Idle/Light Load CPU Temps?

[oroboros]

Hey gang,

First, a caveat: I'm fairly green when it comes to these matters. I DO, however, read a ton before acting.

I've had my Hackintosh up and running for about a week now and have been looking into a modest overclock. Based on several recommendations, I plan on going with a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus for cooling and I won't be pushing the clock too far.

However, in doing my research leading up to this, I've noticed that my idle and light load CPU temps seem to be on the high side, compared to what others are reporting.

Sitting here surfing the internet, my cores range from 45-48C. Is that, in fact, high? I've read in several places that, fully loaded, one shouldn't push i5 CPU temps above 70-75 for long. World of Warcraft pushes that up to about 56C. I ran mprime (console Prime95) yesterday and was at 75C with the stock cooler and speed in about 5 minutes. A DVD rip gave about the same results over a 15 minute time frame.

I have the recommended Coolermaster case, though I do need to do some cable routing to improve airflow.

Other thoughts on what I might do to keep it cool at around 3.0-3.2 GHz, which seems to be an easily attainable, but stable, OC?

Thanks to one of the best online communities I've ever participated in.

oro

 

[MacMan]

Hey gang,

First, a caveat: I'm fairly green when it comes to these matters. I DO, however, read a ton before acting.

I've had my Hackintosh up and running for about a week now and have been looking into a modest overclock. Based on several recommendations, I plan on going with a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus for cooling and I won't be pushing the clock too far.

However, in doing my research leading up to this, I've noticed that my idle and light load CPU temps seem to be on the high side, compared to what others are reporting.

Sitting here surfing the internet, my cores range from 45-48C. Is that, in fact, high? I've read in several places that, fully loaded, one shouldn't push i5 CPU temps above 70-75 for long. World of Warcraft pushes that up to about 56C. I ran mprime (console Prime95) yesterday and was at 75C with the stock cooler and speed in about 5 minutes. A DVD rip gave about the same results over a 15 minute time frame.

I have the recommended Coolermaster case, though I do need to do some cable routing to improve airflow.

Other thoughts on what I might do to keep it cool at around 3.0-3.2 GHz, which seems to be an easily attainable, but stable, OC?

Thanks to one of the best online communities I've ever participated in.

oro

I have a Core i5-750 with the Cooler Master Hyper N520 cooler and running prime95 I never get over low 60's C. The Hyper 212 is a very good cooler and should have results close to the N520.

 

[AC3]

What is the Coolermaster recommended case? The HAF?

Also, if you've had the computer for a little while, you might be experiencing higher temperatures as a result of dust buildup. Some people like to cover their case fans with pantyhose to act as a filter for dust.

Most 3rd party CPU HSF come with their own thermal compound, but you might consider buying a higher performance thermal compound. Since your overclock is pretty modest, I don't think you should go this route unless you're really desperate for lower temps. You should be able to get acceptable temps without spending money beyond your HSF.

Depending on your case, you might be able to move the case fans around or add more fans. You should do some research on your case. If its a popular enough case, there are often discussions on which fan configuration will yield the lowest temperature.

Finally, you should also take into consideration the ambient temperature of the room. The CPU isn't going to drop below that temperature. Lowering the ambient temperature in the room by a few degrees should improve your temperatures a little bit.

-AC3