I was rendering a long animation and got CPU temps near 91-93 Celsius. It was clear that the pc needed cleaning.
After the cleaning i got maximum 81 Celsius.
Yeah you all may know this, but just wanted to remind if there are people who don't care or know this.
I blow the dust out of my PC every 4 months or so. I find it easy with an electric leaf blower. Compressed air in a can can get kind of cold on your hands.
I also have a good no-static duster attachment for my vacuum that helps.
I also built a filter box PC platform (similar to an air hockey table), but I am still working on the dust cover. I'll post some photos when I get it done. It basically makes a small area into a "Clean Room" or something similar to a server room with climate control/filtration. Mine just filters the intake air though through about 8" of 24"x24" furnace filters. It's big enough to fit 4 mid-tower PC stacked 2 wide, and 2 high. It uses a fan like this: https://www.amazon.com/Vortex-Powerfans-VTX800-739-Powerfan/dp/B001I49Q84
When it's all done I expect I will never have to clean my PC's again. :) Just replace the filters probably once per year.
Derek
if you are having issues with your PC temps, you can also try undervolting your CPU.
Some CPUs run with more voltage than needed and you can actually reduce the voltage to reduce temps when the CPU is maxed out during rendering (even with a modest overclock), and also increase its lifespan.
There are programs that can do this (which I've never used) and I recommend doing it manually via the BIOS, but - massive disclaimer - but only after doing a bit of research - especially find articles related to your particular CPU and BIOS.
I did it on my PC when a BIOS reset (after updating) made it run very hot, even with liquid cooling. I reduced it in small increments, stress testing each time. Now it runs almost 12 degrees cooler.
Thanks guys. I thought doing those things too in the past. We blow out the dust mostly 2 times a year.
The filter box platform would be nice but our home pc use isn't much suited unfortunately.
I tried many things except undervolting the cpu. I restricted the cpu to 3.6 Ghz even it is actually a 3.7GHz AMD cpu 3.5 GHz AMD cpu ( Ryzen 9 3950X).
Without that it runs to 4.2 GHz and the temps were too high for my liking. Under 3.6 we didn't get much lower temps too.
So this looked like a good spot. This is with a good air cooler.
I don't like water coolers but it could be better maybe with this kind of cooler...
There are different takes on this on the web so not sure about that.
But i should try to test undervolting too. Even 5 degree less would be nice and maybe i could find a sweet spot with 3.7 Ghz or higher.
Do you have forced air? One thing I recommend when you're dealing with a workstation is using Speedfan, or similar software to create a custom fan arc. You want to be at maximum RPMs well before higher temp thresholds, to try and be on top of heat spikes, especially during 100% usage. Default system often responds to heat, rather than being preemptive, as most consumers want a silent system. Which makes sense in some cases, but I've never really had an issue with my PC being too loud. GPU is much louder than system fans. It helps a bit with TG, but for stuff like Blender, and other software that can hit 100% load for a few minutes and fluctuate all over with tasks your performing, it actually helps a lot in maintaining a cooler temp. CUrrently my case fans will go to 100% when CPU is at 74c, and when at 76c the CPU fan goes 100% (from 75% at 74c), lower end of the fan curve is default.
I also clean my system about every couple months. I do want to get a better air solution. Cans are expensive, and I do live in a enclosed RV and worry about buildup of those fumes before being vented out.
Jordan if you mean by forced air something like a compressor, yes i use a cheap but good enough one for dust blowing.
I had changed the fan utilization kinda the way you said in the bios already. The fans are kicking sooner then default at least.
Quote from: digitalguru on March 07, 2021, 04:54:45 PMif you are having issues with your PC temps, you can also try undervolting your CPU.
Some CPUs run with more voltage than needed and you can actually reduce the voltage to reduce temps when the CPU is maxed out during rendering (even with a modest overclock), and also increase its lifespan.
There are programs that can do this (which I've never used) and I recommend doing it manually via the BIOS, but - massive disclaimer - but only after doing a bit of research - especially find articles related to your particular CPU and BIOS.
