CNPS7000A-AlCu problems

[digitalwanderer]

I mounted it up last night and I thought everything went well, but my temps are HIGHER than a stock cooler?!?!

I pulled it and found a bloody cat hair caught between the cooler & CPU, cleaned it and remounted it, and it's STILL running too hot.

Oh, I did also change cases when I did this....but this one isn't THAT bad on airflow!

What do y'all suggest I check? I'm feeling a bit clueless here and plan to go out and wash me mini-van with my kids to try and shake the problem out of my head and hopefully come up with a plan of attack to fixing it.

 

[Tim Murray]

uhm, what paste did you use?

 

[rainz]

Just installed mine too Dig ( same one, the full copper one tooks too long to deliver ) .. and everything is perfect ... But did you used your thermal paste correctly ? and i bought another thermal paste .. not the one integrated with the zalman ... Artic Silver 5 ... and at idle on my athlon 64 3200+ .. my temp is around 40 (39~41). What yours and on what ?

RainZ

 

[Tim Murray]

might be because you had the thermal pad on the stock cooler, and it's preventing Really Super Good Heat Transfer between the two.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I just clocked her back to 8.5x200 since she kept eventually locking up at 10x200.

Uhm, I used the Zalman stuff the first time and I used nanotherm blueII this time. I'm running a 46c right now at 8.5x200 and at 10x200 was averaging 52c, NOT under load!

 

[rainz]

I just clocked her back to 8.5x200 since she kept eventually locking up at 10x200.

Uhm, I used the Zalman stuff the first time and I used nanotherm blueII this time. I'm running a 46c right now at 8.5x200 and at 10x200 was averaging 52c, NOT under load!

Well what's your CPU Dig ?

RainZ

 

[digitalwanderer]

You can't see me rig in me sig? :|
2500+, NF7-s rev 2, 1Gb PC3200, 128MB 9700 Pro (380/360), Audigy2, ADA885...but it's a bit smaller in me sig.

The damned thing is heating up too fast, and the Abit HQ is telling me my CPU & chassis fan are off when I can look thru the window and see 'em spinning just fine. (And under hardware health it gives their correct RPMs in the bios)

 

[Tokelil]

Mine seems to be fine. A64 3000+@218 FSB and around 34-36º idle with the grease that came with the cooler. What speed is your fan running?

 

[digitalwanderer]

2300-ish, I didn't hook up the fanmate I just plugged it in directly.

 

[Saem]

Clean it off throughly. Then apply the the thermal adhesive, I like arctic silver. You might have to lap it as well, also it does take some time for the HSF to settle and really start working.

 

[digitalwanderer]

The heatsinks bottom is a mirror finish, and I had cleaned both the heatsink & CPU well with naptha when I changed them.

I'll try that in a bit after I get the kids to bed.

 

[{Sniping}Waste]

If its still high then try the HSF I sent you and see what it does. It could be the heave Cu leaving a space bettwen the heat sink and the CPU when set upright.

 

[Sxotty]

Hey DW I notice the temps on my computer are higher than what many people report I think perhaps the NF7-S reports higher temps than other nforce boards... though I am not sure. My computer gets to 52 at load, but then it is overclocked to near 2.5ghz...

 

[digitalwanderer]

Pagh!

I've got her at 8x200 right now and she's holding at 46 and I'm frazzed from a loooong weekend with the kids. I'm gonna let her limp tonight and tear into her fresh in the morning after I get the kids to school and get myself a chance to THINK for a few minutes and fix it.

Thanks for all the help, I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Oh yeah, did I happen to mention that the Zalman doesn't actually FIT my NF7-s and I had to grind about 1/8-1/4" of aluminum off of the side of one of the brackets and then I had to take a hacksaw to about an 1/8-1/4" of the retaining clamp that holds down the heatsink to make it all fit?

It's probably not important, but I was thinking of it before bed and noticed I'd neglected to mention that bit. I'm now thinking that mebbe I bent a little of the springyness out of the retaining clip accidently... (I tried real hard not too, but you try working with a bloody pair of channel-locks and a hacksaw doing some bloody precise cutting and see how good you do!)

Could a slight change in the tension cause the difference?

 

[rainz]

Oh yeah, did I happen to mention that the Zalman doesn't actually FIT my NF7-s and I had to grind about 1/8-1/4" of aluminum off of the side of one of the brackets and then I had to take a hacksaw to about an 1/8-1/4" of the retaining clamp that holds down the heatsink to make it all fit?

It's probably not important, but I was thinking of it before bed and noticed I'd neglected to mention that bit. I'm now thinking that mebbe I bent a little of the springyness out of the retaining clip accidently... (I tried real hard not too, but you try working with a bloody pair of channel-locks and a hacksaw doing some bloody precise cutting and see how good you do!)

Could a slight change in the tension cause the difference?

Yes.

RainZ

 

[digitalwanderer]

Yes.

"Yes" I mentioned it or "yes" it could cause it? :| (Sorry, still pre-coffee)

 

[anaqer]

Yes, it could very well cause it. The retention mechanism is somewhat of a weak point on some of the Zalmans even without modding it... I've read about cases where an extra placeholder gadget was needed to ensure proper downforce.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Thanks! That'll be the first bit I experiment on then 'cause it's about the only thing I could see causing the problem. The mounting went pretty well after I got all the bits to fit me board and I didn't think it was anything with the installation per se.

Of course, last night the kids kept getting me up so I didn't sleep too well...but I did figure out what holes I'm gonna cut where in me new case and why now. I'm going to try something I've never tried before; modding a case to be both performance minded and STILL remain not-too-ugly.

Wish me luck, I think it just may work...

 

[rainz]

Thanks! That'll be the first bit I experiment on then 'cause it's about the only thing I could see causing the problem. The mounting went pretty well after I got all the bits to fit me board and I didn't think it was anything with the installation per se.

Of course, last night the kids kept getting me up so I didn't sleep too well...but I did figure out what holes I'm gonna cut where in me new case and why now. I'm going to try something I've never tried before; modding a case to be both performance minded and STILL remain not-too-ugly.

Wish me luck, I think it just may work...

Good Luck Dig !

RainZ