kylef
Gone
+1,352|6716|N. Ireland
GuideLinkComments
General Buying TipsHereGeneral buying tips. Written in May 2007, includes all major components
DirectX 10.0 InformationHereA full information thread and card recommendations on DirectX 10.0
CoolingHereA very informative cooling guide for your PC
Firefox CustomizationHereMy Firefox is better than yours! A comprehensive customization guide and recommended plugins
Power Supply GuideHereA guide on understanding power supplies and recommendations for certain budgets
First and foremost, I'm sure you've seen all these "my cpu temp is 8c!" - these are extremist coolers, and you should never be concerned about getting your processor temperature to that low. Yes, lower is better but anything under 50c is generally fine. Case FansFans come in three main sizes. There are others, but the main sizes are 80, 92 and 120. There are other fans sizes, from as low as 40mm to as big as 250mm. 40 in today's component world is generally not enough, and 250mm does not fit in 90% of cases out today:80mm - Generally found in cheap cases, although there are some high power 80mm fans that work very well. Don't move as much airflow as others, but are still fine. Not recommended if you are buying new fans unless your case cannot accept them!92mm - Now we're getting better! These move more airflow than 80mm, but they can be louder. Some cases cannot accept 92mm by default, and this should be noted if you purchase your cooling.120mm  - Now we're into the 21st century. 120mm can generally be very loud, but they can move a lot of air. With this in mind, and if your case allows them, if you are purchasing new fans, 120mm is indeed the way to go! More on this later.Into more technicality, RPM dB and CFM. - in layman's terms, how fast the fan turns, and how loud it is. This is usually overlooked when purchasing a fan when it really shouldn't be! RPM is short for 'Rotations per Minute' - how quickly it turns. Generally, fans range from 800RPM to 2000RPM. As gussed, 2000RPM is quite loud! Fast, silent fans are not cheap which is why you should comprimise unless you have the money to do so otherwise. dB is short for decibels - in otherwords, how loud it is to the human ear. Generally you want a fan under 28dB. Anything under 18 is usually almost inaudible in a case. CFM stands for 'Cubic feet per minute', a standard of airflow measurement. More is better as guessed, but sound may be an issue. Generally, anything over 40CFM shouldn't let you down too much.Processing (Heatsinks and) FansCPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics..Unit) and rarely, SPU (Sound..Unit). In reality, you should only be concerned about your CPU and GPU. For yor CPU, your temperature should be less than 50C. Ideally anything under 40C will keep your CPU in good shape, but this is not mandatory. Ad for the GPU, as long as it is under 65C you should not be concerned about your cooling. Graphics Cards can run very hot, but they are designed to! You shouldn't worry too much about this.CPU and GPU coolers use a 'heatsink and fan' (HSF) - some are combined, some aren't. When you buy a cooler, most come with what is required, ie it DOES come with a heatsink. Generally speaking, a good HSF setup will cost you cerca £30 ($50-60). Remember that you don't always need to upgrade your CPU or GPU cooler, only if you are experiencing bad temperatures (see Thermal Paste section before this, however) or you want to have lower temperatures and yes, bragging rights!Whenever I go to buy a new cooler, I always read reviews. Just search in Google "'your cooler' review" and you should get quite a few legit reviews. You can always check over with some of the BF2s Tech freaks people (did I just insult myself? I'll leave that one up to you) and they'll be glad to help. Generally, you shouldn't need to get a new GPU fan unless you really are quite concerned!WatercoolingSomeone needs to hold a sign saying 'Enthusiasts only!' whenever you read this. Watercooling is not necessary, unless you overclock. Water does work very well for cooling, yes, but like fans, the good ones are expensive. I won't have much to say here because unless you overclock or are a serious cooling enthusiast, air will do fine.PassiveBasically means 'not doing anyway' - a heatsink only cooler is passive, it makes no noise but only a few work quite work.Thermal Paste (or Grease)Thermal Paste conducts heat from the CPU surface to the heatsink surface, which then dissipates the heat. Thermal Paste comes in 3 forms - Ceramic, Silicone and Metal. Silicone - Usually pre-applied paste (which still works fine). When you take your HSF fan off though, it becomes useless sometimes because the paste no longer works the way it is meant to.Ceramic - Works well for GPU surfaces etc. Ceramic is chosen above metal because it does not react with the nearby transistors if you happen to get any on them. It doesn't perform as well, but for safety issues, many use it. There is no right or wrong choice with certain types of thermal paste!Metal - This is the most common type of thermal paste, and is sometimes the most powerful. Most companies make metal thernal paste as it works very well. It can damage certain transistors but if applied correctly, you shouldn't have a problem!HDD and RAM CoolingNot necessary unless your HDD is over 60C or so! Most of the time, you can just add on a fan in front of them and it will cool it down. However, you can get some cooling that fits into a 5.25" bay, which normally cools the hard drive very well. As for RAM cooling, most of the time this is not needed, however there are hundreds of RAM coolers out there - just remember to find some reviews!__________.. and that's pretty much it! The basics of cooling that you need to learn. If you need any more help, you can PM me or post in the tech section! In conclusion, for the following components, this is the recommended temperature. If you are above the limit, I recommend you start getting some good cooling!
ComponentIdeal TemperatureComments
CPU (Central Processing Unit)0-50CIdeal should be around 40C.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)0-65CGPU Temperatures are quite high by default, you shouldn't worry too much.
RAM0-50CRAM can get very hot during intensive applications. You shouldn't be too concerned unless your temperatures are over the limit.
Hard Drives0-50CUnless it is a 10000RPM or SCSI hard drive, you shouldn't be too concerned about hard drive cooling unless it is over 50C.
System Temperature0-60CAirflow can be a big setback on cooling. Make sure you have the correct number of intake/exhaust fans. Anything over 70C or so can possibly hurt other components, and may well be the cause of high hard drive or RAM temperatures.


