AMD Athlon XP 1800+ @ 1.53 GHz
I used to use the Heatsink/Fan that came with my processor, but the temps were a bit high (53 idle / 57 load). I recently bought and installed a Thermaltake Volcano 11 with Arctic Silver 3. Even at the screaming fan speed of 4800 RPM (75 CFM, 48dB!!) My BIOS still reads my processor temps at 46 idle/ 49 load. This doesn't sound right to me. The reports I've read on this heatsink show their temps at around 39 idle while using the temperature control function on the fan. I am cranking it all the way up with the manual control just to get it to 46 degrees!!! This can't be right. What do you guys think?
I don't think that you can predict temps for a particular system based on the heatsink. It also can vary depending on how well you apply the thermal compound… 49C is acceptable for a CPU… Also Arctic Silver says it can take a few days to reach optimum cooling…
I guess you're right. I guess I'll wear ear plugs for now I put the arctic silver on saturday and the "break in period" doesn't seem to be making a difference in temps.
I think I should have lapped the heatsink though, it was a little rough but not *too* bad.
May have also put on a tad too much paste but it wasn't too drastic. The air temp of my case is great. I have 2 intake fans near the bottom and an exhaust on the top, it blows out fairly cool air. I guess I must have got a crappy cpu that was barely rated as an 1800+
If the heatsink is rough and you got too much thermal paste on there, I urge you to do it over. On am AMD chip, too much paste can apparently flow onto the body of the chip and cause problems including possible CPU failure. A rough heatsink will also make a significant difference in temps.
When you use Arctic Silver, you need a layer on the CPU die that is about as thick as a sheet of paper and basically only a residue on the heatsink. I use sticky note paper (really tiny ones) to form a frame around the die to apply the AS and then a plastic card to smooth it out over the die in a thin layer. Once the is done, I pull the notes off carefully and it leaves a clean border….
well I tried to get the heatsink off but that thing IS NOT coming off without a fight. It is a very rigid 6 clip design and I fear I might break my cpu if i try any harder. I do not think I applied too much to cause what you said to happen. I did this:
-clean both surfaces off with high purity alcohol
-apply thermal paste on heatsink, rub off with lint free cloth
-apply about a grain of rice worth of paste to the cpu and spread with a credit card
-put on heatsink
I did fail a few times in clipping down the heatsink. One time I removed the paste that had gotten on the heatsink and applied a tad more to the cpu, that was it. Again, that is one tough clip.
Well, your temps are okay, so you can probably leave it. I was more concerned about the statement you made about too much thermal paste than about the temps anyway. If you feel safe with it, let it stay as is…..
ampd, I can appreciate your concern. Those temps seem high to me too. I would expect temps in the high 30s to low 40s with that processor, even with the stock heatsink and fan. But they're not to high. As long as you aren't having heat related problems, the temps are OK.
Sometimes it's better to take the mobo right out of the case in order to get a good shot at those clips.
Yea. the temps are not bad. But it's just the measures I have taken to reach them that bother me. 75 CFM fan @ 48 dB (about the equivalent of having a running vacuum cleaner in the room) with an all copper heatink and Arctic Silver. Oh well… the next processor I get will be an Intel for sure. Yes I should probably take the mobo out but it is such a pain….maybe another day. Welp, I'm done *puts in earplugs*
I got AMD +2000 MP's two of them on this comp, Artic Silver, oversize heatsinks, Thermaltake fans with variable speed all the way up, and my temps avg 53-54, so yours ain't bad.
I put the arctic silver on saturday and the "break in period" doesn't seem to be making a difference in temps.
I think I should have lapped the heatsink though, it was a little rough but not *too* bad.
May have also put on a tad too much paste but it wasn't too drastic. The air temp of my case is great. I have 2 intake fans near the bottom and an exhaust on the top, it blows out fairly cool air. I guess I must have got a crappy cpu that was barely rated as an 1800+ 
