CPU heatsink upgrade

ikonix360

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I've got a compact PC which I installed an Intel core 2 quad Q9100 in using the stock heatsink and a better fan.

The attached photo shows the limited space I have.

I would like to install a better heatsink or fan if I cannot fit a better heatsink as the temp runs around 167F when I have a few browser windows open and am doing things.

Would something like this work with adding a fan

Cooljag SEA-B Intel Pentium M CPU Cooler (JAC09FC) - Socket BGA479/PGA478 - FrozenCPU.com
 

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The stock heat sink and fan should be fine without overclocking. You sure you seated it and applied thermal paste correctly?

But at any rate, if it's designed for that CPU then it should fit properly. Your CPU is of socket PGA 478 and that heat sink is too.

But that's not what you're asking.

That heat sink doesn't seem to have a fan base. Seems like a passive cooler (without a fan) by design. But that doesn't mean you cannot fix a fan on it. You can put a fan on it and find a way to fix it like tying it to the bolts with any heat resistant threads. There should be fans out there that can cover the surface very well and have connectors for which the motherboard has pins to power.

Just make sure that what the description says of the supported socket is correct and it fits the CPU correctly. Also make sure you apply the thermal past correctly.

I hope that's what you're asking about.
 
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LOL, for a core 2 quad with original heat sink, i'd bet that it's just the thermal paste that has gone bad. If you're planning to replace the heat sink anyway, you're going to need new thermal paste. might be a good idea to get a tube and test it out before you buy a new heat sink.
 
[Deleted]

Confused the OP with someone else. I agree with Cortb. You should try thermal paste first. Also, try removing the dust and clean everything with compressed air.
 
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Thermal paste seems ok as the dual core CPU it came with didn't run as high of a temperature and I just recently changed it to a quad core.

Those are 40mm fans by the way.

Affixing a fan to it will be easy.

Just a matter of finding two or four screws that will fit between the heatsink fins like I did with the other two heatsinks shown in the picture.

Now if the motherboard power connector was not in the way I could make a duct to go to the heatsink and one of the three 60mm case fans.

My thinking is that the same fan blowing air over more of a heatsink might draw out more heat.

Works ok stock, but I like my processors to run as cool as possible.

Now would air flow properly through the fins based on how they are spaced?
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I had figured it was fine because it worked with the original processor.

It is the white type and is not hardened at all.

Whoever installed it originally used a lot of the heatsink grease thinking that was best I guess.

Then again that small of a heatsink may not have been made for anything but a dual core processor or it may have been designed to keep it from getting too hot versus optimum cooling.
 
You said you are seeing a temperature of 167 degrees.

What temperature do you think you should be seeing?
 
Doesn't matter if it's not hardened. Whenever you change processors you should wipe the old one and apply again.

My recommendation is: dust the computer, clean the processor and apply paste again. Other than that, there is not much else to say, unless there is some program in the background forcing your processor to be at 101% at all times, there is no reason why it would be hot. Also, as Univac_Man implied, I think, 167 F is not that hot.
 
The stock heat sink and fan should be fine without overclocking. You sure you seated it and applied thermal paste correctly?


If you believe the thermal paste is okay (by applied correctly I mean new paste too), then just make sure the heat sink and the fan are seated correctly. It's highly recommended (if not necessarily) to apply thermal past "correctly" in your case. Even if it's not it, new thermal paste in new CPU installations is a common ground with computers.



I see that 167F is high for just browsing with light work. That's ~75C. With heavy load things "might" get ugly.


That linked heat sink looks cool, tho, if you wanna overclock and can fit a good fan on it. I heard C2D quad cores are good over clockers that can support some of the late video cards and games. Copper is a good heat conductor/absorber.
 
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