirm the answers I found on the web.

1.) Can using water cooling for just the CPU co-exist with an air-cooled case? I use a Corsair 600T.
2.) Do I still need to use thermal paste with water cooling (in general)? I watched a H60 video and apparently that comes pre-pasted.
3.) Does one ever need to replace the liquid inside the water cooling system? If so, how often?
4.) Why do people still use air cooling if water cooling is so effective, quieter and (now) moderately priced?

Thanks!
 
grOOvstEIn said:
It's very interesting that you guys are recommending water cooling. I hadn't even considered it while building my PC. I looked up the H60 by Corsair and I am shocked by how different and compact the whole thing is compared to my expectations. I remember water coolers in the late 90s and how there were tons of pipes, some protruding out of the case into a small "reservoir" which was placed outside. The whole thing appeared convoluted and messy. But the H60 appears so different! I guess the times have changed, and things are more efficient now.

I read up on the basics of water cooling and want to ask some questions to confirm the answers I found on the web.

1.) Can using water cooling for just the CPU co-exist with an air-cooled case? I use a Corsair 600T.
2.) Do I still need to use thermal paste with water cooling (in general)? I watched a H60 video and apparently that comes pre-pasted.
3.) Does one ever need to replace the liquid inside the water cooling system? If so, how often?
4.) Why do people still use air cooling if water cooling is so effective, quieter and (now) moderately priced?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1. Yes, the radiator for those coolers are made to fit into the spot for the exhaust fan of the case.
2. Yes, you always need thermal paste.
3. No, those are sealed units that don't need servicing/maintenance.
4. The coolers you are looking at, like the H60, H80, Antec 620, are about equal to mid-range air coolers. They aren't as good as the top end air coolers, although they are really nice for small cases, or cases without good airflow (or obstructed motherboards like yours). They also aren't necessarily any quieter, and some of them are noisier than good air coolers.
 
Thanks for the answers, Forceman.

I'm just reading more reviews for the Corsair H60 and H80 right now, so I can pick between the two. I think the H60 should suffice and will fit nicely in my Corsair 600T, while the double fan on the H80 might be too bulky.

Is it safe to assume that the Corsair H60 will keep the 2600k at good low temperatures while idling and decent temperatures during high performance (multi-core simulations and mmo games)? Or would the H80 be a better choice? Found a comparison table here.
 
I think the H60 is fine unless you plan to push the overclocking (although honestly the Hyper 212+ should be as good as the H60, possibly better depending on the fan you use). And I think it is pretty rare for them to leak - obviously there are going to be issues with some bad units, but I haven't heard of any systemic problems with them.
 
Air coolers are cheaper and simpler.. And Corsair has a history of pump problems on H series
 
Your heatsink is fine... clean up the old thermal paste and reapply some good stuff (e.g. MX-3, IC Diamond). I've seen thermal paste (particularly the cheap stuff) dry out and cause overheating. Also obviously make sure the fan is good and the heatsink fins are not clogged with dust.

I run a 2500k @ 4.6GHz with a lapped $30 Xigmatek heatsink and an Enermax Magma fan and my temps are in the high 20s-low 30s idle and mid 70s load (using LinX)... and my heatsink is at most marginally better than yours.

My heatsink interfered with one of my RAM slots a bit. I just bent a few of the fins a little bit to clear it. If you do replace it, I wouldn't go Zalman. They're overrated and overpriced.
 
Last edited:
grOOvstEIn said:
Thanks for the answers, Forceman.

I'm just reading more reviews for the Corsair H60 and H80 right now, so I can pick between the two. I think the H60 should suffice and will fit nicely in my Corsair 600T, while the double fan on the H80 might be too bulky.

Is it safe to assume that the Corsair H60 will keep the 2600k at good low temperatures while idling and decent temperatures during high performance (multi-core simulations and mmo games)? Or would the H80 be a better choice? Found a comparison table here.
Click to expand...

H60 should work fine. I have an H50 cooling my 2600k @ 4.8Ghz -- no problem! :D
 
dandragonrage said:
Your heatsink is fine
Click to expand...

This is likely true.

I had a rough time installing my 212+ the first time. Also had the same issue with it slightly obstructing the 1st RAM slot. I'm not familiar with the 1155 mounting solution, but on my M5A97 MB I'm pretty sure I have less space between the socket and the first RAM slot and I was able to cheat the 212+ over a bit so I could still use it.

My guess is that it isn't mounted flush, or wasn't tight and has shifted since it hangs on its side all day long. Its now crooked and isn't making good contact with the IHS.

