Core I7 950 Temperature

[idata]

Hello everyone, I reently built my new machine with a Core I7 950 and Asus Rampage III motherboard. I have a question about the CPU temp. I idle at 35 to 40C but when playing games like Mass Effect and some others my temp goes all the ay up to 78 to 82C. I am using the stock HSF. Is this normal? I used to have a Core 2 Duo and it didn't breal 45C undel full load. Any information on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

[RGiff]

GO H2O , coursair H-70, or H-50 , Dependable Quite and can handle 130watt CPUs and keep them at 39c idle 48c full load.

[idata]

Thanks for a quick reply. So is it an issue that at full load when playing intensive games i am around 80C?

[RGiff]

Man I'm telling you I had my QX9650 OC to 3.8, on air and could not keep it under 65C , I installed the H-50 Now it never gets above 48C. the Xeon set up is more complcatated because it has a locked multiplyer, 9.5 , But I got it up to 3.8 stable at 40c with the H-70.

[DSilv11]

80 C is at the high end for operating temp. You are getting very close to the thermal throttling point

A lot depends on your full configuration. Large video cards and HDD can generate a lot of heat so that the internal chassis temp climbs as well.

The CPU heatsink and fan can only provide cooling if the internal chassis temp is also reasonable.

One test you can run check the cpu temp with the cover open.

If it is OK that way, you may want to add a chassis fan.

[idata]

It is defintely the stock HSF. Since everything else is runing cool like VGA and Motherboard. I will robably get the H50 heatsink tomorrow.

[DSilv11]

Won't hurt! (I run stock in all my systems, but I have one box (bad layout design for cooling) I thinking about going to this HS also)

You may want top check the current heatsink compound to see that it is even across the top of the CPU.

Too much is bad, too little is worst.

New heatsink should have its own goop (usually as part of the heatsink but sometimes separate) Clean off the current goop and make sure you have a thin uniform layer when installing new heatsink