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Cooling the Cube

L

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
Alrighty. After numerous, numerous problems with my Cube, I finally got a new processor card from Powerlogix, and it seems to be running ok. For now. I'm currently running the Cube out of the case, and have a fan blowing on the processor, and yet I'm idling at above 50 degrees C, and when folding I'm reaching over 60 degrees. When I tried to put the Cube back into the case, it quickly reached 73 degrees, so I shut it down and pulled it back out.

Now, I know some people here have upgraded Cubes, and have been particularly helpful in the past with all my Cube's shenanigans. Can any of you guys tell me how you manage to keep your Cube cool? I feel like I've tried everything but watercooling it, and nothing seems to work!

Any help would be really appreciated, thanks!
 
Mord

Mord

macrumors G4
Aug 24, 2003
10,091
23
UK
thats a pretty typical temp, if your really paranoid you could get a more powerfull fan, any 15mm fan will do, the PL fan does 20CFM at ~21 db.
 
L

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
Hector said:
thats a pretty typical temp, if your really paranoid you could get a more powerfull fan, any 15mm fan will do, the PL fan does 20CFM at ~21 db.
Click to expand...

The 73 degrees? Cause I'm really worried to keep it in the case with that much heat. I've put in a larger (and noisier) fan than the original Powerlogix one, but that's what's getting me the 73 degrees. The regular one had me above that, which was just nuts.
 
M

Morn

macrumors 6502
Oct 26, 2005
398
0
Hey, that temp is not so unusual in todays CPU's. Intel Pentium 4's and the G5 will reach 70C easily.
 
S

steelfist

macrumors 6502a
Aug 10, 2005
577
0
well, one way to reduce the heat is to lower the processer usage, by setting the processer speed to reduced in the system settings: power settings.
 
L

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
Yeah, it's true about the high temperatures becoming the norm, I'm just worried that the heat might affect other components as well, because while in a regular PC case things are more spaced out, in the Cube the hard drive is touching the same big heatsink the processor is, and the vid card is an inch away.

And I've thought about running it at lower speeds, and have turned on the dynamic power thingie, that makes the CPU run at half speed when not under load, and I've gotten it down in the 40's out of the case. I suppose it'll be in the 60's in the case, but that's acceptable, I guess. I'm just worried about 70+ temps.

But I guess this is something I'll have to live with! Thanks for all your help!
 
C

cubist

macrumors 68020
Jul 4, 2002
2,075
0
Muncie, Indiana
70C?! I think you should try to keep it below 40C. I recall when I had my Powerlogix 1GHz it hung around 36C. (Of course it depends on where you're measuring it) On any Cube, a case fan is a MUST. Running the cube outside the case is not a great idea as it will not get much *forced* air.
 
A

aquajet

macrumors 68020
Feb 12, 2005
2,386
9
VA
According to Freescale's published specifications for the 7447 and 7457 (your powerlogix dual uses one of these), maximum allowable junction temperature is 105 degrees C. I can't imagine there's anything to worry about.
 
L

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
Yeah, i have installed the base fan. When it's out of the case, I actually have the fan on the top, with the top power button frame thingie removed, so the fan is blowing right on the cpu. Still hittin' the 50's under strain.

And Powerlogix has their CPU Director software available for free download, and it allows you to mess with processor settings as well as tracks CPU temperature.
 
S

Sark

macrumors newbie
Jan 2, 2006
18
0
Morn said:
Hey, that temp is not so unusual in todays CPU's. Intel Pentium 4's and the G5 will reach 70C easily.
Click to expand...

Not AMD processors. I have an Athlon 64 3000+ machine which runs around 30C.
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
livingfortoday said:
Yeah, i have installed the base fan. When it's out of the case, I actually have the fan on the top, with the top power button frame thingie removed, so the fan is blowing right on the cpu. Still hittin' the 50's under strain.
Click to expand...

Don't sweat it... literally! Put the core back in the case and run it. You'll probably get better cooling that way, because that's how the Cube was designed to run. Just make sure the fan is installed right side up!
 
hob

hob

macrumors 68010
Oct 4, 2003
2,004
0
London, UK
Just thought I'd point out my dual-2GHz G5 is idling at 55C right now, and often easily reaches 65C.

But I understand your concern about the closeness of it all...
 
L

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
IJ Reilly said:
Don't sweat it... literally! Put the core back in the case and run it. You'll probably get better cooling that way, because that's how the Cube was designed to run. Just make sure the fan is installed right side up!
Click to expand...

Ok ok. I'll do it. After all these months and problems, I finally got the damn thing to work right again, so I'm just incredibly paranoid about hurting it. But damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! Time to shove all of this junk back into the case!

Thanks for all your help!
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
livingfortoday said:
Ok ok. I'll do it. After all these months and problems, I finally got the damn thing to work right again, so I'm just incredibly paranoid about hurting it. But damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! Time to shove all of this junk back into the case!

Thanks for all your help!
Click to expand...

Good luck -- you'll need it.

I mean, have fun! ;)
 
S

Sark

macrumors newbie
Jan 2, 2006
18
0
blackscooby said:
Really ? My 64 3500+ idles at 52C and doesn't really start spinning the fans hard until it reaches 60C.
Click to expand...

I said about 30, it's more like 35 to 40 (double checked after I posted). Athlon 64 3000+ Venice core is what I'm using:)
 
L

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
Just a quick update.

I ended up taking out the DVD-ROM drive, because it was acting erratically, and I have a network DVD-RW drive anyways. So it was kind of unnecessary. I moved the hard drive over to where the DVD drive had been, and put in an 80mm Thermaltake fan blowing directly on the heatsink where the hard drive had been. This is in addition to the fan at the base of the Cube.

The Cube is hitting the high 50's out of the case now that the fan isn't blowing directly on the processor. I'm gonna try and stuff this all back into the case and see how it runs.
 
L

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
Just to explain with pictures

replaced.jpg
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
Once you venture into freelance modification land, you're on your own. As they say in aviation, you've become a test pilot!
 
L

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
Well, let's hope it doesn't crash and burn!

So far it's running pretty smoothly. I can see the temperature slooowly rising, but nothing too dangerous yet. The only downside to all of this is that it's much louder than before. Not as loud as a G5 or a G4 tower yet, but it's still irritating to have a silent computer get noisy.

Oh well, at least it runs ok! Thanks for all your help, I'm sure there'll be more Cube-related shenanigans in the (near) future, and I'll post them up here!

Edit: Seems to have flat-lined around 50 - 52 degrees. Really not bad, it's actually cooler than out of the case. i wonder if the case helps focus the air directly on the processor, instead of it dissipating.
 
H

howesey

macrumors 6502a
Dec 3, 2005
535
0
Processors do not like going over 50C, anything above 60C and then you have to start to worrie.

My iMac idles at 45C and maxes at 55C under full load, I'm worried for when summer comes. I know if I cover the fans for a few minutes and let it get over 65C OS X crashes.
 
hob

hob

macrumors 68010
Oct 4, 2003
2,004
0
London, UK
howesey said:
Processors do not like going over 50C, anything above 60C and then you have to start to worrie.

My iMac idles at 45C and maxes at 55C under full load, I'm worried for when summer comes. I know if I cover the fans for a few minutes and let it get over 65C OS X crashes.
Click to expand...
Really?! My mac has never crashed due to heat and it's gotten up to at least 69C.

My old homebrew PC used to sound an alarm at 75C, and that was only during the summer. But it would never actually crash. I'd just switch off for a bit to avoid damaging anything.
 
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