Improving cooling for my case?
Improving cooling for my case?
Hey,
So recently I've been trying to figure out how I can minimise heat generated by my room and my PC. Since Summer has approached, my room tends to get very hot (no air conditioning) and this results in my PC running hotter than usual. I've managed to undervolt my PC to a reasonable amount to lessen heat output; however, I'd still like to improve things for myself if I can. In fact, I'm forced to undervolt because the default voltages raise the heat too much and throttling would begin if the CPU was under high load (80%+). 1.368V is the voltages my BIOs assigns. I have to use Overdrive to lower it because no option exists to undervolt on my BIOs.
I currently experience a problem with my board where if I try raising the clock speed higher than 3.9 (or 4GHz during non-summer seasons), I'd start to see throttling issues where my CPU will downclock itself to 1.7GHz occasionally to decrease heat output. This is a problem because it's limiting my OC potential. I don't want crazy results, but I'd like to at least get 4.2GHz stable without issues.
Here are my specs:
PSU: Pentium Model 5000 CiT (random I know, but this is what I saw when I last opened my case and checked my PSU)
Case: CiT1017
CPU: AMD Athlon x4 860K
Cooler: Alpine 64 GT rev 2.0
GPU: Nvidia GTX 750Ti MSI
RAM: 8GB 1600MHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte F2A68HM-HD2 (Rev 1.1)
Case has one fan spinning at the bottom front of the case
So, my real question is: What sort of fans should I be buying that would fit my case and help improve cooling?
When the throttling occurs during stress tests (OCCT), my thermal margins readings are usually around 15-20c. I'm not sure if it's the CPU or the VRMs (they have no heatsinks on them).
Yes, I know this board isn't exactly OC-friendly, but would at least 4.2GHz stable be possible with improved cooling solutions?
For VRM, you'll need to obtain a new motherboard equipped with heatsinks.
This situation isn't ideal for cooling. It's only acceptable if you're okay with lower temperatures. If you need significantly better heat dissipation, consider a H series cooler from Corsair, perhaps the H100i with its 240mm radiator. The side panel should accommodate it since it supports 2x120mm fans. It won't be perfect, but it should work fine. I recommend mounting the cooler directly onto your CPU and using SP120 fans to attach to the radiator and side panel, directing hot air out. This would be the optimal solution without changing your case. Just keep in mind that AMD CPUs tend to run hot, and they can't maintain temperatures below ambient without phase-change cooling. However, a watercooler will remove heat more efficiently, providing better performance under load.
What actions can be taken regarding the VRMs on this board? They lack heatsinks, which may be causing the throttling problems you're facing.
For VRM, you'll need to obtain a new motherboard equipped with heatsinks.