With the new TG2 release and it's multi-threading capabilities, I thought this is a good time to post this.
Most of us know this, but for anyone new to running their CPU's at 100%, make sure your system runs cool enough to support a render. It's that time of year for many of us where the hotter weather is on it's way.
It's amazing how fast the CPU temperature can raise. My dual core goes from an idle temperature of 26.7/80 (C/F) to 51.1/124 in a minute or so when I max. my CPU's.
I'm not sure about the temperature buildup on the newer processors, so maybe this isn't a concern, but it's aways good to give your system a cleaning and checkup. Take a few minutes to see how your system fares under 100% load.
The cores of my Q6600 have an idle temp of app. 32°C (with a passive cooling solution). Under 100% load they raise to approx. 50°C very quick (but stay at this temp). Thats nothing to worry about. If you have a look at e.g. speedfan, you will notice that the CPU temp is different to those of the cores. In my system the CPU temp goes to max 32°C under full load. Thats 20°C difference to the temp of the cores. So the CPU temp. is the more important temperature I guess.
As long as no temp.(neither the CPU, nor the cores' temps) raise above 60°C, everything is ok. Above 60° CPU's suffer and lifetime of CPUs will be shortened. (because of the silicium)
I've never seen mine go over 34°C
How do you know what the CPU temp is? I have an iMac.
@trailgirl: Download 'CoreTemp'; a free program which will display the temperature of all your cores. I've used it for about a year now and it works well.
So what is considered dangerous or bad for a CPU, my system shot up to around 154-160 farenhiet when I started a render.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/143/5
Might be helpful.
For some of us it's coming into winter. I'm currently sitting on a train on a frosty morning with a render running in the background to ensure my lap is nice and warm :) There's nothing like an application that can keep a processor consistently busy enough for toasty warmth ;D
Quote from: bigben on April 29, 2008, 05:57:23 PM
For some of us it's coming into winter. I'm currently sitting on a train on a frosty morning with a render running in the background to ensure my lap is nice and warm :) There's nothing like an application that can keep a processor consistently busy enough for toasty warmth ;D
Well, if
that's all you wanted, why didn't you just say so? I can write a CPU-toaster in a few minutes if you really want! ;D
Matt
Next they'll be blaming the Terragen Group for causing the "ficticious" Global Warming issue.
;D
Quote from: bigben on April 29, 2008, 05:57:23 PM
For some of us it's coming into winter. I'm currently sitting on a train on a frosty morning with a render running in the background to ensure my lap is nice and warm :) There's nothing like an application that can keep a processor consistently busy enough for toasty warmth ;D
There is never winter in the tropics. ;D
Quote from: Matt on April 29, 2008, 06:57:23 PM
Well, if that's all you wanted, why didn't you just say so? I can write a CPU-toaster in a few minutes if you really want! ;D
Matt
hmmm crumbs in the keyboard.. :( ... but the hotspot on my laptop might be useful with a cup holder. The splash guard required for it might be a bit impractical though. ;)
Quote from: trailgirl on April 29, 2008, 12:41:37 PM
How do you know what the CPU temp is? I have an iMac.
download istat pro dashboard widget (freeware)
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/istatpro.html (http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/istatpro.html)
from the page:
About iStat pro
The ultimate system monitoring widget, consisting of nine sections which can be shown or hidden.
It features highly detailed information on CPUs (up to eight cores), memory, hard drives, IP and external IP, bandwidth, battery, wireless keyboard and mouse battery, uptime, temperatures, and fans. You'll know exactly what's going on inside your Mac.
What's New in this Version
- Improved support for Santa Rosa based MacBook Pros
- Improved support for MacBook Airs
- New Purple skin
- Improved support for Mac OS X 10.5
- Updated network code
- Better support for LaunchCFM app names in processes section
- Improved naming for some temperature and fan sensors
- Added process count to uptime section
- UI bug fixes
- Other minor bug fixes
its pretty neat!
cheers
inky
Wow, great widget! Thanks, Inky.
