How hot should Core 2 Duo E6600 be in a desktop??

Just installed an MSI 975x Platinum Powerup mobo and a Zalman CPU
cooler in my case.
The only other fan in the case is on the low end Geforce 6600 card, a
small fan on the side of the case and a new power supply with a single
fan (from PC Power and Cooling).

Am not overclocking anything.

Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This is
about 92 Celsius


Is this okay?

I have not yet stress tested the system with games or anything.

Thank you in advance,
Patty

The MAXIMUM working limit for the CPU temp is 70 C. You are frying it. It
sounds like you are using an inappropriate case that does not have anywhere
near enough case fans to cool the interior. I honestly think you need a
better designed case for your components.

--
DaveW

----------------
<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> Just installed an MSI 975x Platinum Powerup mobo and a Zalman CPU
> cooler in my case.
> The only other fan in the case is on the low end Geforce 6600 card, a
> small fan on the side of the case and a new power supply with a single
> fan (from PC Power and Cooling).
>
> Am not overclocking anything.
>
> Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This is
> about 92 Celsius
>
>
> Is this okay?
>
> I have not yet stress tested the system with games or anything.
>
> Thank you in advance,
> Patty
>

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com
> Just installed an MSI 975x Platinum Powerup mobo and a Zalman CPU
> cooler in my case.
> The only other fan in the case is on the low end Geforce 6600 card, a
> small fan on the side of the case and a new power supply with a single
> fan (from PC Power and Cooling).
>
> Am not overclocking anything.
>
> Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This is
> about 92 Celsius
>
> Is this okay?

It's very bad. Do not run your PC until you have fixed the problem. My
guess is the CPU cooler is improperly installed. Did you use a thermal
paste?

Used thermal paste and will take apart Zalman and see if I can
reinstall with more paste to ensure it has an even fit. Hard to get it
right I read in the manual and to be careful.

Not sure why but reading say -128C why negative?? Also says -198F using
Speedfan utility.


Thanks, Patty
DRS wrote:
> <> wrote in message
> news: oups.com
> > Just installed an MSI 975x Platinum Powerup mobo and a Zalman CPU
> > cooler in my case.
> > The only other fan in the case is on the low end Geforce 6600 card, a
> > small fan on the side of the case and a new power supply with a single
> > fan (from PC Power and Cooling).
> >
> > Am not overclocking anything.
> >
> > Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This is
> > about 92 Celsius
> >
> > Is this okay?
>
> It's very bad. Do not run your PC until you have fixed the problem. My
> guess is the CPU cooler is improperly installed. Did you use a thermal
> paste?

I'd say NOT to use more paste! Too much paste and you end up without
effective heat transfer. SMALL amount of paste and a razor blade at a
45 degree angle with firm pressure. A "BB" sized drop should be more
than enough.

wrote:
> Used thermal paste and will take apart Zalman and see if I can
> reinstall with more paste to ensure it has an even fit. Hard to get it
> right I read in the manual and to be careful.
>
> Not sure why but reading say -128C why negative?? Also says -198F using
> Speedfan utility.
>
>
> Thanks, Patty
> DRS wrote:
>
>> <> wrote in message
>> news: oups.com
>>
>>> Just installed an MSI 975x Platinum Powerup mobo and a Zalman CPU
>>> cooler in my case.
>>> The only other fan in the case is on the low end Geforce 6600 card, a
>>> small fan on the side of the case and a new power supply with a single
>>> fan (from PC Power and Cooling).
>>>
>>> Am not overclocking anything.
>>>
>>> Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This is
>>> about 92 Celsius
>>>
>>> Is this okay?
>>>
>> It's very bad. Do not run your PC until you have fixed the problem. My
>> guess is the CPU cooler is improperly installed. Did you use a thermal
>> paste?
>>
>
>

Which Zalman cooler are you using? It sounds like a classic case of bad
contact between heatsink and CPU heatspreader. Also, where is this reading
coming from, the BIOS?

Core 2 Duo chips, including the E6600, have 3 temperature sensors: 1 thermal
diode on the CPU die, and 2 digital thermal sensors, one near each core. The
BIOS, in addition to programs such as speedfan and whatever monitoring
application comes with your mobo, typically read the CPU temp from the
thermal diode. It's also possible that they are reading from a sensor on the
mobo, itself. To read the core temps, measured by the two digital thermal
sensors, download CoreTemp.

http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/

There should be a difference of between 10C and 20C between the thermal
diode and the two core digital thermal sensors, the core temps being the
higher of the two. This is so because the core digital thermal sensors are
located on a hotter part of the CPU die. As a rule of thumb, the main CPU
temp should be lower than 60C at load, and the core temps should be lower
than 75C at load.

It would actually help to know your core temps, to diagnose whether or not
this 92C is a bogus reading.