I did it on my PC when a BIOS reset (after updating) made it run very hot, even with liquid cooling. I reduced it in small increments, stress testing each time. Now it runs almost 12 degrees cooler.
This was interesting to do. I had no luck in the past with overclocking so i lost any enthusiasm about it.
Maybe it was because of me or just bad luck with hardware.
As i don't know much about it i searched around and made some adjustments.
Including getting blue screens of course :)
I tried to go to 4.1 ghz but that was too much. Someone who knows what he is doing could go higher most probably as it looks.
4 looks promising but i wanted to go safer as i am rendering mostly full for weeks or for months even.
So i settled for 3.9 ghz.
I tested with cinebench as it looks like you can get fooled without real tests even the system looks as it is faster by the bios numbers.
A score of 23 300 (Cinebench R23) isn't bad i think. Worst part is, you kinda wait in anxiety for a couple of days for bluescreens.
The great part is the system is faster but the heat is lower. I see maximum 73 degree now while rendering.
So thank you very much :)
Interesting thread. Thanks guys. Undervolting sounds like an intriguing adventure, so, I'll have a go.
I have an air compressor, left over from my painting period - it even has an 'oil catcher'. So blowing out the case is done in a minute. Good reminder, as I tend to forget and only remember when my screens get black due to GPU failure.
Serious FYI do not overclock or underclock your system if you're on a warranty. It will flag your BIOS and void your warranty.
I'd try custom fan curves before playing with power to the die. Often heat spikes issues is because the CPU fan may be at 100%, but the case fans may be cycling as they vent the case, causing additional CPU heat buildup that's hard to maintain when CPU fan is already as fast as it can go. My mobo thermostat is at the bottom right of the mobo, meaning it's reading mainly intake air as temp, not good for case temp management.
ahah this is so funny, i just left my computer render over night and noticed hwmonitor reaching cpu tmp 100C°. usually my cpu runs at like 50c°, so i opened the case and there was a whole lot of dust clogging the cooler vent, removed that cleaned everything back to 50c°.
at least i didnt fry it ;D
Wow :o ;D
I saw ones 100 degree when my pentium cpu fan died.
We tried the same undervolting with my sons computer.
That was quite another challenge. The bios was nearly similar (MSI boards).
I don't know why but the pc didn't even booted. Mostly mainboards can go to default after 1-2 unsuccessful starts.
But we had to manually reset the bios from the mainboard jumpers to boot unfortunately.
There is an option for a software reset after a problem in the bios. But this gets disabled after an unsuccessful start.
You have to enable it ones again.
This can be very different for other mainboards of course.
This happened 2 times.
Not a nice thing if you can not get to the jumper under a big graphic card and have to short it with a screwdriver.
So a little scared we ended up just by changing the fan curves for the cpu.
This got us 3 degree better results at least and a very very small burst of speed that we don't know from where it came :)
So be cautious.
Learn where the bios reset jumpers on the mainboard are, have a look for some settings like i mentioned above
and in general of all the settings etc. and have a screwdriver around too before you try...
Your mileage may vary.
Mmmmm, scary. I'll leave it alone, thank you. Everything works, so why bother anyway.
Quote from: Dune on March 08, 2021, 08:19:03 AMMmmmm, scary. I'll leave it alone, thank you. Everything works, so why bother anyway.
Yeah i was going to write something like that.
This last experience was more in the line like i had in the past. That was the reason i lost my interest in overclocking.
But my own computer overclocking-undervolting was very smooth. So i have no regret :)
Quote from: Kadri on March 08, 2021, 08:03:12 AMSo be cautious.
That is the watch word, also as mentioned do a bit of research on any particular CPU/Mobo/Bios combination, you never know what peculiarities each combo will have.
I did a lot of research before I jumped in to undervolt, and found as many posts as I could to build up a picture of what I could do and what the pitfalls might have been. As it stands the only pitfalls might be as Kadri mentions that your machine won't boot if you set the voltage too low, though it might have been an older Bios/Mobo that wouldn't restore to safe settings.
Be very conservative with each reduction of voltage.
