Subj : Overheating CPUs To : Ky Moffet From : Barry Martin Date : Sat Nov 07 2020 10:05:00 Hi Ky! > No, I don't have a problem with an overheating processor, just couldn't > think of a better title that fit. :) KM> Sufficiently generic to the topic. :) Better than some TV shows with episode titles like "203"! (Which was shown after '207'.) > When Intel chips overheat, the ramp down on CPU speeds, when AMD > overheats, they cut power. KM> In my experience it's "When Intel CPUs overheat, they throttle KM> down (and will recover even if overheated to the point of seizing KM> up); when AMD CPUs overheat, they fry and die." Cutting power is KM> a definite improvement over croaking outright... Yes! LIS some time back, did have the problem of the AMD processor overheating even though used an official AMD-approved heat sink and fan combo, Found out later in my 'research' AMD expects their gamer clients to swap out the cooling unit with a heavy-duty one; so what about us non-gamers?? Heck mine was overheating to the point of shutting down just with regular stuff like LibreOffice! > Figured I'd post in case that bit of trivia helps someone. ...The AMD > CPU I have here overheated to the point it shut itself off even with the > "AMD approved heatsink and fan" sitting on it. Solved by installing a > CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO. Found out after the Cryorig CR-H7A is rated > better and about a $5 difference in price. KM> The stock AMD heatsinks are crap. Every damn one I've ever seen KM> is junk, and at best barely does the job. When I replaced KM> Westworld's crappy stock heatsink with a solid copper heatsink KM> with more fins and a bigger fan, its operating temperature went KM> down about 20 degrees. (And the fan is much quieter.) Similar results here: think the critical point is 65øC/150øF. Was getting close to and exceeeding which caused the immediate shot off. Once I found out what was wrong (same computer has the random USB lock up) and swapping the well-it-should-be-good AMD-approved cooling for teh CoolerMaster one the overheating problem was gone: have seen as low as 88øF; currently psensor indicating 118øF. (I use Imperial Units as Metric don't click immediately.) KM> This'un, tho I only paid about $12 for it. KM> https://www.amazon.com/Adaptec-Socket-Heat-Sink-ACC-9520/dp/B000HR KM> PHKE Price when I checked was $33 + $8.49 shipping; CoolerMaster is $39.99 and free shipping: I like your $12 deal better, though mine was essentially free from a friend in Michigan who for some reason thought the fan was supposed to be attached to the case and couldn't figure out how to extend the water pipes. (He has to be given some leeway as he is extremely near-sighted.) KM> Was so impressed I promptly bought another for the other AMD, tho KM> the socket939 that it's supposed to also fit was just a little KM> goofy and wouldn't seat right (and that board has since died, tho KM> I have another that may eventually get it as an upgrade). Pretty much the same here: I bought a second CoolerMaster though like you so far no one showing signs of overheating. A little surprising as the computer I built using the 'old' CPU from this computer (allegedly the CPU ran too hot for the motherboard, so got a cooler CPU for this motherboard and a more compatible motherboard for the old CPU -- confused yet?!) has shown no problems with overheating. -- Knock on wood!! KM> In fact, when I temporarily used a loose chunk of finned copper KM> with NO fan (probably started life as a server heatsink), even KM> that worked better than the stock aluminum AMD heatsink. So aluminum seems not to be all that good for conducting heat. I haven't done that but have twist-tied, etc., spare fans to temporarily take the place of fans which have frozen. KM> I've found AMDs have a more irregular surface than Intels, and KM> absolutely require thermal grease (or a crush pad) to make good KM> contact (conversely, Intels often don't need it). The cheap KM> copper-based grease is the best I've found; with Intels you don't KM> notice the difference so much, but with AMDs you can tell it's KM> much better than the silver stuff. Huh. I know some older processors had some sort of elevated portion so the heat sink would only properly fit one way. Here haven't played with various heat sink compounds like you have. For years used a dab from a small jar of 'electronics' compound -- marketed for use between a triac or voltage regular or power diode, etc., and its heat sink. Lately using a silver (?) compound that came with a Raspberry Pi kit -- keep the small jar at the electronics workbench in the basement and the tiny syringes of heat sink compound that come with the RPi kits up here. ¯ BarryMartin3@ ® ¯ @MyMetronet.NET ® .... How smartphones are like dogs: They overheat when you work them too hard --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.47 þ wcECHO 4.2 ÷ ILink: The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .