him wrote:


Interesting approach to properly seating the cpu.
I can tell that the heatsink is seated properly as I gently wiggle the
aluminium HS while I'm securing it down and any attempt to pull it off at
that point is difficult as the compound is holding it.
In addition, when I touch the HS during any HD activity the HS is not
burning to the touch but warm, certainly not at the temps the cpuid program
or bios claims that it is.
Then is it a faulty sensor throwing everything off or could the PS be
supplying too much voltage to the cpu?
Even cpuid shows the voltages for my P4 2.6Ghz/512/800 as between 1.46 --
1.52 max if that helps

That is a Northwood (0.13 micron) part. I can tell by the 512KB cache.
There are two processors matching that description on the Intel site.
This is one of them. The part is listed as having "Multiple VID", so
short of checking out the processor itself, it is hard to say from here,
what the correct nominal Vcore value would be.

http://processorfinder.intel.com/det...px?sSpec=SL6WH

I have a P4 2.8GHz/512/800 and Vcore is listed as "1.525V max"
on the sticky label fastened to the box it came in. That
seems consistent with the value you're seeing in software.
If I was using an Asus motherboard, at idle, when the processor
isn't pulling very much current, I would expect to see as high as
1.525 + 0.060 = 1.585 measured value. The Asus motherboards tend
to overvolt a bit at idle, but then, at idle the processor
won't be getting as hot anyway.

A Northwood shouldn't get quite as hot as a Prescott, which is
the next generation of processor at 90nm internal geometry.

The issue might be how the temperature is being read out, whether
the hardware monitor chip channel making the measurement should be
in thermistor or diode mode.

Are you reading out the temperature with Speedfan from almico.com ,
or are you using some other utility ?

I checked the Intel site, but don't see a specific tool for
reading out the temperature.

In the D865GVHZ user manual, I see an option for "Fan Control Configuration",
and if you disable fan control, it should run full speed. If the motherboard
is allowed to control the fan speed, it may turn the fan speed down.
Automated fan speed control, has a "temperature target" it is aiming
for, which might be hotter than you're comfortable with. I run all
my CPU fans here at full speed, and don't seek to compromise on temperature.
I'm not really worried about the processor, and just like the extra airflow
over the Vcore circuit and the like. It helps keep my (passively cooled)
Northbridge cool, as my CPU cooler blows air on the Northbridge. Not
all fan schemes blow air in that direction, and for the side mounted fans,
their "spill air" might not be aiding the cooling of other components.

In some cases, it is hard to tell the difference between the various
temperature readout channels. You can get some idea as to whether you're
looking at the CPU channel, via the dynamics. If you run a utility like
"CPUBurn", or "Prime95 Torture Test", you should see a rapid change in the
CPU temperature. Other channels should respond more slowly to the change
in computing activity.

I've always had relatively small temperature jumps on my CPUs, when a load
is applied. I don't think I've ever had a system that was hard to cool.
Just lucky I guess. Maybe it's because I can't afford the expensive,
higher speed processors :-)

Good luck,
Paul