Temperature Monitoring Tools
Everest Home Edition will be suffice! It can correctly monitor many temperatures inside your computer. There may be some bogus readings like 120C, this is not your fault and you can't do anything about it - don't worry!

- Happy cooling.

(Thanks to Jenspm for the table!)

Last edited by leetkyle (2007-07-08 02:12:54)

jsnipy
...
+3,276|6745|...

leetkyle wrote:

120mm  - Now we're into the 21st century. 120mm can generally be very loud, but they can move a lot of air. With this in mind, and if your case allows them, if you are purchasing new fans, 120mm is indeed the way to go! More on this later.
This can be true but you don't have to make a 120mm spin as fast as a smaller fan, which is why it is used for a quieter setups.

Last edited by jsnipy (2007-05-12 09:29:32)

djphetal
Go Ducks.
+346|6559|Oregon
(nice table!)

Interesting and informative post! Something that a lot of people overlook when they build their high-end machines, but ultimately one of the most important aspects of your computer because it could fry itself or your house if it gets too hot. An old desktop of mine overheated because 2 fans broke and I somehow didn't notice (I was younger...) I left it on for a few hours and i come back and smell that very distinct "hot computer" smell. It was off so I tried to turn it on and it wouldn't turn on.



Great guide. +1
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6716|N. Ireland
jsnipy; yep, but a lot of standard 120mm fans only have 1 or 2 settings

phetal; thank jenpsm for the table!
goblinstomper
I ♣ Seals
+8|6788|Hampshire
i see why you wanted the code now...

Nice one
liquidat0r
wtf.
+2,223|6850|UK
Havok
Nymphomaniac Treatment Specialist
+302|6898|Florida, United States

Hmm.... this would present a problem for me.  My 6800GT idles at about 76C, and that seems really bad now.  I'm not an expert in the cooling area of computers, so what do you recommend I do?

Great guide btw.  You should be nominated "Best BF2S Computer Guide Making Geek!"
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6716|N. Ireland
Thanks!

I recommend you take a look at cooling like this! It should bring your temperatures down a bit. Don't forget to stick some new Thermal Paste on it too, Metal or Ceramic - I recommend Arctic Cooling 5 (personal preference though).
CrazeD
Member
+368|6896|Maine
Good guide, but I'm going to pick at a few things.

