Acceptable temp for 3GHz Northwood P4

lunadesign · Post by **lunadesign** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:40 pm

I've got a Dell Precision 360 system with a 3GHz Northwood P4 that idles around 54C as measured by SpeedFan. Is this an acceptable/normal temp for a Northwood P4 or is this too hot?

The two hard drives in the system hover around 40C if that helps at all.

tehfire · Post by **tehfire** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:16 pm

The hard drive temps look alright, but that CPU temp is pretty high...perhaps a lot of dust blocking it?

My 2.4GHz Northwood P4 idled around 38C, even my 3GHz Prescott P4 idles around 47C

Fenix · Post by **Fenix** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:30 am

My P4 3.0GHz Northwood with a Ninja Plus Rev.B + ADDA 120mm@750RPM idles at about 30C and is about 40C at full load with just above 20C ambient.

Before I got the Ninja I had an Arctic Cooling Freezer 4 and with that one at full speed my temps were 35C at idle and 45C at full load.

I think 54C at idle is a little high. What is your temp at full load? If it is below 70C you should be OK but cooler would be better

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 2:25 am

Couple of things....is that a big aluminum finned heatsink with a duct leading to a rear case fan.....without a fan directly on the heatsink? This was a common Dell setup that runs fairly quiet, but hot. It could be improved a bunch if you can fit a modern HSF on it.

Also...it's possible the Speedfan readings are off. My two ASRock boards read 10C too high for the CPU. I'd try to check the CPU temps with a separate sensor/probe. In the USA Harbor Freight sells a digital temp meter with a long probe. You could also get a non-contact temp sensor at the same place....these are very useful devices.

dfrost · Post by **dfrost** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:07 pm

My 3.0C Northwoods P4 consistently idles at 31-35C, regardless of CPU heatsink and fan (Zalman 7000, then with a fan mod, now XP-120 + Papst), variable with room temp. Load temps, however, have decreased consistently from mid-upper 50's down to 47C or less as I upgraded HS's. BTW, my ambient room temp in the basement ranges from 18-22C.

lunadesign · Post by **lunadesign** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:40 pm

Fenix - my temp at full load (ie, when a process is at 100%) is well into the 70's. I have this annoying bug where Mozilla Thunderbird suddenly starts sucking 100% of CPU until I kill it and I always know its happening when I hear the fans kick up bigtime. Next time I happens, I'll let it run a few minutes and see how high it goes. I think I stopped it at 78C last time I saw it.

Bluefront - I'm planning on opening up the case today and cleaning it out and possibly reapplying the heatsink with some Arctic Silver. (It currently has some but I've gotten a bit more practice at thermal goop so may I'll do a better job now). By non-contact probe, are you talking about one of those infrared ones?

Oh, I think I forgot to mention, my ambient is 22C (72F).

lunadesign · Post by **lunadesign** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 12:22 am

Okay, I did a little experimentation this evening.

I ran as is and got 52C at idle and 68-70C when zipping a 3GB file. I opened up the case, cleaned it up but didn't re-fit the heat sink or anything. After cleaning, I re-ran the above test and now see 41C at idle and 57C during the peak of the zip operation.

The case wasn't horrendously dirty or anything but apparently it was enough to cost me 10C.

Oh, and yes, its the finned heatsink without a fan that goes to the infamous green shroud with a 92mm x 38mm fan. The fan looks replaceable but I'm not sure what I'd replace it with.

It seems like I've got the temps down to a much better level although not quite at the same level as some of the other posters. Should I try re-applying the heat sink and thermal goop?

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:43 am

Those final temps you list are more normal.....probably about what the thing ran when new. I took a similar system apart a while ago....the TIM had dried out. Maybe a new application of AS5 would help a little.

That system probably varies fan speed using a sensor on the fan.....not the best setup for a cool cpu. Also.....the setup I saw used a special Dell attachment for the CPU heatsink. You might have difficulty getting a different type to fit. I'd be temped to try a different case fan with a different fan speed control. Dell computers were reputed to be really quiet, at the expense of high temps.

Yeah....those non-contact temp sensors use a laser beam.

lunadesign · Post by **lunadesign** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 8:52 am

I thought TIM's were *supposed* to dry out. Does that mean that they are supposed to be reapplied periodically?

BTW, I don't know if it means anything but when I opened up the system to clean it, I touched the heatsink and it wasn't very hot. Perhaps that might be an indication that the heat isn't being transferred very efficiently through the thermal paste to the heatsink?

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 9:06 am

Well....IMHO since TIM is supposed to fill in small gaps in the metal/metal contact between the cpu and the heatsink, if it does dry up and turn into power, it will no longer do it's job correctly. Some TIM brands are supposed to harden with age....normal. Others remain greasy forever....normal. Some cheap brands turn to powder....not normal.

Using your fingers to measure temperatures doesn't work very well. Also the OEM heatsink you are describing, is a big chunk of aluminum fins. Heat does not transfer very well to the edges of the fins......that's why modern heatsinks all use heatpipes.

lunadesign · Post by **lunadesign** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 9:09 am

Thanks for the info on the TIM's.

Agree on the heatsink but this one also has two small heatpipes that go from the bottom of the HS to about the middle and those weren't terribly warm either. They looked like they were made out of copper.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:40 am

Since your heatsink does have heatpipes, it's newer than the one I took apart. And I guess it has a better chance of working well enough for you. Try the new TIM......also check what rpm that fan is turning at the different temps. Speedfan might be able to check temps and rpms. Could be that fan is not working up to par.

Link to Dell 92x38mm fan