[F150]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

Coolermaster Silent Pro 700 W PSU
Coolermaster CM690 advanced USB 3.0 cabinet.

I think perhaps the only item that I could consider or the next 6-12 months are:
1. PSU: perhaps 800-1000W

Yes the PSU is the weakest link, replace that at the earliest. Check the PSUs from CORSAIR.

[vasudeva]

Yes PSU definitely calls for an upgrade but considering my present system build (not much OC), an upping of capacity from 700W to 850-1000W would perhaps allow more room for adding more components. Because of some bottlenecks in power supply, I keep 1 hard disk offline (populated 1 SSD and 4 HDD) with making it online (inserting power cable) once in a fortnight to backup. FYI, for what it is worth, all the power supply calculators come up with around 600W (at 4.2 Ghz overclock of i7-3930K).

The other bottleneck is the UPS which is 650W (APC). I simply do not have physical space to get a 1000-1100 W UPS.

I plan to get a Corsair/Seasonic PSU (Bronze/Gold) series sometime in the next few months. That is a cost of Rs. 10K.

[dockap]

Intel core i7-950 cpu (quad core)
ASUS Rampage 3 extreme MB
Corsair DDR3 1600 ram 2x3 gb
Intel SSD 80 GB (boot) with windows 7 ultimate 64bit OS
2x1TB raid 0 seagate HDD, 1tb seagate HDD, 1tb seagate external HDD
Nvidia geforce gtx 470 x2 sli graphics cards
creative soundblaster x-fi gamer pro soundcard
Coolermaster 1000 W PSU
Coolermaster HAF 932 cabinet with 8x 120mm fans and 2x 250mm cooling fans
Nvidia 3dvision kit- includes samsung 120hz 22' 3d monitor with nvidia 3d glasses and usb IR transmitter
Logitech G9x mouse with G15 keyboard and logitech g35 surround sound headset.

[bluevolt]

Guys my PC's motherboard(NB) temperature is on higher side ever since I installed a additional SATA HDD and a entry level GPU(Nvidia 210) which runs on motherboard power. Earlier it used to be around 40-44 Max and now it is always around 48-54 Max.

While there is no abnormal behavior but doesn't this will wear out the mainboard quite early?

All Fans are working fine but at higher RPM's (2200RPM instead of normal 1500RPM).

[F150]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Guys my PC's motherboard(NB) temperature is on higher side ever since I installed a additional SATA HDD and a entry level GPU(Nvidia 210) which runs on motherboard power. Earlier it used to be around 40-44 Max and now it is always around 48-54 Max.

I would blame the nvidia chip. Hdd s shouldn't produce abnormal heat.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

I got promoted at my workplace and this called for some more spending on my PC, primarily a SSD.
1. PSU: perhaps 800-1000W
2. 3 TB HDD (if and when prices decline).

vasudeva, congrats on your promotion. You need a good PSU @ around 1KW to complete the deal especially since you OC.

I too made a small change to my PC configuration. My venerable Creative X-Fi Elite Pro has been replaced by an Asus Xonar STX PCI-E audiophile card, that came with TI Burr-Brown DACs, arguably the best for analog audio and replaceable OpAmps to tailor the sound to your liking.

However, this DAC is a moot point as it is connected to my 6.1 surround sound receiver with a Van del Hul coaxial cable (instead of the Van del Hul optical toslink cable) I used earlier. This has led to less clutter as the SB had a break-out box.

Difference? There's a very small improvement in sound quality (it could be my imagination as well). The SB was already an audiophile level sound card when I bought it in 2005. It also has a brilliant headphone amp capable of driving 'phones upto 600 Ohms - perfect for my Sennheisers HD650s.

The SB X-Fi Elite Pro cost me Rs 24K at that time. Hence ~Rs 8.5-9K I think the Asus Xonar STX card is a worthwhile upgrade for anybody looking for high quality audio card to replace the normally sucky onboard audio.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by R2D2

vasudeva, congrats on your promotion. You need a good PSU @ around 1KW to complete the deal especially since you OC.

Agree on that but right now there is total fatigue after spending so much since early-May 2012:
1. Toyota Etios VX (for my wife)
2. PC build (around 90-100K)
3. Just last week, I spend 22K on Intel SSD 520 180GB and WD My Passport Essential SE 1TB.

Conclusion: Yes I will upgrade my PSU to around 800-900W or budget of 10-11K but till I cannot, I will manage the system. I think for now I can manage at 700W.