-phil

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> Used thermal paste and will take apart Zalman and see if I can
> reinstall with more paste to ensure it has an even fit. Hard to get it
> right I read in the manual and to be careful.
>
> Not sure why but reading say -128C why negative?? Also says -198F using
> Speedfan utility.
>
>
> Thanks, Patty
> DRS wrote:
>> <> wrote in message
>> news: oups.com
>> > Just installed an MSI 975x Platinum Powerup mobo and a Zalman CPU
>> > cooler in my case.
>> > The only other fan in the case is on the low end Geforce 6600 card, a
>> > small fan on the side of the case and a new power supply with a single
>> > fan (from PC Power and Cooling).
>> >
>> > Am not overclocking anything.
>> >
>> > Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This is
>> > about 92 Celsius
>> >
>> > Is this okay?
>>
>> It's very bad. Do not run your PC until you have fixed the problem. My
>> guess is the CPU cooler is improperly installed. Did you use a thermal
>> paste?
>

Which Zalman cooler are you using? It sounds like a classic case of bad
contact between heatsink and CPU heatspreader. Also, where is this reading
coming from, the BIOS?

Core 2 Duo chips, including the E6600, have 3 temperature sensors: 1 thermal
diode on the CPU die, and 2 digital thermal sensors, one near each core. The
BIOS, in addition to programs such as speedfan and whatever monitoring
application comes with your mobo, typically read the CPU temp from the
thermal diode. It's also possible that they are reading from a sensor on the
mobo, itself. To read the core temps, measured by the two digital thermal
sensors, download CoreTemp.

http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/

There should be a difference of between 10C and 20C between the thermal
diode and the two core digital thermal sensors, the core temps being the
higher of the two. This is so because the core digital thermal sensors are
located on a hotter part of the CPU die. As a rule of thumb, the main CPU
temp should be lower than 60C at load, and the core temps should be lower
than 75C at load.

It would actually help to know your core temps, to diagnose whether or not
this 92C is a bogus reading.

-phil

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> Used thermal paste and will take apart Zalman and see if I can
> reinstall with more paste to ensure it has an even fit. Hard to get it
> right I read in the manual and to be careful.
>
> Not sure why but reading say -128C why negative?? Also says -198F using
> Speedfan utility.
>
>
> Thanks, Patty
> DRS wrote:
>> <> wrote in message
>> news: oups.com
>> > Just installed an MSI 975x Platinum Powerup mobo and a Zalman CPU
>> > cooler in my case.
>> > The only other fan in the case is on the low end Geforce 6600 card, a
>> > small fan on the side of the case and a new power supply with a single
>> > fan (from PC Power and Cooling).
>> >
>> > Am not overclocking anything.
>> >
>> > Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This is
>> > about 92 Celsius
>> >
>> > Is this okay?
>>
>> It's very bad. Do not run your PC until you have fixed the problem. My
>> guess is the CPU cooler is improperly installed. Did you use a thermal
>> paste?
>

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com
> DRS wrote:
>> <> wrote in message
>> news: oups.com

[...]

>>> Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This
>>> is about 92 Celsius
>>>
>>> Is this okay?
>>
>> It's very bad. Do not run your PC until you have fixed the problem.
>> My guess is the CPU cooler is improperly installed. Did you use a
>> thermal paste?

> Used thermal paste and will take apart Zalman and see if I can
> reinstall with more paste to ensure it has an even fit. Hard to get it
> right I read in the manual and to be careful.

Do NOT use too much thermal paste. Too much can be as bad as too little.
You only need a thin, even smear across the CPU surface that will fill in
the microscopic pits in the surface, thus ensuring a more even contact with
the heatsink. Too much will act as an insulator, exactly the opposite of
what you want.

> Not sure why but reading say -128C why negative?? Also says -198F
> using Speedfan utility.

I haven't used SpeedFan for ages but my guess is it may not be configured
for your motherboard.

NO, IT'S NOT OK.

You have something catastrophically wrong. I hope that the CPU hasn't
been damaged.

My E6600 runs typically between 39 and 44 degress (Celsius). I believe
that this is typical. If it was doing something "stressful", it rises
.... gets to upper 40's. I don't think I've ever seen a "5" as the first
digit.


wrote:
> Just installed an MSI 975x Platinum Powerup mobo and a Zalman CPU
> cooler in my case.
> The only other fan in the case is on the low end Geforce 6600 card, a
> small fan on the side of the case and a new power supply with a single
> fan (from PC Power and Cooling).
>
> Am not overclocking anything.
>
> Temp I am getting idle is 198F on the CPU with the Zalman fan. This is
> about 92 Celsius
>
>
> Is this okay?
>
> I have not yet stress tested the system with games or anything.
>
> Thank you in advance,
> Patty
>

The case has nothing to do with it. A Core 2 Duo with a properly
mounted heatsink and no fan at all probably would not get that hot. You
are right, she's frying it. But the issue is with the CPU heatsink itself.


DaveW wrote:

> The MAXIMUM working limit for the CPU temp is 70 C. You are frying it. It
> sounds like you are using an inappropriate case that does not have anywhere
> near enough case fans to cool the interior. I honestly think you need a
> better designed case for your components.
>