Hello,
I've recently got a new rig and try running seti@home on it, using the latest boinc currently available. I am getting high CPU temperatures where each core is reaching 100 degrees C after a maximum of half an hour (even if I lower max cpu to 70%).

I first suspected my stock fan, but Intel Extreme Tuning Utility stress test for half an hour didn't bring the cpu temps above 80 degrees C. So I'm starting to suspect that there's something wrong with the application itself.

Is there anyone else facing this issue? any ideas?

Specs:
- i7 4770k, stock fan, stock configuration
- MSI Z87 MPOWER MAX AC
- MSI GeForce Gaming N780 TF 3GD5/OC
- ThermalTake VN300M1W2N Chaser MK-I (3 default fans, back, top, front)
- Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB(2x8GB)
- windows 8.1 professional

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Ther is nothing wrong with the SETI apps itself, it´s simply uses all the power avaible on the cruncher, so more power used = more heat simply like that.

I agree your CPU temps are unusualy high then crunching: How is your CPU FAN speed control? Did you use any program like Speedfan to increase the fan speed? If no try, thats could be the easy answer to your question. Other possibility is: did your bios has something like Turbo mode Fan control? If have, set your fan speed for maximum performance.

On the GPU you must use a program like Afterburner/EVGA Precision to increase the GPu fan speed too if you intend to crunch on the GPU of course.

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I will check what you've mentioned. But my main concern here is that Intel's stress test ran the CPU for half an hour on 100% and it didn't get to 80 degrees C. How come it is getting to 100 degrees C only when using seti?

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Sure there are a better technical explanation, but the simple answer is, strees test the CPU itself all its parts not just an specific part of the CPU used to crunch, so the power could be better distributed during the strees test than when crunching. Something similar happening when you crunch on the GPu´s. Memory transfer uses almost no power compared to an actualy heavy mathematics works used on crunching for example.

That´s why when you use your host for crunching you must follow diferent roules than when you use for gamming for example.

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I have an i7-4771, and my high temps were around 80-85C running SETI (using HT).
Make sure your HS is making good contact with the CPU (which will run hot, just not at 100C); the sides of the sockets on these boards seem to be very close to the top of the CPU (as in my case), so I had to tighten the HS down more than normal to assure good contact.

Check the socket using a credit card for a straightedge to make sure the top of your CPU clears the sides of the socket all around.

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Really only 3 things you can do:
* make sure heat sink is installed properly (maybe get better thermal grease and apply it)

* speed up cpu fan using one of the utility programs, intel usually has such program or use third party like speedfan

* install larger heat sink

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Hello,
I've recently got a new rig and try running seti@home on it, using the latest boinc currently available. I am getting high CPU temperatures where each core is reaching 100 degrees C after a maximum of half an hour (even if I lower max cpu to 70%).

I first suspected my stock fan, but Intel Extreme Tuning Utility stress test for half an hour didn't bring the cpu temps above 80 degrees C. So I'm starting to suspect that there's something wrong with the application itself.

Is there anyone else facing this issue? any ideas?

Specs:
- i7 4770k, stock fan, stock configuration
- MSI Z87 MPOWER MAX AC
- MSI GeForce Gaming N780 TF 3GD5/OC
- ThermalTake VN300M1W2N Chaser MK-I (3 default fans, back, top, front)
- Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB(2x8GB)
- windows 8.1 professional

I swapped in a new motherboard with a 4770 recently and found that running s@h it quickly ran into the "rev limiter" at 100 C, which dropped the CPU clock speed down to 3600 MHz from the normal 3900. I installed an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro rev 2 cooler and the temperatures dropped to around 70 C whilst still running at 3900 MHz.
Don't believe artificial tests -- always test with the production load.
Short answer: buy a better cooler, the stock fan is only good for testing that you've installed everything OK, not for extreme loads.

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The stock cooler that comes with Haswell CPU's is not sufficient when running SETI@home full on. Depending on your ambient temperatures a simple cooler such as a simple heatpipe cooler may be sufficient for your needs.
I am using one of these and staying around 50C with ambient around 23C.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

thank you all for your feedback... I guess it is the stock cooler. Well this is a gaming rig mainly, and the stock cooler is doing well since games doesn't require that much cpu. Too bad it won't be running seti 100% on its free time. I'll look into other coolers, it depends on what I'll find where I live. Aside from the fan, finding a good thermal paste locally would be a quasi-impossible.

Current room temperature is around 18 (will be ~30 during summer), and running seti @ 50% cpu load is getting the temp to 80 degrees max.

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Current room temperature is around 18 (will be ~30 during summer), and running seti @ 50% cpu load is getting the temp to 80 degrees max.

That isn't good.
I would check closely that the cooler is installed correctly- they're not as good as previous ones, but it shouldn't be that bad IMHO. With an ambient temperature of 18°c I would have expected it to be able to run at full load.

Here in Darwin the temperature in my room is generally around the mid 30°s, some times high 30°s & and I was able to run my i7-2600k all cores at full load for years with the stock cooler, although it did run hot- high 70°s up to low 80°s on the hotter days (this is with the side panel removed from the case- dropped the temperatures by about 5°c). When v7 came out it actually worked the CPU harder than the previous application so I went to an after market cooler (Artic Freezeer i30) & the CPU temperatures dropped by around 15°c.

