Any reason not to leave the side off the case?

"Lee M." wrote in message

> My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the
> low 50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper
> 70s. The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening is
> only about 1" wider than the case. I'm trying an experiment today by
> leaving the side of the case off. Is there any reason I should run like
> this if it lowers the temps by a few degrees? Or am I concerned about
> nothing? FWIW, an Athlon 1800+ was typically less that 40C under the same
> conditions (and same heatsink).
That is normal temp for that CPU, AMD sets max at 90C! With side off
case, airflow is uncertan, can get hotspots in places, also RF interference
into room.

Mike.
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

"Michael Hawes" wrote in message

>
> "Lee M." wrote in message
>
>> My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the
>> low 50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper
>> 70s. The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening is
>> only about 1" wider than the case. I'm trying an experiment today by
>> leaving the side of the case off. Is there any reason I should run like
>> this if it lowers the temps by a few degrees? Or am I concerned about
>> nothing? FWIW, an Athlon 1800+ was typically less that 40C under the
>> same conditions (and same heatsink).
> That is normal temp for that CPU, AMD sets max at 90C! With side off
> case, airflow is uncertan, can get hotspots in places, also RF
> interference into room.
>
> Mike.
Thanks for the info. I didn't realize that temp was normal. Kind of
surprised since I read of higher speed chips running much lower temps.

I will put the side back on. Fyi, with the door closed, the thing was still
running 51-52C (ambient 78F) but with the door open (which makes it pretty
noisy), it dropped down under 50.

Lee
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

"Lee M." wrote in message

>
> "Michael Hawes" wrote in message
>
>>
>> "Lee M." wrote in message
>>
>>> My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the
>>> low 50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper
>>> 70s. The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening
>>> is only about 1" wider than the case. I'm trying an experiment today by
>>> leaving the side of the case off. Is there any reason I should run like
>>> this if it lowers the temps by a few degrees? Or am I concerned about
>>> nothing? FWIW, an Athlon 1800+ was typically less that 40C under the
>>> same conditions (and same heatsink).
>> That is normal temp for that CPU, AMD sets max at 90C! With side off
>> case, airflow is uncertan, can get hotspots in places, also RF
>> interference into room.
>>
>> Mike.
> Thanks for the info. I didn't realize that temp was normal. Kind of
> surprised since I read of higher speed chips running much lower temps.
>
> I will put the side back on. Fyi, with the door closed, the thing was
> still running 51-52C (ambient 78F) but with the door open (which makes it
> pretty noisy), it dropped down under 50.

Not only can leaving the side panel off sometimes cause improper airflow
possibly causing hot spots, it will also let all the dust in.

It's also a bad thing if the system is under the desk with the side panel
off and you accidently knock over a fresh large cup of coffee, and the side
panel you removed was on the side facing the coffee spill, and even worse if
the hard drives happened to be mounted with their circuit cards facing up
near the front of the exposed side of the case.

DAMHIKT


>
> Lee
>
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

Newer computers with their VERY hot running components were NOT meant to be
stuffed into a confined space where cooling is not effectively possible.
And the 70 C temp for the CPU will fry it.

--
---------------------
DaveW

---------------------
"Lee M." wrote in message

> My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the
> low 50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper
> 70s. The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening is
> only about 1" wider than the case. I'm trying an experiment today by
> leaving the side of the case off. Is there any reason I should run like
> this if it lowers the temps by a few degrees? Or am I concerned about
> nothing? FWIW, an Athlon 1800+ was typically less that 40C under the same
> conditions (and same heatsink).
>
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

I have seen a few computer users without a cover on their PC. This
can work fine for some, but the cover provides for some protection
from objects falling or crawling into it. Sometimes the cover will
improve airflow. Technicians that do a lot of hardware swapping will
leave the cover off, but if it's my computer I'll keep the cover on.
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

"Phisherman" wrote in message

>I have seen a few computer users without a cover on their PC. This
> can work fine for some, but the cover provides for some protection
> from objects falling or crawling into it. Sometimes the cover will
> improve airflow. Technicians that do a lot of hardware swapping will
> leave the cover off, but if it's my computer I'll keep the cover on.

The computer is on a shelf that is only about 1" wider and 1/2" higher than
the case. I don't have to worry about anything falling or crawling into it
but I'm going to put the side back on anyway since it didn't make much
difference (only about 3C) in the CPU temp.
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

On Fri, 7 Sep 2007 09:53:37 -0400, "Lee M."
put finger to keyboard and composed:

>My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the low
>50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper 70s.
>The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening is only
>about 1" wider than the case. I'm trying an experiment today by leaving the
>side of the case off. Is there any reason I should run like this if it
>lowers the temps by a few degrees? Or am I concerned about nothing? FWIW,
>an Athlon 1800+ was typically less that 40C under the same conditions (and
>same heatsink).

My Athlon XP 2500 idles in the mid to high 20s. However, the sensor is
inside the CPU socket under the CPU, so I don't know how accurate it
is. At full load the temp rises to about 50C. Ambient is about 20C.

