My northbridge heatsink is burning

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CGameProgrammer
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My northbridge heatsink is burning

Post by CGameProgrammer » Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:18 am

I have an incomplete system right now which can't even get to POST just because I don't have a graphics card yet, but just running it at this idle stage for a few minutes causes the northbridge heatsink to get burning hot! It's a passive heatsink; specifically, that of the Gigabyte GA-K8N Ultra-9. I don't have a way yet of finding the real temperature but I'm sure it's not healthy to be so hot. I just tap it with my finger, I don't hold it on or press down at all, and it hurts.

Do you think that Zalman heatsink would make a significant difference?

perplex
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Post by perplex » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:49 am

the northbridge chipset generally runs much hotter than CPU so it might be normal. but buying an aftermarket heatsink for it won't hurt *pun intended!* :roll:

gitto
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Post by gitto » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:51 am

In an older system of mine (socket A) I was experiencing random freezes. The tiny northbridge heatsink was getting too hot to even touch lightly. Replacing it with a Zalman NB-47 completely fixed the problem.

CGameProgrammer
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Post by CGameProgrammer » Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:37 am

OK then, might as well get that Zalman. I assume I can safely replace the heatsink even while everything is still plugged in to the motherboard, right? In other words I wouldn't have to remove the motherboard from the case for anything, like you do with some large CPU heatsinks.

brigitte
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Post by brigitte » Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:49 am

No you can't, you'll need to remove the pushpins of the heatsink and I can't think of a safe way to do that without accessing the back of the board.

CGameProgrammer
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Post by CGameProgrammer » Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:44 pm

Well I had decided to buy the Zalman, but further research seemed to conclude it would not fit. The northbridge on my motherboard is adjacent to the PCI-e x16 slot, and from what I've read, it cannot fit in those conditions.

Slidax
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Post by Slidax » Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:02 pm

just cut a couple fins off it, should be ok unless your graphics card has a big cooler

however i've dealt with this board a fair bit and have never had any stability issues, if your case has some airflow it will not be problem with the stock heatsink.

CGameProgrammer
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Post by CGameProgrammer » Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:09 pm

I plan to get a fan blowing against the video card, overlapping the northbridge. So if the heat doesn't result in instability then with the fan I probably don't need the Zalman. I definitely want to do what's simplest without making the system unstable or noisy.

Slidax
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Post by Slidax » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:36 am

you definately wont need the zalman then

jamesm
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Post by jamesm » Sat Jul 09, 2005 9:20 am

I sent an email to gigabyte regarding their passively cooled nf4 board:

"What is the operating temperature of the nForce 4 chipset on this board? I am worried it may be running too hot."

Their response was:

"hello

The system been tested under our burn in chamber to operate at over 80c
You do not need to worry about the chipset even if it appears to be warm.

Thank you"

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