New Athlon XP 2500+ running hot

Hey, all; Newbie here.

I've just finished putting together my first system:

AMD Athlon XP 2500+
MSI KT6 Delta MoBo
512 MB PC2700 DDR
Generic case with 400 W PSU, one system fan venting to the back below the PSU.

I was thinking about trying to overclock, but based on the posts I've been reading here, it seems to be running hot. When I go to the BIOS and check the CPU temp, it's reading around 47*C; when I run some basic programs and use MBM 5 to check, I get temps up to 51-52* C.

I got a retail package CPU and used the HSF that came with it, along with the thermal interface material attached.

So, two questions: 1. Should I worry about these temps?
2. If so, what can I do about it? (I suspect the answer is the HSF, but I want to be sure before I start taking things apart.)

Thanks in advance for any help.

JAS:)

Welcome to SysOpt! :t

Those temps aren't real bad but a bit high. I suspect that the "thermal pad" is causing warmer than normal temps. You would be better off to get some Artic Silver 3 (or 5) and use that (a VERY thin layer) instead. Good luck! :t

Remove the thermal pad first though (probably obvious, but I've seen people not do it and even worse). Use some isopryl alcohol CAREFULLY on the cpu itself. Clean it with a lint free cloth. With the heatsink, use something plastic to remove it so you don't scratch the base anymore than necessary. You can use the alcohol here as well. Don't let the Isopryl get on the motherboard when cleaning the cpu itself. Then get some decent thermal paste (even radioshack brand) and apply a VERY thin coat. Stick it all back together, plug the fan header in, and you should get better temps. Don't expect miracles as the stock heatsink isn't made to keep it ultra cool to say the least. Sounds like your ambient temps are high as well with only one case fan. Might want to look into adding at least one intake. Preferably you want to fill up all the fan slots you have. Rear exhaust, front intake.

If you overclock you should look into an aftermarket fan.

I remember seeing somewhere (the AMD site I think) that a thermal pad was better for long-term use and that paste should only be used when the CPU/HSF would be changed / removed often, since paste tends to dissipate over time. True? Not true?

I've used paste for up to a year without changing it, though it is recommended to, just I didn't see a need - not saying it will be the same for you.

The temps are a bit high, but with one case fan and a stock heatsink (long as you took the plastic base cover off :) ) sound about right, especially if your room is a tad warm.

Well, I thought I'd try the easy (and cheap) trick first; I added another case fan, at the front, drawing air in. (It's a generic cheap-o; cost me all of $4.) Guess what? No difference in temps. I guess that was predictable; looks like I'll have to try the Arctic Silver when I get some free time. :(
Maybe even a new HSF? What's a good one? :confused:

Some cases don't have very good openings on the front. Maybe your case is one of these, so you're essentially not drawing in any cold air from the front.

O.K., it's apparent that I have at least two problems; the stock HSU with "thermal pad" and a case with poor ventilation (there is only one fan site on the back and one on the front with a very small slot for air entry;CPU temps go down 7-8*C just by removing the side panel.
My question is, would I get better results from improving ventilation (replacing or modifying the case) or by replacing the HSU and use something like Arctic Silver 5?
:confused:

Look at it this way:

You can improve the HSF unit for your CPU, but then without proper ventilation you're only blowing more hot air into it.

Modifying your case so that there's an intake fan on the side panel right on top of your CPU will draw in cold air from outside directly into the HSF unit, so there's no need to upgrade your current HSF.

Well, I did just that: I cut an 80 mm circular hole in the side of the case, mounted a case fan on it to draw the air in, and voila, my temps are a full 10*C cooler (now 44-46*C instead of 56*
:D

If anybody ever doubted the importance of a well-ventilated case, this should put their doubts to rest.

Thanks for all the help, guys.

JAS
:t