With Haswell, Intel went for a different packaging arrangement, and the heat transfer isn't as good as it was with previous packages, so I'd suggest at the very least a large air cooler like mine, or better yet a liquid cooler unit such as a Corsair H75 or H80i.


H75.

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Grant
Darwin NT

That Corsair unit looks like the cat's meow! All my old Thermaltake Big Typhoon coolers are still running fine with the occasional fan oiling or replacement. But if the compressor cooling unit goes out on my frozen 920 I would try something like that.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

thank you all for your feedback... I guess it is the stock cooler. Well this is a gaming rig mainly, and the stock cooler is doing well since games doesn't require that much cpu. Too bad it won't be running seti 100% on its free time. I'll look into other coolers, it depends on what I'll find where I live. Aside from the fan, finding a good thermal paste locally would be a quasi-impossible.

Current room temperature is around 18 (will be ~30 during summer), and running seti @ 50% cpu load is getting the temp to 80 degrees max.

I think many people over hype thermal compounds. I just use whatever comes in the box with the aftermarket heatsink. Squirt a small amount on, smoosh it with the heatsink, rub it around a bit, & then bolt the heatsink down. Sure spending 5-10 minutes just applying the compound or spend as much for a tube of sure stuff might drop the temps another 3-5 degrees, but I'm not overclocking or near any thermal limits. So it is good enough for me.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

I think many people over hype thermal compounds. I just use whatever comes in the box with the aftermarket heatsink. Squirt a small amount on, smoosh it with the heatsink, rub it around a bit, & then bolt the heatsink down.

The type of thermal compound doesn't make much difference, except over the long term- the more expensive ones tend not to dry out as quickly, so remain effective for much longer.
The biggest mistake most people make is applying it too thickly.

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Grant
Darwin NT

IMHO the biggest mistake people make is to buy thermal compound at all. I use plain old Vaseline (petroleum jelly to non-USA folks) and have for all my years at SETI. No problems. Just a tiny bit works wonders.

It performs the major job of TC - it fills the microscopic air gaps between the CPU and the HS; it never dries out or runs out (high surface tension). And it is non-conductive of electricity and easy to clean up - no alcohol needed. I've had machines run 24/7 for literally years without notable change in CPU temps.

(In case you are wondering, I got the idea from reading an article from Australia some years ago - actually from 2002:

www.dansdata.com/goop.htm‎

YMMV!)

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The temperature is jumping a lot (and quickly) back and forth between 50 and 70 degrees C. The processors' load is also behaving the same way, between 15 & 60%. I am limiting SETI to 50% currently to keep the temps below 80 while it finishes the current tasks, then I will use it only for gaming till the problem is solved.

I am looking into replacing the cpu fan with an h100i, but first I will add a side fan and a bottom fan to my case, to see if it helps.

Thanks a lot for your help guys :)

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The temperature is jumping a lot (and quickly) back and forth between 50 and 70 degrees C. The processors' load is also behaving the same way, between 15 & 60%. I am limiting SETI to 50% currently to keep the temps below 80 while it finishes the current tasks, then I will use it only for gaming till the problem is solved.

I am looking into replacing the cpu fan with an h100i, but first I will add a side fan and a bottom fan to my case, to see if it helps.

Thanks a lot for your help guys :)

It does sound a bit like the stock heatsink is not fully secured. It may be worth taking the time to remove & reinstall it. Just to make sure it is fully secure.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

I don't have a thermal compound laying around, I'll need that I guess if I am going to remove the heatsink? I will get one and give it a shot...

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I don't have a thermal compound laying around, I'll need that I guess if I am going to remove the heatsink? I will get one and give it a shot...

Reseating the heatsink is a suggestion which may or may not help. Something does seem odd with your CPU running that hot even at 50%.
If I am just reseating a heatsink I don't clean off the thermal compound. So I I do not need to reapply it. With some of these new heatsinks I may mount then 2 or 3 times until I get it just right.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

I am looking into replacing the cpu fan with an h100i, but first I will add a side fan and a bottom fan to my case, to see if it helps.

Do you crunch SETI on both CPU and GPU? If so then you have a 250W gap between the stress test (assuming it is CPU only) and the SETI crunching. You may have a problem with pumping the heat outside the box and not necessarily from the CPU to box. In any case, since you've already decided on adding new fans, I would only suggest you have awareness of what fan pulls air in, what pushes air out, and what is the airflow inside the box - it may mean miracles in terms of cooling.

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I will try the reseating once I get the thermal compound, I don't want to risk it now especially that it will take weeks to get it shipped.

As for the difference between the stress test and seti, you're probably right. The Intel stress test only tests the CPU, whereas in seti I am using my GPU as well. But still, 100% is a 100% either using the GPU or not.

The difference I found between the stress test and seti, is that the stress test keeps the CPU load @100% stable for the duration of the test. While running SETI, the load is fluctuating a lot between 15% and 100%, maybe that's what's generating the extra heat comparing to the stress test.

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