That is so interesting Tom,
Unfortunately the system became very unstable. I had to underclock it to 1.4Ghz and it'd still error, freeze, lockup, or random reboot itself. I endured that for quite a while till I settled on the (Aopen) motherboard as the culprit. First component I've ever ruined in many years of oc'ing to the max.
When I bought a new (Asus) motherboard, I included a $30 K7 Volocano+ Xaser Edition (p/n A1725) solid copper cooler with a 80x80x25 mm fan on it with the order. It comes with an optional fan speed control which I didn't use. Running the fan at 100% rpm all the time. I also keep fan bios settings at 100% as I did with the previous motherboard. I used the grease that came with the Volcano. This is the first time I've ever used anything but a cheap generic cooler. It's also the first copper one.
The cpu is now oc'd to 2250Mhz (13x173FSB), 1.67 Vcore and at 100% load the cpu never gets over 48C. IOW's the same damn temps I got with the cheap aluminum cooler. Case is still cooled as it was before, it's open on both sides and on top. Necessary as it's against an outside wall in a cubby hole underneath the (booth style) table and seats I have in my travel trailer.
For cooling, the most important requisite is to keep case temp at room temp. Any decent cooler will do, as long as it's firmly and squarely in contact with the greased cpu die.
I had wondered whether most of this attention to make and model would be mostly hype.
I currently have an all ally evercool ND15-715CA it has a 70mm fan controlled by bios.
I think the airflow seems good. No reason to think it is getting trapped.
The only thing about this heatsink that has me questioning it is the power of the retention spring clip itself. Compared to other makes and models I've fitted before, the retention clips are too easy to fit to the cpu. No, I hear you say, so what. Well the heatsink , if you notice carefully, sits in situe on 4 small rubber grommits about 3mm each in diameter.So the heatsink has to be held really firmly against them to make the heatsink BED down flush onto the cpu. If insufficient pressure is exerted by the retention clip there might be a possibility of the heatsink not fitting flush onto the cpu. I know, the heatsink paste ought to take care of it but maybe not enough ? It's only a thought.
I already have both the case sides off , don't make much difference though, about -1C is all I get overall on the case temperature. Case airflow is in at the front low down under the harddrives and out either through the PSU, or a vent in the rear of the case undet the PSU. Entirely conventional in layout. I have no means of removing the top. I don't know what else I can do without getting surgical . The computer sits on my bench beside me which means about as good a spot as I will get for general room airflow.
So what I'm reading from your experience seems to suggest I ought to be getting better general temperatures than I am getting, but with the one possiblity of the strength of the retention clips , I cannot see what I'm doing differently from you and yet I would feel more comfortable if my cpu temps were held well withing the 40 to 48 range under all load conditions. Hmm.
John
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John Richard Smith
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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