Forevermore1337

Alright, so here's my dilemma. I've had a problem with keeping my system cool ever since i first built it.

At first, the CPU, AMD Phenom 9950, at no overclock (my temps are keeping me away from that), ran at about 47*c idle, which isn't very good. So i put some high CFM fans and a Zalman 9500 heatsink in. This was relatively successful, dropping the temp down to about 42-44*c at idle. Not what i was expecting, but tolerable.

So, eventually i decided it was my mid tower case not providing good airflow, so i read around, and finally purchased the Xclio Windtunnel Advanced after hearing great things about its cooling.

I get it set up and working, and check out me temps. My CPU was running at 40*c idle, which i liked, but the Motherboard temps went up from 31 idle to 34 idle, which i thought was really strange.

So, i get into a bit of Warcraft 3 for about 3 hours, jump out, check my temps, and was greeted with 40*c on the MB and 48 on the CPU.

This was NOT what i wanted to see.

I have no idea whats causing these cooling problems. The cable management in the case is perfect and i can think of nothing else other than my living in the south in the summer (yes, adequately air conditioned).

I'm using the Asus M3a79-T Deluxe motherboard, if that is of any service.

I really am out of ideas as how to keep things cool other than buying an ice chest and stinking the computer in there

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Bodaggit23

48c is not bad after a 3 hour session of gaming, especially for an old Phenom.

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Mr soft

I had this problem last week and change the thermal paste on my NB heatsink.
The factory had put some crap paste on it that had turned to plastic, and there were gaps as well. It was messy. If your comfortable with re-seating your NB heat sink I´d say give it a go. My MB temps dropped 7 degrees after cleaning and applying MX2.

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Forevermore1337

I think you might be right about the motherboard.

I only noticed these strange temperatures once i transferred the board from the old case to the new case, which has about 3 times the airflow as the old one. It may have loosened the MB heatsink when moving it, although i really don't know how...

I have a tube of AS5 i used for my heatsink, would that work as a replacement for the stock thermal grease?

Are there any other things i should look out for when changing it, or is it basically like replacing a CPU heatsink.

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"Humans are, by nature, insane. Put a group of them in a room together and within an hour their forming groups, creating gods, and plotting to kill each other." -Unknown

ScottALot

You may want to heat it up with a hairdryer to soften the thermal compound. Then you've gotta clean all the stuff off, and reapply some AS5.

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Mr soft

Yeh it´ll be fine .

You´ll have to take the MB out , it looks like your familiar with this already.
They should be push pins with like little arrow heads on the other side. It´s a good idea to use some small tweasers to pinch that arrow head clip,being careful not to scratch the board. Get yourself some cotton tips and alcohol. 86 or 99 pure, the highest you can get.

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Phenom II 720 Black, Sapphire Pure 790GX , Sammy F1:1T, 2x2g Kingston Hyper-x 1066, ATI 4670 Powercolor , 720w Tacens Radix III. Sound blaster Audigy 2, Antec 300

StrangleHold

Another thing, for a 9950 which puts out alot of heat a Zalman 9500 was not a good pick. If you wanted a Zalman, one of the 9700 would have been better.

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Phenom II 720BE (X4) 3.5GHZ.
Gigabyte GA MA790X UD4P
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MSI GTS 250
Seagate 7200.12 500GB.

Welcome to the show

ScottALot

Zalmans are good if you have a low performance computer and want uninterrupted airflow throughout the case.

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StrangleHold

Zalman makes good coolers. Dont know what you mean about a low performance computer or throughout airflow. That applies to any cooler for a high or low end computer.

He has a Phenom 9950, the Zalman 9500 is to small for it. It should have got atleast a Zalman 9700. If you want better than that, Zalman makes a 9900 - CPNS10X and a CPNS10X Extreme

9700
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118019
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118020
CPNS10X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118052
Extreme
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118051
9900
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118046

__________________
NZXT Apollo
S75QB 750W
ZEROtherm FZ120
Phenom II 720BE (X4) 3.5GHZ.
Gigabyte GA MA790X UD4P
G Skill DDR2 1066 4GB.
MSI GTS 250
Seagate 7200.12 500GB.

Welcome to the show

ScottALot

I'm talking about the Zalman's with the heatsink around the fan. So, unlike other heatsinks that almost block airflow, this keeps the general case airflow.

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