Silicone - Usually pre-applied paste (which still works fine). When you take your HSF fan off though, it becomes useless sometimes because the paste no longer works the way it is meant to.

Ceramic - Works well for GPU surfaces etc. Ceramic is chosen above metal because it does not react with the nearby transistors if you happen to get any on them. It doesn't perform as well, but for safety issues, many use it. There is no right or wrong choice with certain types of thermal paste!

Metal - This is the most common type of thermal paste, and is sometimes the most powerful. Most companies make metal thernal paste as it works very well. It can damage certain transistors but if applied correctly, you shouldn't have a problem!
To my knowledge, the stuff that comes on the the retail HSF (thermal pad) is some kind of wax, not silicone. Though, I may be wrong.

I believe the ceramic paste is used for like RAM sinks and stuff like that. Also, most good quality thermal greases won't conduct electricity. It is specially formulated to conduct as little electricity as possible. Though it is still not a good idea to get it on sensitive components. If you do it right you won't have to worry though (as you pointed out).

Most graphics cards have a failure point of around 110*C. However, you want to keep it as cool as possible. Heat will eventually damage components and shorten the lifespan of them.

HDD and RAM Cooling
Not necessary unless your HDD is over 60C or so! Most of the time, you can just add on a fan in front of them and it will cool it down. However, you can get some cooling that fits into a 5.25" bay, which normally cools the hard drive very well.
I disagree here. As I said before, heat will shorten the lifespan of things. I have an Evercool (I think?) cooler on my Raptor and it stays under 35*C all the time, which is pretty good because they run pretty hot.

Coolers are cheap... components are not. It's better to keep them nice an cool so they last longer, than to dish out the money to replace them once the heat makes them fail.


</nitpicking>

Good guide, though.

P.S.: this isn't really worth the money IMO. A Zalman VF900 would perform so much better than that cooler... but that's just my opinion.
Titch2349
iz me!
+358|6575|uk

leetkyle wrote:

First and foremost, I'm sure you've seen all these "my cpu temp is 8c!" - these are extremist coolers, and you should never be concerned about getting your processor temperature to that low. Yes, lower is better but anything under 50c is generally fine.

Case Fans
Fans come in three main sizes. There are others, but the main sizes are 80, 92 and 120. There are other fans sizes, from as low as 40mm to as big as 250mm. 40 in today's component world is generally not enough, and 250mm does not fit in 90% of cases out today:

80mm - Generally found in cheap cases, although there are some high power 80mm fans that work very well. Don't move as much airflow as others, but are still fine. Not recommended if you are buying new fans unless your case cannot accept them!

92mm - Now we're getting better! These move more airflow than 80mm, but they can be louder. Some cases cannot accept 92mm by default, and this should be noted if you purchase your cooling.

120mm  - Now we're into the 21st century. 120mm can generally be very loud, but they can move a lot of air. With this in mind, and if your case allows them, if you are purchasing new fans, 120mm is indeed the way to go! More on this later.

Into more technicality, RPM dB and CFM. - in layman's terms, how fast the fan turns, and how loud it is. This is usually overlooked when purchasing a fan when it really shouldn't be! RPM is short for 'Rotations per Minute' - how quickly it turns. Generally, fans range from 800RPM to 2000RPM. As gussed, 2000RPM is quite loud! Fast, silent fans are not cheap which is why you should comprimise unless you have the money to do so otherwise.

dB is short for decibals - in otherwords, how loud it is to the human ear. Generally you want a fan under 28dB. Anything under 18 is usually almost inaudble in a case. CFM stands for 'Cubic feet per minute', a standard of airflow measurement. More is better as guessed, but sound may be an issue. Generally, anything over 400CFM shouldn't let you down too much.

Processing (Heatsinks and) Fans
CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics..Unit) and rarely, SPU (Sound..Unit). In reality, you should only be concerned about your CPU and GPU. For yor CPU, your temperature should be less than 50C. Ideally anything under 40C will keep your CPU in good shape, but this is not mandatory. Ad for the GPU, as long as it is under 65C you should not be concerned about your cooling. Graphics Cards can run very hot, but they are designed to! You shouldn't worry too much about this.