Quote from: Ironshirt on April 29, 2008, 11:22:41 AM
The cores of my Q6600 have an idle temp of app. 32°C (with a passive cooling solution). Under 100% load they raise to approx. 50°C very quick (but stay at this temp). Thats nothing to worry about. If you have a look at e.g. speedfan, you will notice that the CPU temp is different to those of the cores. In my system the CPU temp goes to max 32°C under full load. Thats 20°C difference to the temp of the cores. So the CPU temp. is the more important temperature I guess.
As long as no temp.(neither the CPU, nor the cores' temps) raise above 60°C, everything is ok. Above 60° CPU's suffer and lifetime of CPUs will be shortened. (because of the silicium)
uhhh that pretty strange for me. 50C max Q6600 with passive cooling?? Unbelievable. Either you have massive air going through your case or live in Alaska.
Here are my fully stressed core-temperatures.
It's making a hell of a noise ;D
I was actually planning to buy a more quiet and efficient air-cooler which is also suitable for overclocking.
I'd like to try to OC it to about 2.8 GHz.
Anybody suggestions?
Thanks in advance :)
Martin
Get one of these - http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_page/product_page/cpu/u120ex/product_cpu_cooler_u120ex.htm?art=MTQyMywxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA== :)
As for CoreTemp... it has come to light that Intel have never released any core temperature data for desktops. The sensor on the chip only reports the distance in degrees before the temp is at the max. What that max temp actually is, nobody knows. Some (CoreTemp) use Intel's mobile chips (which there is data for) as a reference to guess at what desktop chip temps should be. So depending on how close mobile chip max temps are to desktop ones will decide how accurate CoreTemp is.
This is all explained in this long thread - http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2809778#post2809778 - by the developer of a new core temperature monitor - RealTemp. Essentially it is guessing too, but he claims his guess is closer to the truth than CoreTemp - you decide, if you can be bothered to read that lengthy thread (there used to be a fuller explanation in his first post, but I notice that that has now been edited down, but Google cache still has it for the time being - http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:kz2cCnaBHAYJ:www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php%3Fp%3D2809778+realtemp&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk&client=firefox-a )
Essentially, and like Ironshirt says, the temps that you should be keeping an eye on are the CPU temp which is what most motherboards report and is the temp the chip is spec'ed at (i.e. the temps from calico's link). If your motherboard doesn't have a system monitoring utility, HardwareMonitor - http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php - will show CPU temps.
EDIT:- I just noticed this page which gives a technical explanation of RealTemp - http://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/docs.php
yea either thermalright or one of noctuas which are my current favorites (they seem to not make to USA users tho for some reason)
http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=start
You better invest some money into air cooling since 65NM quads are getting pretty heated up with each bit of voltage you add up. I d say invest up to 100bucks, dont get the first cheap blinking shit. Remember the better you cool the higher you can go with overclock thus the faster renders.
Quote from: Tangled-Universe on May 02, 2008, 12:48:40 PM
Here are my fully stressed core-temperatures.
It's making a hell of a noise ;D
I was actually planning to buy a more quiet and efficient air-cooler which is also suitable for overclocking.
I'd like to try to OC it to about 2.8 GHz.
Anybody suggestions?
Thanks in advance :)
Martin
The Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro (http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3210)is a very good cheap cooler.
It's quiet and will cool a Q6600 when overclocked to at least 3.4GHz.
The best way to overclock will depend on your motherboard/BIOS/RAM.
Thank you Moose and Buch for the info :)
That ThermalRight cooler makes a good impression so far and so do the Noctua coolers like the NH-U12F (which costs around 90 USD (45,50- euros))
Also found that Scythe coolers are supposed to be quite good and also the Cooler Master Hyper Z600.
The latter is especially silent, I'm supposed to believe :)
I'll take a more in depth look at your recommendations, thanks for the input/effort :)
Martin
Quote from: andytw on May 05, 2008, 01:26:46 PM
The Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro (http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3210)is a very good cheap cooler.
It's quiet and will cool a Q6600 when overclocked to at least 3.4GHz.
The best way to overclock will depend on your motherboard/BIOS/RAM.
Thanks Andy!
That's indeed a much cheaper cooler.
Do you have experience with it yourself or did you read somewhere else you can OC up to 3.4 GHz?
(I do not intend to OC it so far by the way)
Thanks in advance.