From my research, I got a good picture of what increments people were trying when undervolting the same machine config (iin my case Threadripper 1950X/Asus mobo) in the end I found a very knowledgeable and helpful person on Reddit who talked me through it.
As far as overclocking goes mine is a very conservative 3.7ghz from the default 0f 3.4 and works well with the current undervolt.
It has to said, I'm not a huge fan of overclocking - the returns are marginal in a real-world scenario and I'd rather have a PC that
has longevity rather than wringing the last bit of speed (as well as being quieter!)
Also, just to note I attempted all this when the PC was out of warranty.
Yeah. from 3.5 to 3.9 is kinda ok i suppose especially with heat like 73 degree.
Still as i said good that you mentioned undervolting. Thanks. Moving around a little even in the house isn't bad in this covid age :)
Despite the weird placement of the thermostat on my main board (of course intake is going to be on that side of the board parallel to the CPU), my system does pretty well heat wise being a pre-built. Max temp hit in last week (hasn't been restarted) is 77c, and I haven't cleaned it in a couple months. And this is with the RX 580 cooking the case too doing gaming at 4k straining the crap out of it with stuff like Battlefront 2, Hitman 2, GTA V, etc. Lol
I used to get complained at running the AC on high while rendering with my old PC. :P
QuoteEverything works, so why bother anyway.
If it ain't broke . . .
Good advice in this thread about keeping the interior of the machine clean. Have to remember to do that now and then.
Small update...I had no bluescreens or so. But while rendering Terragen vanished suddenly 2 times.
This happened before too so it might be unrelated. But just in case i lowered the CPU to 3.8 GHz.
This is the safest overclock-undervolting while having low temps i think.
Even though the core speed of my I7 CPU remains at the factory preset of 3.4 GHZ, it's still kind of jarring to hear the internal cooling fan on the video card revving up like a small jet engine when I do a render. I blow dust off the cooling fans and air cooler blades once a month but it still happens. So here is my very high-tech solution. Removed the side from the PC and sat a small cooling fan on top of a CD jewel box, which in turn sits on an old coffee cup. Pointed it directly at the heat sync on the video card cooler. It works - no longer hear the fan revving up when I render, so it's been sitting just this way for about a year now.
I actually got this idea from a mainframe computer operator back around 1982. One day the cooling assembly on the bottom of a logic gate died, and he opened the mainframe and place a 36-inch industrial fan about 3 feet from the logic gate (imagine something the size of a refrigerator door). It kept the mainframe running for a couple of hours until we could get a new cooling assembly on site.
BTW, I don't screw with overclocking settings. Good way to kill the CPU if your not careful or just unlucky.
Quote from: masonspappy on March 12, 2021, 01:42:37 AMEven though the core speed of my I7 CPU remains at the factory preset of 3.4 GHZ, it's still kind of jarring to hear the internal cooling fan on the video card revving up like a small jet engine when I do a render. I blow dust off the cooling fans and air cooler blades once a month but it still happens. So here is my very high-tech solution. Removed the side from the PC and sat a small cooling fan on top of a CD jewel box, which in turn sits on an old coffee cup. Pointed it directly at the heat sync on the video card cooler. It works - no longer hear the fan revving up when I render, so it's been sitting just this way for about a year now.
I actually got this idea from a mainframe computer operator back around 1982. One day the cooling assembly on the bottom of a logic gate died, and he opened the mainframe and place a 36-inch industrial fan about 3 feet from the logic gate (imagine something the size of a refrigerator door). It kept the mainframe running for a couple of hours until we could get a new cooling assembly on site.
BTW, I don't screw with overclocking settings. Good way to kill the CPU if your not careful or just unlucky.
Haha
Been there before, removing the side. Once I just cut a hole in the side where the CPU was so it was drawing in fresh air in a straight shot to the CPU fan.
Very sophisticated solution!
I am wondering wether you are talking about Terragen rendering when the GPU fan takes off?
Isn`t it strange that the GPU should react since TG does not use the GPU for rendering at all?
My Dual Core Xeon`s rendering temp does not go higher than 60 degrees C when running at 98 % (2 cores left for other stuff).
Overnight or longer (76h is my longest render session so far).