CPU and GPU coolers use a 'heatsink and fan' (HSF) - some are combined, some aren't. When you buy a cooler, most come with what is required, ie it DOES come with a heatsink. Generally speaking, a good HSF setup will cost you cerca £30 ($50-60). Remember that you don't always need to upgrade your CPU or GPU cooler, only if you are experiencing bad temperatures (see Thermal Paste section before this, however) or you want to have lower temperatures and yes, bragging rights!

Whenever I go to buy a new cooler, I always read reviews. Just search in Google "'your cooler' review" and you should get quite a few legit reviews. You can always check over with some of the BF2s Tech freaks people (did I just insult myself? I'll leave that one up to you) and they'll be glad to help. Generally, you shouldn't need to get a new GPU fan unless you really are quite concerned!

Watercooling
Someone needs to hold a sign saying 'Enthusiasts only!' whenever you read this. Watercooling is not necessary, unless you overclock. Water does work very well for cooling, yes, but like fans, the good ones are expensive. I won't have much to say here because unless you overclock or are a serious cooling enthusiast, air will do fine.

Passive
Basically means 'not doing anyway' - a heatsink only cooler is passive, it makes no noise but only a few work quite work.

Thermal Paste (or Grease)
Thermal Paste conducts heat from the CPU surface to the heatsink surface, which then dissipates the heat. Thermal Paste comes in 3 forms - Ceramic, Silicone and Metal.

Silicone - Usually pre-applied paste (which still works fine). When you take your HSF fan off though, it becomes useless sometimes because the paste no longer works the way it is meant to.

Ceramic - Works well for GPU surfaces etc. Ceramic is chosen above metal because it does not react with the nearby transistors if you happen to get any on them. It doesn't perform as well, but for safety issues, many use it. There is no right or wrong choice with certain types of thermal paste!

Metal - This is the most common type of thermal paste, and is sometimes the most powerful. Most companies make metal thernal paste as it works very well. It can damage certain transistors but if applied correctly, you shouldn't have a problem!

HDD and RAM Cooling
Not necessary unless your HDD is over 60C or so! Most of the time, you can just add on a fan in front of them and it will cool it down. However, you can get some cooling that fits into a 5.25" bay, which normally cools the hard drive very well. As for RAM cooling, most of the time this is not needed, however there are hundreds of RAM coolers out there - just remember to find some reviews!

__________

.. and that's pretty much it! The basics of cooling that you need to learn. If you need any more help, you can PM me or post in the tech section! In conclusion, for the following components, this is the recommended temperature. If you are above the limit, I recommend you start getting some good cooling!

ComponentIdeal TemperatureComments
CPU (Central Processing Unit)0-50CIdeal should be around 40C.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)0-65CGPU Temperatures are quite high by default, you shouldn't worry too much.
RAM0-50CRAM can get very hot during intensive applications. You shouldn't be too concerned unless your temperatures are over the limit.
Hard Drives0-50CUnless it is a 10000RPM or SCSI hard drive, you shouldn't be too concerned about hard drive cooling unless it is over 50C.
System Temperature0-60CAirflow can be a big setback on cooling. Make sure you have the correct number of intake/exhaust fans. Anything over 70C or so can possibly hurt other components, and may well be the cause of high hard drive or RAM temperatures.


Temperature Monitoring Tools
Everest Home Edition will be suffice! It can correctly monitor many temperatures inside your computer. There may be some bogus readings like 120C, this is not your fault and you can't do anything about it - don't worry!

- Happy cooling.

(Thanks to Jenspm for the table!)
RoosterCantrell
Goodbye :)
+399|6703|Somewhere else

I really never understood the whole decible problem.  I mean, you're gonna have music, movie, or video game running, what's it matter? 

I mean, yeah a dead quiet computer would be kinda cool, but really I never consider noise when buying fans.  While yeah I have had fans that were just out of line loud, but overall the Whirr of a case fan goes completely unnoticed by me 99% of the time.
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6716|N. Ireland
Yes it is formulated to do so, but this is only an attempt. All components should be as cool as possible and even though coolers are cheap, by in large if you buy one for all components, it will cost you a lot! TP can damage it, silver is conductive.

