Zalman 9700 for i7/i5 OC inadequate???

O

Oscar Meyer

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
326
Just upgraded from my old core duo system, new stuff is in signature. I didn't want to spend more money on a new heatsink so I bought a $5 clip for my old heatsink, Zalman 9700. For the most part, it works really good. Idle temps are around 38C. Playing games, encoding stuff, and running most benchmarks, temps go to around 65C. Cpu is running @4ghz with hyper threading (200bclock, 20x multiplier) with [email protected] and [email protected] .All other voltages set to auto. Dram set to 1.65.

However, when i load up Prime 95, temps go to like 90C to 100C in about 10 minutes. The computer never crashes or hangs, it just returns errors in Prime95. If I turn Hyper threading off, the temps go to about 70C to 80C and I can run prime95 without errors for hours (longest I tested was 3 hours)

I thought maybe my zalman 9700 had some sort of problem so i installed my spare zalman 9500 heatsink. Pretty much the same temperatures, plus or minus 2 degrees. Anyone else have i7/i5 overclocked CPU's and using the old zalman heatsinks? Wondering if my situation is normal or I need to go buy a new heatsink. Thanks for any input.
 
I've read around the web that HT boosts heat and power draw too so it looks like you might be out of luck with the Zalman 9700, OM. I'm running the same cooler on my OC'ed Q6600 but no HT so do you need HT? Have you tried a good thermal paste? I switched to MX2 paste and it shaved a few C off my temps. Seat the Zalman then remove it and check the pattern in the paste to ensure good contact was made?
 
4GHz and no problems and good temps doing what you normally do with the machine. Yes run right out and blow $40+ on a new heatsink so you can run Prime95 indefinitely. I recommend the biggest one you can find with lots of chrome and a big loud fan, with lights . Dont forget to use the most expensive thermal paste you can find. :p Wish I had your troubles. :p Frankly I get bored playing Prime95 for more than 10 minutes, the plot sucks.
 
Yeah, you should go pick up Venomous X with 2 different fans. See if that helps reduce the temp.
 
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