I'm using CPU cooling software, otherwise the idle temp would be at
least 10C higher.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

You know I would still be trying to lower the temp......
The room temperature has quite a bit to do with the case temp which in turn
will affect the temp of the components.
I would be looking at the airflow in the case...maybe the case fans need to
be changed to create a better airflow.
I would also look at the Heatsink/Fan on the CPU ..if it was the original
AMD unit there are better coolers out there at a reasonable cost.
Thermalright makes exceptional CPU coolers ...and depending upon the fan you
attach can run pretty silently.
peter
"Lee M." wrote in message

>
> "Phisherman" wrote in message
>
>>I have seen a few computer users without a cover on their PC. This
>> can work fine for some, but the cover provides for some protection
>> from objects falling or crawling into it. Sometimes the cover will
>> improve airflow. Technicians that do a lot of hardware swapping will
>> leave the cover off, but if it's my computer I'll keep the cover on.
>
> The computer is on a shelf that is only about 1" wider and 1/2" higher
> than the case. I don't have to worry about anything falling or crawling
> into it but I'm going to put the side back on anyway since it didn't make
> much difference (only about 3C) in the CPU temp.
>
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

Lee M. wrote:
> My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the low
> 50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper 70s.

50C and 70F, right?

low 50s for that CPU is just fine.


> The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening is only
> about 1" wider than the case.

Is this door blocking airflow getting to, and thus through, the
computer? Is the computer just recircing its own heated air?

> I'm trying an experiment today by leaving the
> side of the case off. Is there any reason I should run like this if it
> lowers the temps by a few degrees?

A few degrees is not worth the hassle of having something get inside the
system and royally bugger it all up.

> Or am I concerned about nothing? FWIW,
> an Athlon 1800+ was typically less that 40C under the same conditions (and
> same heatsink).

Didn't the 2700+ come with a different HSF? You didn't recycle the old
one, did you?

Cheers,

Ari


--
spammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply
Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor and literally save someone's life:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

"spodosaurus" wrote in message

> Lee M. wrote:
>> My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the
>> low 50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper
>> 70s.
>
> 50C and 70F, right?

Right.

> low 50s for that CPU is just fine.
>
>
>> The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening is only
>> about 1" wider than the case.
>
> Is this door blocking airflow getting to, and thus through, the computer?
> Is the computer just recircing its own heated air?

I usually leave the door cracked an inch or two for better circulation.
It's open in the back for the exhaust fans.


>> I'm trying an experiment today by leaving the side of the case off. Is
>> there any reason I should run like this if it lowers the temps by a few
>> degrees?
>
> A few degrees is not worth the hassle of having something get inside the
> system and royally bugger it all up.
>
>> Or am I concerned about nothing? FWIW, an Athlon 1800+ was typically
>> less that 40C under the same conditions (and same heatsink).
>
> Didn't the 2700+ come with a different HSF? You didn't recycle the old
> one, did you?

I'm using an all-copper heat sink that I previously used with an Athlon
2200+. Copper should be better than the aluminum AMD factory heatsink,
shouldn't it? Also used thermal paste. Fan is the typical heatsink type,
spins a little over 4000 rpm.

> Cheers,
>
> Ari
>
>
> --
> spammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply
> Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant. Please
> volunteer to be a marrow donor and literally save someone's life:
> http://www.abmdr.org.au/
> http://www.marrow.org/
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

"Franc Zabkar" wrote in message

> On Fri, 7 Sep 2007 09:53:37 -0400, "Lee M."
> put finger to keyboard and composed:
>
>>My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the
>>low
>>50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper 70s.
>>The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening is only
>>about 1" wider than the case. I'm trying an experiment today by leaving
>>the
>>side of the case off. Is there any reason I should run like this if it
>>lowers the temps by a few degrees? Or am I concerned about nothing?
>>FWIW,
>>an Athlon 1800+ was typically less that 40C under the same conditions (and
>>same heatsink).
>
> My Athlon XP 2500 idles in the mid to high 20s. However, the sensor is
> inside the CPU socket under the CPU, so I don't know how accurate it
> is. At full load the temp rises to about 50C. Ambient is about 20C.
>
> I'm using CPU cooling software, otherwise the idle temp would be at
> least 10C higher.
>
> - Franc Zabkar
> --


Would that be CPU Idle? What brand of heatsink/fan do you use?

Lee
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

I mixed my temperature scales and it caused some confusion. Ambient temps
are typically below 80F. The CPU typically approaches 60C only during the
weekly virus scan. That's the only time it's running at 100% for any length
of time.

"DaveW" wrote in message

> Newer computers with their VERY hot running components were NOT meant to
> be stuffed into a confined space where cooling is not effectively
> possible.
> And the 70 C temp for the CPU will fry it.
>
> --
> ---------------------
> DaveW
>
> ---------------------
> "Lee M." wrote in message
>
>> My CPU (Athlon 2700+) is running hotter than I'd like, typically in the
>> low 50s C at idle and low loads with ambient temps in the mid- to upper
>> 70s. The tower sits inside a computer desk with a door and the opening is
>> only about 1" wider than the case. I'm trying an experiment today by
>> leaving the side of the case off. Is there any reason I should run like
>> this if it lowers the temps by a few degrees? Or am I concerned about
>> nothing? FWIW, an Athlon 1800+ was typically less that 40C under the
>> same conditions (and same heatsink).
>>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case? 

"spodosaurus" wrote in message

> Lee M. wrote:
>> "spodosaurus" wrote in message

>> I'm using an all-copper heat sink that I previously used with an Athlon
>> 2200+. Copper should be better than the aluminum AMD factory heatsink,
>> shouldn't it? Also used thermal paste. Fan is the typical heatsink
>> type, spins a little over 4000 rpm.
>
> What does the manufacturer of that heat sink say about it's suitability
> for use with the new CPU? Did you put a glob of thermal paste on, or just
> a small smear? Cleaned off any old thermal paste or tape prior, right?
>

I just determined that the heatsink is a Thermaltake SK6. It seems to have
gotten good reviews. I might try another fan to see if I can get more
airflow though. I used a small smear of paste and wiped it with a credit
card to get uniform thickness.
 >> Stay informed about: Any reason not to leave the side off the case?