See above, last sentence.
teek22
Add "teek22" on your PS3 fools!
+133|6604|Bromley, London

Does anyone know how I can measure my components(mainly graphics card) temperatures?? Because I would like to know how hot my components are.

Edit: I would like a way that doesn't cost me any money aswell

Last edited by teek22 (2007-05-13 09:31:48)

ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|6872

teek22 wrote:

Does anyone know how I can measure my components(mainly graphics card) temperatures?? Because I would like to know how hot my components are.

Edit: I would like a way that doesn't cost me any money aswell
Everest Home Edition.
The#1Spot
Member
+105|6763|byah
If you want to be technical cooler = last longer always. If you understand physical change then you know what i am talking about.
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6939

teek22 wrote:

Does anyone know how I can measure my components(mainly graphics card) temperatures?? Because I would like to know how hot my components are.

Edit: I would like a way that doesn't cost me any money aswell
Everest.
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
teek22
Add "teek22" on your PS3 fools!
+133|6604|Bromley, London

Thanks, I will download it and check it out.
TigerXtrm
Death by Indecency
+51|6591|Netherlands

Something that will also help in cooling down your case, even with just two fans, is creating an airflow in your case. Generally you can accomplish this by letting all fans blow into the case except the one(s) on the back of the case. This is especially effective when the back fans are big, preferably 120MM.

Many people seem to think that the first and foremost goal of a fan is to get hot air out of the case and that thus all fans should be blowing outward. By having all the fans blow inside however you get cool air circulating inside the case over all your components and the rear fan blowing it out again. You'll especially notice the difference when you hold your hand by the rear fan.

All fans out: You'll feel a breeze of quite hot air coming out.

All fans in: The breeze from the back will cool down extremely, from a hot air blast to a breeze that is hardly any hotter then room temp. In turn this of course means the air inside the case is also a lot colder.

Just pinching in my two cents.

Tiger
Havok
Nymphomaniac Treatment Specialist
+302|6898|Florida, United States

leetkyle wrote:

Thanks!

I recommend you take a look at cooling like this! It should bring your temperatures down a bit. Don't forget to stick some new Thermal Paste on it too, Metal or Ceramic - I recommend Arctic Cooling 5 (personal preference though).
Would something like that be hard to install?  I'm capable of replacing parts (GPU, RAM, etc.) and all, but I've never tried a GPU fan.  Not that I care much, but would that void my warranty?
teek22
Add "teek22" on your PS3 fools!
+133|6604|Bromley, London

ghettoperson wrote:

teek22 wrote:

Does anyone know how I can measure my components(mainly graphics card) temperatures?? Because I would like to know how hot my components are.

Edit: I would like a way that doesn't cost me any money aswell
Everest Home Edition.
I have downloaded it and installed it succesfully. However on the CPU screen I do not see anything that tells me the temperature. Also on the GPU screen nothing appears.

I have a x1300 Pro 256mb graphics card and also have catalyst centre. I heard that you can get the temperature from there but I can't find it. Could someone please help.

Last edited by teek22 (2007-05-13 09:58:41)

kylef
Gone
+1,352|6716|N. Ireland
in CCC it is in the overclocking bit or speeds or w/e. it's the bottom option i think
teek22
Add "teek22" on your PS3 fools!
+133|6604|Bromley, London

sorry, but I dont can't see the overclocking option:
https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb11/teek22/CCC.jpg

I would be utterly grateful if someone could please give me a print screen of where it is!
Gen. Payne
Member
+50|6930|USA
I've got a Thermaltake Armor Full Tower with 2 120mm's and 2 80mm's. Now that's some good stuff. Stock fan on my CPU and everything sticks around 30-45C
TheEternalPessimist
Wibble
+412|6843|Mhz

Pay attention to your fans CFM ratings too, you want more air going out than in to create negative pressure inside the case, otherwise you end up with dead air sitting around in the case.

Clicky for a bit more of an explanation.
The Stillhouse Kid
Licensed Televulcanologist
+126|6865|Deep In The South Of Texas
Here's a screenie of where to find it in Everest:

https://img481.imageshack.us/img481/6933/everesttempsap0.jpg

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