I have an AthlonXP 1500+ running at normal 1.53ghz with a Thermaltake Volcano 11 Xaser Edition but my cpu temp is idle at 58c

anything I can do ?
or reasons why it might be so high?

I also only have 1 side intake fan on my case
no other fans (not including the 2 enermax fans)

if your 1500+ is running at 1.53Ghz your are overclocked.

but if what you meant was 1800+ then there might be problems.

first off what's your case temp... hot air doesn't cool that great.

and what are you using for a TIM (thermal interface material)

i think you might want to invest in some arctic silver.

oh yeah... haha my bad 1800+
I'm not running anything o/ced

here are my temps from asus probe

Is the HSF Mounted correctly?
Is there a TIM?
Is there a plastic film that didn't get removed?
What core do you have?
What Motherboard, some don't report temps right.
Gonna need answers to these questions...

Is the HSF Mounted correctly? yes
Is there a TIM? - if thats the thermal grease then I got whatever comes with the thermaltake hsf's
Is there a plastic film that didn't get removed? the hsf was cleaned perfectly
What core do you have? no clue.
What Motherboard, some don't report temps right. asus a7v333
Gonna need answers to these questions...

Get some Artic Silver, or Ceramique or whatever. **** that comes with it is crap... Have fun taking off the heatsink and puttin it back on again...I know its a pain in the ass

Maybe you have poor air circulation also. Take the side of your case off, and put a house fan blowing into the case. That will tell you how much heat is building up in the case.

You could consider a ducting mod to get fresh air to the cpu if the case is the problem. Do you have spaghetti for wiring? just cleaning up the wiring can lower case temps a few degrees. Are thos the same temps you are seeing in the Bios? Try Motherboard Moniter, a free program.

Software monitoring is also not nearly as accurate as we would like, a digital thermometer is the only accurate way to tell, but most people don't have access to one. They can be picked up for 20 -30$ if ya realy want to know what's going on

Yeah theres deffinatly bad circulation
I'm gonna get some arctic silver and a big intake and 1 - 2 exhaust fans

is there noticable performance difference when the cpu temps drop?

First off, I agree that good thermal paste is key. However, it always seems to be offered as the cure all for temp problems.

In my experience it will buy you 3-4 degrees celsius over regular white goop. For the overclocker and cooling enthusiast that is important! For the average user, it simply is not.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with the suggestion ...... just put it in the right context. Someone recently had a CPU temp in the 80's and several peaople suggested Arctic Silver ........ It won't fix a 30 degree problem!

So, Swonald, I can get you 10 degrees right off the top:
-download MBM5 (as Necro suggested) or MBProbe
-uninstall Asus Probe

Asus probe is terribly innaccurate and displays about 10 - 15 degrees higher than the bios.

Secondly, you need better case airflow.

Edit: I just read the thread where you indicated you used a whole tube of white thermal paste. That is definately part of your problem!

Thirdly, if you are comfortable uninstalling and installing your heatsink ......... AS3 will help a bit.

AS3 will help a bit as mentioned by everyone else..... but only a few degrees at most... the most important factor is to make sure you apply whatever thermal grease you use properly. I.E.

1. Apply a small amount to the core (about half a grain of rice or less) and spread it using a clean razor or credit card.

2. apply a small amount to the bottom of the heatsink and spread it using a your finger covered in some clean plastic ( you do not want your fingers touching the material ... oil can be a killer) Once it is spread , wipe it off using a clean lint-free cloth (lens cloth or coffee filter) This proccess fills in the microscopic gaps in the sink

Remember lapping will also help a sink .... and using too much thermal grease is a killer as well.

Have You checked what way your fan is blowing on your heatsink? i found that i had high temps because of having the fan sucking off of the heatsink instead of blowing onto it.
Depending on your airflow it can help or hinder sometimes.

hmm what exactly is lapping ?
any guides on how to lap a Hsf?


oh and I got MBM5 and i'm not 100% sure if i've configured it properly...
right now its showing
sensor 1 - 50c
sensor 2 - 14c

Lapping is when you smooth your heatsink base to make it smooth and mirror like.
This makes thermal transfer better.
here is a guide: http://overclockersclub.com/heatsinklappingguide.php

[mr burns] exxxcellent [/mr burns]




thanks

No probs.
Good luck in lapping, remember the more time and effort you put into lapping your heatsink the better the results.
Just watch out for the arm ache..
Once you have lapped it, put on some new thermal compound.
And then work on the airflow of your case.

Your sensor chip is asb100.

Your CPU temp is Asus2 and your case temp is Asus1.

thanks putwig
that makes more sense now

CPU : 53c
Mobo: 32c