A few Temperature questions

[OneBlueSky]

I've searched in a few places, and it may just be my wording, but I can't find anything telling me exactly what I want to know. So forgive me if this has been asked before! I am mostly curious if running on Mountain Lion, my desktop will still have it's temperature safety features? I know Windows machines use the BIOS for fan controls right? So if I was in Windows 7, and the temps ever got too hot, the machine would shut itself off before causing damage? If I understand right, real macs use SMC for this?

I never really checked my temps running under Windows. I could always hear the fans kick up if I ever did anything really processor/graphics intensive, so I just never thought about it. But I've noticed under OS X, my machine never turns the fans up at all really. I've attached a photo of what my temps are under normal circumstances/idle. But every once in a while when I do something fairly intensive, the temps shoot up very high, and the fans never seem to change speed.

So what I am wondering, is if first of all, should they ever get dangerously high on the processor or graphics card, will the normal safeguards keep things from getting damaged? For example I've seen the processor under load get as high as into the 90's. That seems a little hot for the fans to remain at idle! And second, is there something I can do to make it so that the fans come on as they should? I've read about people working on the DSDT but I don't have one (or at least if all hacks have one, I never modified it or have seen it) so I am not sure how to proceed. Thanks!

 

[OneBlueSky]

Any ideas?

 

[singj]

90º C is pretty hot for that processor. Under load (Prime 95 stress tests) I've pushed it into the mid-70s and that was making me VERY uncomfortable.

Are you using the stock CPU cooler? If yes, I would highly recommend investing in better air cooling at minimum. For example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 has worked very well for my setup.

CPU fans all plugged in properly? If you have little switches on your fans, are they set for control by the motherboard, or LOW/HI? All fans configured to run "Auto" in BIOS?

Just some thoughts.

 

[Thade]

what app is in the pic?

 

[singj]

HWMonitor - install the apps and appropriate sensors from Multibeast.

 

[Thade]

HWMonitor - install the apps and appropriate sensors from Multibeast.

cool thanks!

 

[Thade]

cool thanks!

hmmm... I'm not seeing it....

OK... found it under fakesmc plugins

 

[OneBlueSky]

what app is in the pic?

It's iStat Menus, not HWmonitor.

Well, I've seen other people getting those temps under extreme usage, and I know the i7's can run very hot when under load, but I agree it's way too hot in my eyes. Especially seeing as the fans never kick up even 1rpm. I don't see any switches on the fans, and yes they are stock, but this machine breathes very well when the fans work properly. I checked in Windows 7 just for kicks last night, and the fans operate fine and the temps stay very, very low even under high workload. So it's purely an issue with OS X on this machine. I know that Hackintosh machines are never going to be perfect, but I would like to find a way to get the fans working right. Might be like you said, I need to just get some aftermarket fans that have controls I can change manually. There are no settings regarding fans that I can see in the BIOS.

I have read that some people have this issue with heat when their CPU isn't speed stepping, (you know, where the CPU is running full blast even when they are not working the machine) but that is also not an issue here. The CPU speeds adjust relative to how I use the machine. Just the fans don't adjust themselves under OS X relative to temperatures.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[twiztidninja]

that is realy hot even if the fans arnt kicking up thats two hot i would suspect that the heatsink isnt mounted correctly which is very easy to do with those crap stock intel cpu coolers.

my advice would be to get a different heat sink if thats not in the options go pick up some arctic silver 5 and remove the heatsink and clean it realy good and the top of the proccesor of all the crappy thermal grease and apply the arctic silver 5 and make sure all five corners of the heat sink click into place

 

[OneBlueSky]

Right, it is very hot, but again only in OS X. It doesn't get that hot in Windows where the fans operate properly according to temp, so it's purely an issue within OS X on this machine. Anyway, I'll pick up some aftermarket fans with manual controls and make sure the heatsinks are all mounted properly and see what happens then! Was just hoping there was a way to make the fans come on automatically under OS X rather than having to use manual control fans and open the case to adjust the fans anytime it starts getting warm!

Thanks guys!