Experience with Zalman CNPS7000 and Arctic Silver 5

Watzzz · Post by **Watzzz** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:29 pm

So here's my first posting...

I am currently extending a small Linux cluster and ran into the following problem:

After pre-installing a P4 3.2C system (Asus P4C800-E Deluxe) and for the first time using a Zalman CNPS7000B-Cu heatsink and applying Arctic Silver 5, I was surprised to find that the processor idled at around 39 °C (after directly booting into the BIOS and reading the temperature in the Power menu). Regulating the fan speed had only a marginal effect (+/- 3°C)

Surprisingly, this compares to an idle temperature of around 32 °C for two other P4 3.2C systems that use Intel stock heatsinks (which are, admittedly, louder).

I then checked if the Arctic Silver compound was evenly distributed over the CPU (it was), cleaned the CPU and the CNPS7000 and re-installed everything (using a touch more Arctic Silver), but the idle temperature remained at around 38 °C.

Let me also add that I also replaced the stock HSF on a P4 3.4EE with a CNPS7000 (@2400 RPM) using the supplied Zalman thermal grease, the only difference was the decreased noise level, but the idle temperatures remained identical at ... 39 °C.

So my questions aim at trouble-shooting the P4 3.2C system:

(1) Does anyone have experience whether Arctic Silver 5 goes along well with the Zalman 7000-Cu? Should I just use the white Zalman thermal grease?

(2) Arctic Silver claims in their Installation Instructions that the heat transport performance will increase over a 200h "break in" period. Did anyone observe this?

(3) Are there any other ways to improve the thermal contact between the CPU and the Zalman HSF?

Thanks in advance,
Paul

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:50 pm

You want to IMPROVE upon 39C? Sweet jesus, if all my processors were at that temperture normally, I'd be thrilled. Hell, most HARD DRIVES aren't kept that cool.

What are you trying to troubleshoot here?

(BTW, the P4 system will be stable at almost twice that temperature).

Watzzz · Post by **Watzzz** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:15 pm

My question is solely based on the observation that all other P4 3.2 nodes are idling at lower temperatures, about 32 °C.

P.S. I get full load temperatures of ~47 °C... would that be considered "normal" as well?

teknerd · Post by **teknerd** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 5:15 pm

Your temps are fine.
Also, whenever i have used AS5 i have noticed that the burn in period is something real. After about a week the temps should stabalize lower by at least a couple degrees.
Either way, 39/47 is nothing bad, those are still perfectly normal and even on the low end (especially for a 3.2)

liquid_celica · Post by **liquid_celica** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:03 pm

i get about 42/50 with my 7000 CU-AL. So to me it sounds right. Thats with it at about 5v. @ 12v 40/49

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:21 pm

Watzzz wrote:P.S. I get full load temperatures of ~47 °C... would that be considered "normal" as well?

I would consider that to be superb.

Watzzz · Post by **Watzzz** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:41 am

Thank you for these reaffirming reactions. Given your experiences, I now guess that the reason for the 32 °C the other P4 3.2C read is a lack of calibration of their diodes.
What also helps these machines is that they are spaceous (in their Antec Sonata cases) and contain no other components that would generate excess heat.

burcakb · Post by **burcakb** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:49 am

Arctic Silver is among the best TIM. I can never fully trust other paste not to dry up over time.

32 idle isn't abnormal. Especially since you're using an Asus board that usually underreports by 10C. Definitely normal since it's idle temps. Especially if you're running the fan at full speed. The wonders of Zalman become apparent not at idle but what it does at full load. Fire up two instances of CPUBurn and you'll see.

sthayashi. let me make you jealous. F@H at 100%, running 4 hours straight now, CPU temp is 44-45 and my board OVERreports by 3C

Z7000 is fanmated + resistored. The wonders of Athlon64.

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:08 pm

burcakb wrote:sthayashi. let me make you jealous. F@H at 100%, running 4 hours straight now, CPU temp is 44-45 and my board OVERreports by 3C Z7000 is fanmated + resistored. The wonders of Athlon64.

WTF am I doing with all these Athlon XPs lying around my house running at much higher temperatures?