Why do I recieve ALL the problems? Please help.

DarkShadow · 25 Jan 2007 at 22:24

As per thread title,

I've constantly been having problems, I just really need to get this one out of the way.

Basically I installed my Zalman 9700 delivered yesterday, I installed it fired it up and I was chuffed to bits when I looked at the temps in Bios. 30 degrees idle as opposed to me 55 idle. I get into windows and I stressed it with tat for ages. I got to 50 degrees maximum. It then cooled down to 34 idle which was acceptable. Last night it started become about 48 idle. How on earth did it get so high?

I resat the heatsink and applied thermal as pictured:

A very thin layer. I booted up the pc and went into bios it was at stupidly high temp 70 degrees! :eek:

I then rebooted and it settled to 50, how does that work? :confused:

I've ran orthos and similar apps and I'm now at 46 degrees idle & at 70 load.

I genuinely can't get my head around this, my heatsink is secure it can with some pressure move side to side but seen as It has 1 set of intel S shaped clips on, it seems feasable.

I'm really frustrated and I really want to overcome this problem as it's a huge nightmare.

ns400r · 25 Jan 2007 at 22:27

Your heatsink just isn't making a good contact with the CPU.

Junk · 25 Jan 2007 at 22:29

my 9700 wiggles easily. does its job though.

what compound are you using? i am using AS5 with mine, with the tiny bit in a line down the middle.

DarkShadow · 25 Jan 2007 at 22:36

ns400r said:
Your heatsink just isn't making a good contact with the CPU.

I don't understand, it's tightly secured but it cant move a little side to side with abit of force.

I'm using AS5.

furnace · 25 Jan 2007 at 22:46

Make sure it's really flat - do the optical test, and also I held up the processer against the heatsink and tried to shine a light between the two of them - when I saw a small beam of light I knew that the IHS wasn't flat.

If the processors gets to over 60~c with the retail cooler under stock speeds, you probably have a good case for sending it back for replacement. (I guess it's a Core2Duo?)

DarkShadow · 25 Jan 2007 at 23:21

furnace said:
If the processors gets to over 60~c with the retail cooler under stock speeds, you probably have a good case for sending it back for replacement. (I guess it's a Core2Duo?)

It did.

I've re-sat it again and I'm now getting 42 idle and 56 load. An improvement but both temps should be slashed by another 10 degrees

I think my CPU is really concave and my motherboard bracket seems bent :eek:

On the stock cooler I want hitting 55 idle and 70+ on load.

Have I got a case on both?

WJA96 · 25 Jan 2007 at 23:27

Have you tried the AS5 recommended method of a clean CPU with a stripe of AS5 down the centre? Then give the heat sink a little twist as you put it on. That's done on purpose as spreading a thin layer as you have done can give rise to air bubbles if you have a concave CPU IHS. The single line and twist gives a 'filler' effect that gives the best thermal transfer under all circumstances. Ultimately, if you're really not happy then send it back and argue your case.

DarkShadow · 25 Jan 2007 at 23:36

Hi WJA96,

I took a quick pic of my thermal applied:

I used Akasa Tim cleaner and used an old sock 5 times, I think used a lint-free cloth to make sure everything was nice and clean.

I did give it a little twist, I may have however slightly pushed heatsink accidently as the Zalman 9700 is large and the back end slightly pushed up.

Jokester · 25 Jan 2007 at 23:41

Spreading a thin layer means that the layer is actually too thin to come into contact with the heatsink, either use the method on the AS website for Core2Duo's or lap the CPU.

Jokester