No thermal sensors - adventurous or stupid?
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:28 am
Hey everyone --
I'm building a quiet Linux microATX system, mainly as a jukebox of our CDs...
The components relevant to this thread:
* Soyo P4RC350 mobo (http://www.soyo.com.tw/products/proddesc.php?id=295)
* Celeron 2.0 GHz Northwood
* Thermalright XP90 + Nexus 90mm
I chose that mobo for its onboard S-video, since I'll be using a TV. The downside of its ATI chipsets is that they're not supported by lm_sensors (yet/ever). So at the moment, I don't have a way to monitor the CPU or any other temps while the system is live, and, say, running CPUBurn. I can check temps within the BIOS at startup tho.
I want to run the Nexus at 5V and forget it. If I had to get a fan control, I would, but I'm not convinced I have to.
So my options seem to be these, from lazy & cheap onwards:
1. Blow it off -- don't monitor temps at all. Trust theory. The "C/W MP" rating for that heatsink/fan combo mentioned in the review (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article194-page3.html) is so excellent that the CPU should be fine even if the case temp hits 35 C (95 F).
2. Use a finger -- run CPUBurn and just feel whether the heatsink is insanely hot.
3. Get temps from the BIOS -- run CPUBurn then do a quick reboot and check temps in the BIOS.
4. Buy a temp monitor, connect a probe to the HS, and check temps while running CPUBurn. Best solution here is likely a temp monitor / fanspeed controller.
Who has thoughts?
I'd undervolt, but the mobo doesn't support it.
Oh, and a factoid -- I spent nearly as much on the heatsink & fan ($55) as I did on the CPU ($65). Yep, that's how much more I value quiet than speed!
I'm building a quiet Linux microATX system, mainly as a jukebox of our CDs...
The components relevant to this thread:
* Soyo P4RC350 mobo (http://www.soyo.com.tw/products/proddesc.php?id=295)
* Celeron 2.0 GHz Northwood
* Thermalright XP90 + Nexus 90mm
I chose that mobo for its onboard S-video, since I'll be using a TV. The downside of its ATI chipsets is that they're not supported by lm_sensors (yet/ever). So at the moment, I don't have a way to monitor the CPU or any other temps while the system is live, and, say, running CPUBurn. I can check temps within the BIOS at startup tho.
I want to run the Nexus at 5V and forget it. If I had to get a fan control, I would, but I'm not convinced I have to.
So my options seem to be these, from lazy & cheap onwards:
1. Blow it off -- don't monitor temps at all. Trust theory. The "C/W MP" rating for that heatsink/fan combo mentioned in the review (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article194-page3.html) is so excellent that the CPU should be fine even if the case temp hits 35 C (95 F).
2. Use a finger -- run CPUBurn and just feel whether the heatsink is insanely hot.
3. Get temps from the BIOS -- run CPUBurn then do a quick reboot and check temps in the BIOS.
4. Buy a temp monitor, connect a probe to the HS, and check temps while running CPUBurn. Best solution here is likely a temp monitor / fanspeed controller.
Who has thoughts?
I'd undervolt, but the mobo doesn't support it.
Oh, and a factoid -- I spent nearly as much on the heatsink & fan ($55) as I did on the CPU ($65). Yep, that's how much more I value quiet than speed!