CPU cooler now less efficient

Derek Baker · Post by **Derek Baker** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 7:42 am

I replaced the stock cooler on my Athlon 64 3400+ (Clawhammer) with a XP-120/Nexus combo about a year ago.

Then CPU temp peaked at 47 C (room temp 21 C).

Now it is 59 C (room temp 20 C).

Don't have case temps, but NB and HDs are cooler now than then - opened up the grills and did some cable tidying earlier this year.

Fan appears to be fine, so I'm assuming that there are two options: dust and paste?

I'm hoping it's dust, but fearing it's paste - I'm going to have to strip the machine down to check the Ceramique.

Ackelind · Post by **Ackelind** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:20 pm

I've noticed the same thing using the Scythe Ninja.

In the beginning, my max load temp was 48C, now it is 51C and my ambient is the same or even slightly cooler!

Derek Baker · Post by **Derek Baker** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:54 pm

What TIM did you use?

JazzJackRabbit · Post by **JazzJackRabbit** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:35 pm

Get a can of compressed air and clean your cooler.

Derek Baker · Post by **Derek Baker** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:38 pm

A mere eight months later I've got a can of air and used it.

Very little change: CPU temp cut by 3C, but rise had continued since my first post - load temp now 69C in an approx 24.5C room.

Wondering if it's the paste? I may have damaged the cap when I opened the Ceramique almost two years ago. I can't remember what the consistency was when I first used it, but it's now rather stiff and difficult to move across the heatspreader.

wjohnsaunders · Post by **wjohnsaunders** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:54 pm

Derek Baker wrote:Wondering if it's the paste? I may have damaged the cap when I opened the Ceramique almost two years ago. I can't remember what the consistency was when I first used it, but it's now rather stiff and difficult to move across the heatspreader.

Ceramique should be soft and smooth, almost like toothpaste, and it is very easy to apply. I think your tube has certainly dried out.

If you have some other thermal paste laying around (even cheap stuff) I would recommend using that over dried out ceramique. Only until you get something good to replace it with though.

Derek Baker · Post by **Derek Baker** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:16 pm

Thanks for the reply. Machine's perfectly stable at the moment and still quiet, so I'm going to leave it for now. I'll get some new Ceramique when I upgrade my CPU sometime next year or sooner if thereâ€™s a problem with the current one.

Derek Baker · Post by **Derek Baker** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:01 pm

Well there is now a problem with the current one (my upgrade has been pushed to 2008): instability, though not sure it's due or all due to heat

CPU temp is now even higher, both absolutely and relative to ambient: 76-77 C load, with a room temp of just over 23 C.

Just ordered some new Ceramique; going to bresk down the machine, clean it again and remount the CPU and GPU heatsinks.