Forum

Message:

Subject: Cooling Question
By: Steven Jenkins (IP: 24.218.250.*)
Written on: 19-12-2004 21:13

Got a problem maybe you can help me with:

I have a Sager laptop that just had the motherboard replaced after some overheating nonsense.

I have gotten it back from the repair place, and the cooling fans run pretty much constantly. Even when processor performance is at 2%... even when the hard drive is not even in the machine, the fan goes and goes.

So I am looking to get an idea if it is the processor that is overheating, the thermal pad that is failing, or the cooling fan that is no good.

So like I said, the processor runs at 2% even and the fan goes. And hot air is coming out (the only clue that makes me think heat is being transferred fine, it is the processor that is flawed).

Basically what I am asking is if you think a tube of Arctic Silver instead of the thermal pad will fix the problem... or you think there may be something wrong with the processor or the heat sink.

Any help you could give would be much appreciated.

Replies:

By: Tillmann (IP: 84.57.87.*)
Written on: 19-12-2004 22:13

Hi,

since your computer needed a motherboard replacement because of overheating, maybe the company just "fixed" this problem by making the fan run permanently.

Whether better thermal interface material will help, depends on several factors:

- IF the new motherboard has the fan temperature control totally disabled, you can't do anything about it.

- If the fan temperature control has its own thermal sensor located in or near the heatsink, then using a better thermal interface material won't help, either: While your CPU will get cooler, the heatsink will get hotter (due to better thermal transfer to it).

- If the fan control is done by the BIOS, based on the readout from the CPUs thermal diode (if it has one), then using better thermal compound may help.

Also, check BIOS settings, if there are any options for controlling fan.

bye,
Tillmann

By: Steven Jenkins (IP: 24.218.250.*)
Written on: 19-12-2004 23:45

I checked the BIOS and the only thing I could find that might have anything to do with cooling was the "Throttle Duty Rate" which was set to 50% = 512 PCI Clocks.

However, armed with all my new knowledge about heat sinks and stuff, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to open up the case one more time and take a gander.

Turns out the geniouses over at Sager computer didn't even put a thermal pad on there.

Time to get myself a bottle of Arctic Silver 5

Thanks again Till.

By: Steven Jenkins (IP: 24.218.250.*)
Written on: 19-12-2004 23:47

Also, it turns out the geniuses over at "Steven Jenkins" don't know how to spell "geniuses"

By: az3po1 (IP: 149.99.115.*)
Written on: 31-12-2004 08:34

I am purchasing an ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe mobo....will use an Intel P4 2.4C 800FSB processor... would like to know if it is with compatible with a Zalman CNPS 7700-CU heatsinkfan and also an actively cooled Northbridge chipset heatsink fan? Any questions as to the NB HSF unit I should use? Want to O/C like crazy!

By: scifi3018 (IP: 204.116.2.*)
Written on: 01-01-2005 10:38

Holy jesus that is a BIG ASS FAN.
Looking at your MOBO, the NB is pretty close to the CPU, and the CPU is pretty close to many tall parts, if the heatsink/fan combo fits, it will be tight as anythin. One review i read even says to be aware of any aftermarket NB coolers.
Since you probaly care about the looks of your cooling solution, the http://www.frozencpu.com/cpu-aer-02.html looks to be a good solution for you. It will fit your mother board, and it is rated for a 3.6 Ghz processor, so it will deifatley wrk, also it is lateral, not horizontal, so that will give you room for a NB cooler http://www.frozencpu.com/vid-26.html like that, these combined should be enough for anyhting you can throw at it.