On a side note which is better at taking load above its rated capacity and stability: say a 800 W Bronze PSU or say a 750W Gold PSU. This is important because 800-900W Bronze from Corsair/Coolermaster could be had for 8K but a 850W Gold Seasonic is for 11.5K. 850W should be quite adequate for 1 GPU, 4-5 Hard disks, and of course CPU, etc

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Guys my PC's motherboard(NB) temperature is on higher side ever since I installed a additional SATA HDD and a entry level GPU(Nvidia 210) which runs on motherboard power. Earlier it used to be around 40-44 Max and now it is always around 48-54 Max.

While there is no abnormal behavior but doesn't this will wear out the mainboard quite early?

All Fans are working fine but at higher RPM's (2200RPM instead of normal 1500RPM).

The graphics card is notorious heat generator, so add a few more fans to the cabinet.

Please check if the new HDD is obstructing the air circulation. Can happen if the cabinet is cramped. Just take it out and see if the temparature reduces a bit. If so then you definitely need more air.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Guys my PC's motherboard(NB) temperature is on higher side ever since I installed a additional SATA HDD and a entry level GPU(Nvidia 210) which runs on motherboard power. Earlier it used to be around 40-44 Max and now it is always around 48-54 Max.

While there is no abnormal behavior but doesn't this will wear out the mainboard quite early?

All Fans are working fine but at higher RPM's (2200RPM instead of normal 1500RPM).

What cabinet/chassis are you using and how many fans does it have?

Some things to check:

a) Make sure that there are no obstructions to the flow of air in either intake or exhaust mode. Cooler air enters from the bottom is heated due to components and rises. It is exhausted from the back or the top by one or more exhaust fans. Component placement is important.

b) Unsystematic cables layouts can cause heat generation by blockages. Make sure that all cables are neatly tied down and are not bunched up like a ball of spaggheti especially at the bottom front of the cabinet where cool outside air will enter

Increase the # of fans and plug them into the motherboard headers if available so the m/b will control the fan speed.

Originally Posted by vasudeva

On a side note which is better at taking load above its rated capacity and stability: say a 800 W Bronze PSU or say a 750W Gold PSU. This is important because 800-900W Bronze from Corsair/Coolermaster could be had for 8K but a 850W Gold Seasonic is for 11.5K. 850W should be quite adequate for 1 GPU, 4-5 Hard disks, and of course CPU, etc

Phew! You've been on a shopping spree alright.

Ok frankly there's not much of a difference between the bronze and gold PSUs. That generally refer to the efficiency ratings. Gold PSUs use slightly better quality components and the design is probably different as in # of 12/5/3v rails, higher capacity, electrical efficiency >90% is expected, better ripple and other electrical factors. Previously PSU mfrs highlighted # of 12V rails as a significant differentiator but nowadays it seems the other way around - single 12v rails are the norm. Goes to show how they hype their products depending on which way the wind is blowing. I would prefer a modular supply - where you can choose the # of cables to attach as per requirements.

Get a high power quality PSU 800W-1KW from known brands such as CM, Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, Enermax (not sure if you get this in India) and you are good to go. I went in for a 1.25KW PSU, admittedly overkill, as I didn't want to bother upgrading for a long time.

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by F150

I would blame the nvidia chip. Hdd s shouldn't produce abnormal heat.

Originally Posted by Aroy

The graphics card is notorious heat generator, so add a few more fans to the cabinet.

Originally Posted by R2D2

What cabinet/chassis are you using and how many fans does it have?
Increase the # of fans and plug them into the motherboard headers if available so the m/b will control the fan speed.
.

Thanks all.

Here is the pic of my system. It is two and a half year old HP Pavilion dx2480 PC. Sadly there is no provision to add any extra fans. Currently there are three fans i.e. power supply fan, CPU fan and cabinet fan.

EDIT : GPU is passively cooled.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Thanks all.

Here is the pic of my system. It is two and a half year old HP Pavilion dx2480 PC. Sadly there is no provision to add any extra fans. Currently there are three fans i.e. power supply fan, CPU fan and cabinet fan

Since this is a branded PC you won't have the flexibility to make too many changes.

Now that you've uploaded a pic, maybe it is time you cleaned the inside of the PC . Dust can be a major cause of heat build up. If you don't know how to dismantle the PC for cleaning take it to some who does. OR use a blower to blow off all the dust that has very obviously accumulated over the years.

I also noticed that your graphics card has passive cooling i.e. without a fan. Is that right? Graphics cards with fans blow out hot air from vents at the back. That is the reason you are seeing an increase in temp.

I also hope that the HP power supply is capable of providing sufficient power to the new card even if it is via the motherboard. Remember that branded PCs have components that are matched closely and with narrow tolerances to changes.

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Now that you've uploaded a pic, maybe it is time you cleaned the inside of the PC .

I also noticed that your graphics card has passive cooling i.e. without a fan. Is that right?