I would try reinstalling it before purchasing anything new. Heck (I DO NOT recommend this at all) I ran my PC with the 212+ just sitting on top of the MB, no thermal paste, no mounting bracket, just to test things for about 30 min and the CPU never got over 40c.

The 212+ is a very capable cooler and unless the heatpipes are all defective it should be able to keep your CPU running very cool - but it needs to be mounted flush.
 
Have you looked into getting the low profile samsung ram? Just a thought expecially if you have another system the current memory can go in to. I just got some for my main comp and moved the existing ram into another system.
 
Forceman said:
I think the H60 is fine unless you plan to push the overclocking (although honestly the Hyper 212+ should be as good as the H60, possibly better depending on the fan you use). And I think it is pretty rare for them to leak - obviously there are going to be issues with some bad units, but I haven't heard of any systemic problems with them.
Click to expand...

H-212+ is a budget air cooler, the H60 is quite much better than that!

I've seen guys taken it above 5Ghz on an H60, try doing that with a 212+ and check your temps :p
 
Thanks for all the input, guys. I have ordered the Corsair H60 based on your feedback and after reading a plethora of reviews and comparisons online. While it may not be a great upgrade from 212+ based on temperature alone, my current HSF is broken and obstructs a RAM slot so the H60 feels like a solid purchase considering I'm killing two birds with one stone.

It'll arrive tomorrow (gotta love Amazon Prime), and I'll update this thread with (hopefully positive) results once I've installed it.
 
I've used several H-series coolers, I bought an H50 back when it first came out and it still works, I also have two H60's and an H100. They work great, and corsairs warranty is excellent if it somehow breaks. I don't use the fans that come with them, they are too loud for me, but they seem to work OK if you did use them. Leaks on those sealed units are very very rare, much more so than custom water cooling. Good luck with yours and let us know the results!
 
grOOvstEIn said:
Thanks for all the input, guys. I have ordered the Corsair H60 based on your feedback and after reading a plethora of reviews and comparisons online. While it may not be a great upgrade from 212+ based on temperature alone, my current HSF is broken and obstructs a RAM slot so the H60 feels like a solid purchase considering I'm killing two birds with one stone.

It'll arrive tomorrow (gotta love Amazon Prime), and I'll update this thread with (hopefully positive) results once I've installed it.
Click to expand...

It surely is an upgrade, you can trust me on that :D
 
LigTasm said:
I've used several H-series coolers, I bought an H50 back when it first came out and it still works, I also have two H60's and an H100. They work great, and corsairs warranty is excellent if it somehow breaks. I don't use the fans that come with them, they are too loud for me, but they seem to work OK if you did use them. Leaks on those sealed units are very very rare, much more so than custom water cooling. Good luck with yours and let us know the results!
Click to expand...

You mean that if it somehow leaks? (instead of breaks).

A reviewer on Newegg complained that his new H100 leaked on his $1000 system and Corsair refused to fund him on all of that.
 
Illyria89 said:
H-212+ is a budget air cooler, the H60 is quite much better than that!

I've seen guys taken it above 5Ghz on an H60, try doing that with a 212+ and check your temps :p
Click to expand...

Eh, the H60 isn't that much better. The H series coolers are equivalent to mid-range air coolers at best. Even the H100 is beaten by the good old NH-D14.
 
Illyria89 said:
H-212+ is a budget air cooler, the H60 is quite much better than that!

I've seen guys taken it above 5Ghz on an H60, try doing that with a 212+ and check your temps :p
Click to expand...

It's really not. It may be a couple of degrees better, but it is definitely in the same cooling class (and that's before you factor in the cost difference). Fan choice matters a lot also, for both products.
 
Last edited:
I don't really see the point of taking the extra risks involved with watercooling without taking the time to actually make the system worth it. I wouldn't have ordered an H60. But it performs decently.. not a terrible decision by any means.
 
Illyria89 said:
You mean that if it somehow leaks? (instead of breaks).

A reviewer on Newegg complained that his new H100 leaked on his $1000 system and Corsair refused to fund him on all of that.
Click to expand...

Reviewers claim a lot of things on newegg, and typically I don't believe the full story gets posted with the terrible reviews. Most of them never include their fault in the problem, like they dropped it on the floor before installing it and Corsair said no because the radiator looks like a banana. I've only seen a few reports of leaks on the forums I'm on and both individuals with damaged gear got it replaced, so I would hope Corsair would treat everyone the same.

