Is my H50 working properly?

S

Synomenon

Supreme [H]ardness
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I just installed BOINC and have it running a couple of projects. After running it the whole night, I checked temps. (BOINC is still running). All four cores + the four virtual cores were at 100 percent utilization all night.

The current temps. (w/ BOINC still running) are:

Core 1: 61C
Core 2: 59C
Core 3: 61C
Core 4: 59C


Do those look ok or are they too high?


Also, if the H50 is working properly, are the sides of the radiator and reservoir supposed to feel very warm when you touch them?
 
Good to hear.

So about the radiator and reservoir; is it true that if they feel very warm then they're working correctly (taking heat away from the processor)?
 
Very good temps

Yes, they should be very warm as they absorb the heat from the water circulating the system. The radiator being warm is a sign that your pump is working properly. It absorb the heat from the water and transfer it to the air going through it, so it should be warm
 
Those temps sound a bit high to me for stock speeds, but they're safe.
 
Stock speeds, but all cores @ 100% utilization?

I just did a search and see lots of comments regarding how hot the i7-860S gets compared to other i7 processors which surprises me since it has a lower 82W TDP.
 
What's your ambient temperature?

As I mentioned in the other thread, my i5 750 is a lot cooler than that, but its running a Megahalems. At the moment, stock clocks with a very low speed fan (Noctua P12 @ 900rpm) its only 46C at full load with ambient temperature around 23C. I'd suggest my i5 750 would be closer to the heat levels of your i7 860S, as they have similar specs (i5 750 clocked slightly higher and higher TDP, but the i7 runs hyperthreading which adds a bit of heat).
 
Ambient temps. being the room's temperature?

It's usually somewhere b/w 20C to 26C in this room.

I turned BOINC off two hours ago and the processor has pretty much been idling. Current temps. are:

Core 1: 34C
Core 2: 29C
Core 3: 33C
Core 4: 29C

I've read that the H50 doesn't shine until the processor heats up and its performance is mediocre if the processor is idling. Is that true?
 
They sound fine for idle temps. But idle temps are harder to head (HWmonitor tells me high 20s idle while speedfan is telling me low 20s at the exact same time).
 
I dont trust speedfan for temps, I just use it for fan control. Though at load they all tell me the same temperature within a few degrees, its only at idle they are very different.
 
Better than mine, but I OC. When my room heats up to 27C+ I hit 72C while gaming. It's 20C here now, and the CPU is idling at 47-48C.

Have yet to have any issues with games choking at those temps. I'm actually quite surprised this 3.93Ghz OC is so stable. Happy, but surprised.
 
Little_4nic8er said:
Better than mine, but I OC. When my room heats up to 27C+ I hit 72C while gaming. It's 20C here now, and the CPU is idling at 47-48C.

Have yet to have any issues with games choking at those temps. I'm actually quite surprised this 3.93Ghz OC is so stable. Happy, but surprised.
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There's a big difference between an i7 860S at stock clocks (2.53GHz and TDP 82W) and a Q9550 overclocked to nearly 4GHz.

60C load on an aftermarket cooler just sounds way too hot. Even my Xigmatek Thor's Hammer was less than 50C with a 1300rpm fan and my new Megahalems is 46C with a 900rpm fan.

I do find it hard to believe the i7 860S consumes so much more power than my i5 750 and/or the H50 is so much worse to have temperatures 10 to 15 degrees higher than both the Megahalems and also the Thor's Hammer at stock clocks with medium to low speed fans.

How is your case airflow? Where do you have fans set up in the case, is the H50 exhausting or intaking? What speed are you running the radiator fan? Is the pump running at full speed?
 
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You are correct. I should have been clearer in my meaning with that post. I was trying to say I run a hot CPU and am comfortable with those temps. I guess basically saying the OPs temps at 100% usage seem fine to me. Apologies for the lack of clarity.

Again, using my 9550 not an I series, it idled at 40-42C with the stock cooler. I know lower is always better but I've come to realize I've been over paranoid about temps. 60C though not optimal, is within reason.
 
Little_4nic8er said:
You are correct. I should have been clearer in my meaning with that post. I was trying to say I run a hot CPU and am comfortable with those temps. I guess basically saying the OPs temps at 100% usage seem fine to me. Apologies for the lack of clarity.

Again, using my 9550 not an I series, it idled at 40-42C with the stock cooler. I know lower is always better but I've come to realize I've been over paranoid about temps. 60C though not optimal, is within reason.
Click to expand...


Yeah as I said above the temperatures are totally safe, but sound too high. If I'm gonna spend that much on an aftermarket cooler I want it to be quieter, cooler and have some overclocking headroom. Otherwise why on earth would you buy it.

The temperatures certainly aren't unsafe, but they definitely sound high for stock clocks. If the OP bought a H50 I assume he actually wants it to perform well.
 
If you're not happy with your H50 temps you can always try different fan setups, better TIM, intake or exhaust flow. It's always good to experiment a bit before mounting it up and calling it a day with the H50.
 
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