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SG01-E Overheating

lac3513

n00b
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
8
I recently updated my SG01-E with 4 GB of crucial memory (still waiting for rebate to process) from 2 GB and an 89W 6000+ X2 in the place of my old 65W 4600+ X2. When playing games, the system would shut down after 10 to 15 minutes. I suspected the memory at first, but the CPU is getting up to 64 degrees Celsius right before shutdown. At idle the processor cores are runnin in the mid 40s. I thought my NT-06 lite would be sufficient to cool the 6000+ but apparently it is not up to the challenge. To fix the problem I plan to install the stock 6000+ CPU cooler under my ST50EF power supply in the case. I do not want to spend any more money on this rig so I figured I would use what I already had. I think the cooler is short enough to fit. I will measure to make sure. My questions are: Will the stock AMD cooler operate better than the NT-06 lite in the restricted confines of my case? and Will the fan on the cooler blowing down and the fan in the power supply sucking up cancel each other out and make airflow and cooling worse?

Total specs are SG01-E with no additional fans, ST50EF Short Cable edition, Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 89W, NT-06 Lite, 4 GB Crucial DDR2, EVGA 8800GTS 320, Hauppauge Dual TV Tuner. The system is not overclocked.

Thanks in advance for you thoughts
 
The NT-06 can only handle so much heat without sufficent airflow from either the PSU or an attached fan to remove enough heat before the CPU does a thermal saftey shut down, its designed for quietness, not low operating temps. The stock cooler will operate decently as it will have better "active" airflow to keep it cool, however how well it works will greatly depend on how well your refreshing the air in and out of the case. A HSF can only work as well as the surrounding air that it uses, higher ambient air temps = hotter HSF/CPU.

The bigger problem however lies that your HSF and your PSU are gonna be fighting against each other for air, therebye possibly making it worse, depending on how much air space their is between the two. Only way to know for sure is to try it.

An easy way to tell if its shutting down from a thermal overload is to take the PSU out and hook it up outside the case and put a 80mm fan or whatever you have on hand on top of the NT06. If it runs with more active cooling with no shutdown, its the heat. If not, then you CPU/RAM is causing the crash as those are the only other variable that has changed in the setup
 
Not sure what the "safe" temps of the X2 is but you may want to look into setting the shutdown threshold to higher or remove it completely. Reseating and tightening the thumbscrews with pliers may help also.
 
What motherboard are you using?

I have an C2Q 9450 and in the same case and was having temp issues until I put one of these (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=408&products_id=22998) underneath the NT-06 Evolution blowing up. It dropped my cpu temps by 10 degrees.

Did you install both fans above the video card as well? That could be the reason your machine is shutting down.

I also installed a couple of 120mm fans on the video card side of the case blowing out to create more air flow. I'll try to post some pics this evening.
 
I forgot to add the type of motherboard when I put my specs. I have an Abit NF-M2 nView. I considered adding a case fan under the NT-06 but that would require an additional purchase. I do not have two fans over the video card, just the one that came with the case and blows down on the card. I am considering adding more fans, but I do not want make the system too loud.

In the BIOS, the warning and shutdown temperatures are well above the 64 degrees C the CPU is reaching before the system shuts down. I am not sure the temperature readings are entirely accurate from the onboard diode.

I looked up CPU design information on the AMD website and I was unable to find a temperature at which the CPU will shutdown. The only referrence I could find in the data sheets was to a maximum case temperature of 70 degrees C. It is possible the temp in the case is getting that high with the CPU, GPU and memory all working close to capacity while playing a game.

I am going to install the AMD CPU cooler this morning and I will post how it works out.
 
I just finished taking the NT-06 Lite out of my case and installed the stock AMD CPU cooler. Everything started right up, so at least I didn't make a foolish mistakes. My idle temps are about the same as I was getting with the NT-06. This worried me at first. I could hear the fan on the CPU so I knew it was working.

Next, I fired up Day of Defeat: Source, my current time toilet, and started getting fragged. The CPU temp quickly went to 60 degrees C and I thought I was screwed. The fan on the CPU spun up and the CPU temp settled down to 58-59 degrees C. At load the NT-06 was allowing temps to get to 64 degrees right before shutdown. I was able to play with no shutdown. I will test the system for longer later today. I hope the load temps will go down two or three degrees as the Arctic Silver Ceramique settles in.

I was hoping for lower temps at load from an active CPU cooler but the 5 to 7 degree difference seems to be enough to solve my problems. The trade off is I have to listen to another fan.

Oh, well.
 
. I hope the load temps will go down two or three degrees as the Arctic Silver Ceramique settles in.

Takes around 200 hours according to Arctic and let this be a lesson to all of you, passive cooling only goes/works so far, active cooling is your best friend. Learn it, know it, live it.
 
To use a NT06 in a SG03 is not passive cooling, you just use the PSU's fan.
But the problem is that the PSU-fan doesn't speed up when the CPU gets hot.

My Q6600 is quite satisfact with this cooling, even >3GHz ;)

Swed
 
I still wish my NT-06 had been able to handle the load. As the last few days have passed the Ceramique's efficiency has improved and my temps have dropped. The CPU now idles between 35 and 39 depending on which core is being measured. One core always runs 4 to 5 degrees hotter than the other. At load the temps have settled at 57 to 59 degrees. The fan on the CPU is spinning at max speed and generating a significant amount of noise at that point. At least I am not longer shutting down. I really thought the NT-06 lite would be able to handle an 89W processor. Oh well, now it will be sacrificed to Ebay. As an aside, I considered buying an NT-06 E since Silverstone states it will cool a 130W CPU. I just did not want to spend another $50 and have to completely disassemble my system again. My knuckles are still all cut up from the last disassembly to put the AMD cooler in. Ouch!
 
New cooling was required! I was still getting shutdowns from heat when the ambient temperature in the room was higher than normal. The sun warms that room in my house for most of the day. So, I bought a used Zalman 8700 on Ebay and installed it today. CPU temps are 3 to 4 degrees cooler than the AMD stock cooler, even before the Arctic Silver Ceramique has time to settle in.

When break in time is complete the Zalman should be keeping the CPU 10 to 12 degrees cooler than the NT-06 Lite and 5 to 6 degrees cooler than the stock AMD heatsink. The only problem I have now is fan control.

The Zalman 8700's power connector is 3 prong, most are four to allow PWM control by the BIOS. Abit wisely anticipated this problem and implemeted a 3 prong system fan power header right next to the CPU socket. Very clever. However, the fan is not throttling. It runs at just under maximum rated speed. I have disabled CPU fan control in the BIOS and set the system fan to throttle based in the CPU temperature but it no workie. Also for some reason my onboard sound does not work either. Strange. Any idea would be greatly appreciated.

I have an AMD 6000+ 89W CPU, Abit NF-M2 nView MB and a Geforce 8800GTS 320MB
 
I have managed to get the 8700 to throttle correctly with CPU load via a BIOS update and making adjustments to the CPU and SYS fan settings in the BIOS. I also corrected the sound problem by plugging the speakers into the correct jacks in the back. Brilliant.

Now I am looking forward to a video card update but I am limitied due to the placement of the hard drive cage and cooling fan in the SG01-E. I am considering switching to a Sugo SG03 to get access to video cards longer than 9.5 inches.
 
SG01-F moves the hard drive cage off-centre also. (SG02-F as well, but you already know the SG01. :))
 
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