Can the pump fail or the loop leak? Sure, but it seems to me that you would hear a lot more about it if its common compared to the sheer number of people that use the kits. The most common problem by far seems to be noisy pumps.
 
I have an H50 that I got new for $35. I replaced a stock cooler for my i7 920. My temps dramatically improved from 50C idle 75C load to 35C idle 50C load. I don't know of an air cooler that could do better for the price. The pump is not audible over the ambient noise of my case fans, which are not very loud. I have had high end air coolers in the past and the huge size of them is really annoying.

edit: I know we kinda got sidetracked in this thread. I wanted to add that I also don't think you need to replace the HSF unless you want more space. They don't really go bad. I'd replace the thermal paste 1st as others have suggested.
 
Last edited:
LigTasm said:
The most common problem by far seems to be noisy pumps.
Click to expand...

Noisy pumps is the only problem I'm aware of. Not sure how big a problem it is on your side of pond but here in Europe there have been many noise RMA.. sometimes 2 or 3 times or until customer give up and gets something else.
 
Is the stock fan on H60 good and quiet? If not, which fan would you recommend I replace it with once it arrives? A watercooling fan with good static pressure and silent (as can be) rotation.
 
grOOvstEIn said:
Is the stock fan on H60 good and quiet? If not, which fan would you recommend I replace it with once it arrives? A watercooling fan with good static pressure and silent (as can be) rotation.
Click to expand...

Don't know about the stock fan but if you buy your own, Scythe Gentle Typhoon is a very well-liked fan to use with radiators.

P.S. my comment above was NOT meant to call the H60 unreliable. Just saying that you take extra risks with any water cooling setup, and that I would personally only take said risks if the system were significantly better than what I had available for air cooling. H60 isn't above air coolers... it's just decent, nothing more.
 
dandragonrage said:
H60 isn't above air coolers... it's just decent, nothing more.
Click to expand...

Yep, it's basically just a tower heatsink with flexible heatpipes. Which is very useful in some circumstances, but nothing magical. I'm still really tempted to mod one onto my GTX 680 though.
 
I have the 212 and its amazing. Frankly, if your not mounting it correctly DO NOT put water in your case.
 
I installed my new Corsair H60 last night: http://i.imgur.com/EQViK.jpg

And the results are great. Idle around 38-39C and goes up to 45-48C on moderate-high load. It isn't as quiet as I thought it would be though, the fan is quite audible. I am considering replacing the fan with a gentle typhoon that everyone seems to rave about, but the model appears to have been discontinued if I were to believe the Newegg page.
 
That looks kind of nice, and it frees up some space.

Some of the Noctua fans have good cubic foot/minute rates at fairly low rpms. I've seen a massive review on CPU fans but it'd be pretty outdated by now.
 
grOOvstEIn said:
I installed my new Corsair H60 last night: http://i.imgur.com/EQViK.jpg

And the results are great. Idle around 38-39C and goes up to 45-48C on moderate-high load. It isn't as quiet as I thought it would be though, the fan is quite audible. I am considering replacing the fan with a gentle typhoon that everyone seems to rave about, but the model appears to have been discontinued if I were to believe the Newegg page.
Click to expand...

Nicely done, staying under 50C at all times.

As for a fan, if you insist on that particular one, it's on Amazon for $19:
http://www.amazon.com/Scythe-Gentle...id=1347159092&sr=8-1&keywords=D1225C12B4AP-14

I've been planning my next rig and despite the mixed reviews, if I were to go the H60 route I would consider the aforementioned fan, Noctua or the Silverstone ap121.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
I posted the Amazon one because of free shipping, frozencpu is over $23 shipped, no thanks.
 
hmmm... i suppose it was up to the OP ..and if he wants to order a H60 Good on him


There is something wrong w/ the mounting or with the hyper 212+ he has ..bad install ..damaged mounting hardware / broken heat pipes ...something.


I have 2x Hyper 212+ coolers and they do a fine job of keeping my i5-750 and i5-2500K in check temp wise.

now i didn't really have any desire to go for a 5Ghz oc...and so I just have my i5-2500K @ 4.3Ghz it keeps temps low 70s (hot here now) in prime 95 ..so good enough (load 50~C over ambient idle 20~ C over ambient.)

i dont' have ram clearance issues (i guess i have to take a fan off to get the memory out but it takes about 2 seconds to do so. but then again I have nice low profile (well pretty much standard profile) memory (mushkin enhanced)


for my objectives I couldn't see any reason for the additional cost / risk of leaks these H series coolers brought along for the ride.... i'm not saying the leak risk is high..but it is higher than i wanted to deal with.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top