Dec. 08, 2009 6:40 AM
I just built an i7 system using a Gigabyte EX58-UD5, 12GB of OCZ XMP DDR3 1600 RAM, and an i7 940 CPU. I am using a Noctua NH-U12P HSF in an Antec P180 case. I am using both fans on the heatsync in a push-pull configuration and the Noctua compound that came with the heatsync.
The Tricool fans that were originally in the P180 have been replaced with 4 Noctua NF-P12 fans with the low noise adapters inline to reduce their RPM to 1100 RPM. I have one fan mounted in the front of the case drawing cool air in, fans located in the top and the back of the case drawing air out, and a fourth fan in the bottom chamber drawing air over my hard drives. This case setup worked quite well for my previous q6600 build.
I am aiming for a relatively quiet system and I do not plan to overclock much, if at all. I choose the Noctua heatsync because the reviews I read on it indicated that it should be quite capable of keeping a 940 CPU cool with very little noise.
After putting everything together I am very pleased with the performance of the system but I am getting concerned about the temperature of my CPU under load. My CPU idles at 46-47 C and reaches 81-82 C under load with 8 threads of Prime95. If I run 8 threads of Prime95 along with LinX the temperature reaches 92 C. All temperatures are measured with RealTemp. Ambient temp was around 22 degrees C.
I was initially running both heatsync fans using the low noise adapters but taking the adapters out only dropped the load temperature 1-2 degrees which is consistent with the reviews I have read.
I know the i7 CPUs typically run fairly hot but I never expected that an i7 940 at stock clocks would exceed 90 C. Is this normal? I expected to see temperatures in the upper 70’s or low 80’s under load. I tried reseating the HSF but the temperatures did not change.
The Tricool fans that were originally in the P180 have been replaced with 4 Noctua NF-P12 fans with the low noise adapters inline to reduce their RPM to 1100 RPM. I have one fan mounted in the front of the case drawing cool air in, fans located in the top and the back of the case drawing air out, and a fourth fan in the bottom chamber drawing air over my hard drives. This case setup worked quite well for my previous q6600 build.
I am aiming for a relatively quiet system and I do not plan to overclock much, if at all. I choose the Noctua heatsync because the reviews I read on it indicated that it should be quite capable of keeping a 940 CPU cool with very little noise.
After putting everything together I am very pleased with the performance of the system but I am getting concerned about the temperature of my CPU under load. My CPU idles at 46-47 C and reaches 81-82 C under load with 8 threads of Prime95. If I run 8 threads of Prime95 along with LinX the temperature reaches 92 C. All temperatures are measured with RealTemp. Ambient temp was around 22 degrees C.
I was initially running both heatsync fans using the low noise adapters but taking the adapters out only dropped the load temperature 1-2 degrees which is consistent with the reviews I have read.
I know the i7 CPUs typically run fairly hot but I never expected that an i7 940 at stock clocks would exceed 90 C. Is this normal? I expected to see temperatures in the upper 70’s or low 80’s under load. I tried reseating the HSF but the temperatures did not change.