Martin
@T-U: Martin, Have a look at this CPU cooler. It is the one I use for my Intel quad core: http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/product/Cooler/Retail/Cl-P0401/cl-p0401.asp
Bob
Hi,
I have to say, I've always though worrying about your CPU temperatures etc. was bizarre :-). I have so many other things to worry about I don't need to worry about that. Surely it's up to the machine to make sure that things don't melt down, either by design or management. Mind you, that's why I can't be bothered with building my own machines or overclocking , I rely on my computers for my livelihood and therefore use them as designed. My G5 does have a funky liquid cooling system though, even if it doesn't glow blue :-). None of my machines have ever had problems with temperature, despite all my work being processor intensive.
Actually, that's not quite true, my first Mac was a PowerComputing clone and that had a fan which failed and melted down the processor. Then they repaired it and completely forgot to hook the fan up! So another melt down. Then they lost my machine for 4 months. Sometimes I think I should have got an Apple, but that's when they were ridiculously expensive.
My Maxtor external RAID doesn't like working when my office gets hot in summer. Neither do I, my office gets very hot in mid summer so I shut everything down and do more work in the evening. The computers don't seem to mind the temperature, although their fans etc. do get going faster than usual. I usually have to shut one down just to keep the temperature in my office down! My PC adds a couple of degrees celsius.
Regards,
Jo
Quote from: Tangled-Universe on May 05, 2008, 01:51:18 PM
Thanks Andy!
That's indeed a much cheaper cooler.
Do you have experience with it yourself or did you read somewhere else you can OC up to 3.4 GHz?
(I do not intend to OC it so far by the way)
Thanks in advance.
Martin
I don't have this cooler myself but Custom PC (http://www.custompc.co.uk/) magazine has it as it's recommended air cooler.
Custom PC magazine managed to get a Q6600 to run at 3.6GHz (http://www.custompc.co.uk/labs/149379/intel-core-2-quad.html) on standard (i.e. air) cooling.
I have my Q6600 running at 3.0GHz cooled by a basic water cooling system.
As a rough guide measuring CPU temperature using coretemp a Q6600 should run at around 50-55C at stock speed when fully utilised, and around 60-65C when overclocked.
Any temperatures above 70C are too high for extended use.
It's not your CPU's you should worry about overheating, it's your hard drives. That went for PC and G5 in my experience.
Quote from: jo on May 05, 2008, 07:11:47 PM
Hi,
I have to say, I've always though worrying about your CPU temperatures etc. was bizarre :-). I have so many other things to worry about I don't need to worry about that. Surely it's up to the machine to make sure that things don't melt down, either by design or management. Mind you, that's why I can't be bothered with building my own machines or overclocking , I rely on my computers for my livelihood and therefore use them as designed. My G5 does have a funky liquid cooling system though, even if it doesn't glow blue :-). None of my machines have ever had problems with temperature, despite all my work being processor intensive.
Actually, that's not quite true, my first Mac was a PowerComputing clone and that had a fan which failed and melted down the processor. Then they repaired it and completely forgot to hook the fan up! So another melt down. Then they lost my machine for 4 months. Sometimes I think I should have got an Apple, but that's when they were ridiculously expensive.
My Maxtor external RAID doesn't like working when my office gets hot in summer. Neither do I, my office gets very hot in mid summer so I shut everything down and do more work in the evening. The computers don't seem to mind the temperature, although their fans etc. do get going faster than usual. I usually have to shut one down just to keep the temperature in my office down! My PC adds a couple of degrees celsius.
Regards,
Jo
Yeah lol...my PC is also a little room-heater when rendering.
I see your point you don't worry about your cooling.
Neither do I have to, 55 degrees celsius under load is good enough.
I'm just interested to replace it for overclocking.
Like I said I hope to overclock it to something about 2.8 GHz.
If the rendertimes are being cut down significantly (>15% e.g.) I'll keep it overclocked.
If it isn't I'll keep it as it is right now, saving my CPU and give it a longer life ;D
Martin
noneed to fear overclocking, unless you get freak and push some crazy voltage in CPU, nothing can happen. Make sure you have some brand power supply too.
MY CPU hits 59°C if the day is hot and my render enduring.
The internal temperatures would be aruond 68-70 on the two hottest cores. With that being, my fan still automatic at 2/3 :P.