I also hope that the HP power supply is capable of providing sufficient power to the new card even if it is via the motherboard.

Here is the speedfan's reading when PC is idle.



Temp1 is motherboard temperature
Temp2 is cabinet's ambient temperature

I Have cleaned the PC recently, the pic I have uploaded was taken before cleaning. I clean internals of my PC every six months i.e. April/May and December/January (Same schedule for checking inverter's battery/car/bike's battery water level).

The graphics card is passively cooled. Also There are four 1 GB SDRAM sticks but I don't think RAMs generate any heat?

This PC has 300 watts power supply but the GPU is too basic(Nvidia 210). I bought this entry level card as this has minimum power requirements (Maximum 30 watts and idle @ 10 watts).

It's been one month since I installed this GPU and there is no problem yet. My PC runs almost 24*7. Touchwood.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

The graphics card is passively cooled. Also There are four 1 GB SDRAM sticks but I don't think RAMs generate any heat?

This PC has 300 watts power supply but the GPU is too basic(Nvidia 210). I bought this entry level card as this has minimum power requirements (Maximum 30 watts and idle @ 10 watts).

RAM does generate heat but DDR1 SDRAM not too much. If the card draws only 30W you shouldnt be worried about heat.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

It's been one month since I installed this GPU and there is no problem yet. My PC runs almost 24*7. Touchwood.

if it runs 24x7, it is proof that the PC is not overheating. An overheating PC becomes unstable and won't run even for a day before you see a BSOD or temp warnings. I'd say the increase is only because of the new card. Don't worry about it. If you are concerned just open the side of the case during the hottest time of the year in Delhi for e.g. now ONLY if you feel the need.

[ghpk]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Here is the speedfan's reading when PC is idle.

Temp1 is motherboard temperature
Temp2 is cabinet's ambient temperature

I Have cleaned the PC recently, the pic I have uploaded was taken before cleaning. I clean internals of my PC every six months i.e. April/May and December/January (Same schedule for checking inverter's battery/car/bike's battery water level).

The graphics card is passively cooled. Also There are four 1 GB SDRAM sticks but I don't think RAMs generate any heat?

This PC has 300 watts power supply but the GPU is too basic(Nvidia 210). I bought this entry level card as this has minimum power requirements (Maximum 30 watts and idle @ 10 watts).

It's been one month since I installed this GPU and there is no problem yet. My PC runs almost 24*7. Touchwood.

Speedfan Reports 2 temps which should be attended.
as you already cleaned this recently, did you followed this to clean the Heat-sink ?

Disconnect Power and Use a cold Air Blower, or Vaccum Cleaner on blower function and blow the dust off the Round CPU Heat-Sink.
You would need to insert a small screw driver, or hold the fan by hand when you do that, to avoid Fan running due to AIR Pressure and generate reverse current.

Then blow air in similar way into Heatsink of Video Card.

I've same CPU in one of my setup and of late the system was getting rebooted due to excessive Temp in GPU (9400GT), while I clean heatsinks every few months, This time this needed me to replace the Silicon Paste between the GPU and heatsink and to my surprise, the GPU temp came down to chill zone levels.

Also try reading temp thru application "coretemp", there's difference in readings from speedfan for some reasons.

Lastly, have you replaced SMPS anytime, the 12v reading is 13+ which rings a bell in my mind.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Phew! You've been on a shopping spree alright.

Ok frankly there's not much of a difference between the bronze and gold PSUs. That generally refer to the efficiency ratings. Gold PSUs use slightly better quality components and the design is probably different as in # of 12/5/3v rails, higher capacity, electrical efficiency >90% is expected, better ripple and other electrical factors. Previously PSU mfrs highlighted # of 12V rails as a significant differentiator but nowadays it seems the other way around - single 12v rails are the norm. Goes to show how they hype their products depending on which way the wind is blowing. I would prefer a modular supply - where you can choose the # of cables to attach as per requirements.

Get a high power quality PSU 800W-1KW from known brands such as CM, Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, Enermax (not sure if you get this in India) and you are good to go. I went in for a 1.25KW PSU, admittedly overkill, as I didn't want to bother upgrading for a long time.

Yeah I got that. Gold may draw somewhat less power from the wall and may be less noisy. They cost 15-20% more than bronze PSU or in another way, they give around 100-150W less for the same price.

More than 850-900W for me is overkill, even at high load. 700W is adequate for most loads but perhaps 850-900W gives more idle on-tap capacity. More than that would be justified only by 1+2 additional GPUs (highly improbable). Even the max power single GPUs can go into a 850-900W PSU. Options are CM, Seasonic or Corsair. Enermax and Seasonic are hard to get offline (flipkart has seasonic 860 Gold for 11K and Junglee has it for 10.5K).