It is air-cooling in a huge tower - and I guess that makes all the difference.
Large fans, 1 at the top, 2 in the side, 2 in the back plus the one for the psu, 1 in the floor plate.
Another 1 in the front below the hdds sucking air in the case, 1 in the front right in front of the hdds sucking air out of the case.
And each cpu of course, lots of space inside the case. None of the fans runs faster than 600 rpm at any time. So it is rather silent.
If you let the fan which sucks air in at the front and the one which blows the air out at the back run a little faster than the rest
you create some nice air flow in the case. Which helps as well.
Might seem like overkill to some, but since you are talking about long living components and making money out of your box...well decide for yourself ;)
CHeers, Klaus
Quote from: KlausK on March 12, 2021, 06:11:21 AMI am wondering wether you are talking about Terragen rendering when the GPU fan takes off?
Isn`t it strange that the GPU should react since TG does not use the GPU for rendering at all?
Ambient temp from CPU cooking case, GPU will read high temps and kick on. WDM will use GPU, as well as 3D preview as well, which when CPU is already warming up system could put GPU at threshold easy.
Oh yeah, and if the GPU is in idle state, it's refresh rate for peripherals is slower, so why it may rev up like a jet engine. by the time it checks temps, it's over threshold.
Quote from: WAS on March 12, 2021, 12:53:46 PMQuote from: KlausK on March 12, 2021, 06:11:21 AMI am wondering wether you are talking about Terragen rendering when the GPU fan takes off?
Isn`t it strange that the GPU should react since TG does not use the GPU for rendering at all?
Ambient temp from CPU cooking case, GPU will read high temps and kick on. WDM will use GPU, as well as 3D preview as well, which when CPU is already warming up system could put GPU at threshold easy.
Oh yeah, and if the GPU is in idle state, it's refresh rate for peripherals is slower, so why it may rev up like a jet engine. by the time it checks temps, it's over threshold.
Hi Klaus - good catch!
Yes, the "jet Engine" noise is coming from the video card when I'm doing GPU rendering (with Blender, not Terragen).
And WAS appears to have deduced a phenomenon (Thanks WAS!) I was experiencing a while back before I removed the side cover b/c of overheat concerns. I'd do a long render with Blender, then render in Terragen which I didn't think used GPU, yet the video card cooler fan kicked in for a moment. That's when I got to wondering and removed the side from the PC.
I was looking for this thread in Open Discussion and couldn't find it. I found it here though. :)
Anyways I finished my Filter Furniture Mini PC Clean Room.
Your room would work for our computers as a clean room by itself ;D
Joke aside, would love to have some of that too. Nice!
Quote from: SuddenPlanet on March 17, 2021, 10:17:33 PMI was looking for this thread in Open Discussion and couldn't find it. I found it here though. :)
Anyways I finished my Filter Furniture Mini PC Clean Room.
Thats pretty snazzy. Doesn't impact heat? I was always told not to even put a computer in the corner of a room cause of airflow. And my server which was moved to a smaller room definitely shows a heat increase. Though I don't know if its climate controlled where they moved it like their enterprise.
That looks really cool. Is that even outside air being hauled in from the window?
The way this works is there is a powerful Vortex fan in the lower cabinet which pulls air through about 8" of various filters (24" x 24" furnace filters). Then the air is pushed up into the upper chamber which is the full width & height of the table. Think of it like an air hockey table but with more force of air coming up. All that air pressure inside the dust cover (top part) is pushed out the back so the PC's inside are getting a constant flow of cool clean air from the lowest part of my room. Of course A/C will be necessary in the Summer where I am going (Idaho) so as long as the room air temp is a comfortable 68 - 74F the PC's will stay just as cool as if the cover was not on.
The back cover piece with the holes at the top and the chord slots isn't in yet. I'm going to cut it down a bit because it was too tall to slide down into the slot in the back because ceiling is interfering. :)
I also made the cover capable of popping up to let extra hot air out the back (if needed) top shown in the last photo.
Great, some nice handwork! Thanks for the explanation.
That's really cool, and great work putting it together.