Hi, I just installed my new Zalman CNPS7000B (with socket 775 bracket) on my p4 3.4 ghz (prescott) about a week and a half ago. It's 85 degrees F in the room right now (about 30 C) so im idling at 41 C. usually i idle around 36. But my real problem is that when i put any kind of load on it it jumps about 25 degrees. on load it gets to 59 degrees after about 2 hours of playing and it really annoys me that idle, it runs 10 degrees lower than the stock cooler but on load it's only 1 or 2 degrees lower. I'm not sure if my arctic silver 5 has "broken in" yet...it's definitely not been 200 hours as they say but i'm just wondering after it breaks in will the load temps go down a little? im trying to get an air conditioner in here because 85F is extremely high and im sweating up here heh. anyway that's my question.

Thanks in advance

That's how Zalman heatsinks work. They're designed to be quiet, not cool. And not for overclockers.

uhh actually i know many ppl who put it on their prescotts and they load about 47-50 C...plus i havent overclocked anything...and my question was "will the arctic silver breaking in lower the temps?"

As a follow up...ive been reading reviews and there are people with similar or exactly the same processors as me and use the same CPU fan and the SAME thermal paste and none of them have even broken 50 yet...i dont understand...do you think i should wipe the thermal paste off and reapply? and then reinstall the CPU fan...maybe i put too little or something....any suggestions?

I don't think you want to be worrying about using too little artic silver. It may be the case that you used too much. You want a very thin layer of thermal paste. The goal is to remove any air gaps between the processor and the heat sink because air is a bad heat conductor. If you use too much, then the silver is just slowing down the heat transfer. Also, you may want to check you temp with a thermometer. This is because the diode on your mobo which measures temp is not accurate and sometimes they don't work as they should. I've had about two boards that never reported the correct cpu temp. Hehe, I had one say my cpu was at 240 F, but just using a thermometer I saw that the actual temp was only 89 F. Remember to use a glass thermometer and if you cannot reach your cpu with it, because of the heat sink or anything else, just check the thermal compound and the take a reading off your heat sink low to where the cpu is and not where the fan is blowing air. That'll put you in the ballpark. Finaly, if your processor is really getting to 59 C, that should make your heat sink hot enough to scald skin, if it burns you on contact, then you're going to need better cooling.

Well i have to agree with Mictlantecuhtli, Zalman are way quiet, and the noise does sacfrice some cooling. But 59C is way to hot. A good test to see if the thermal paste is applyed correctly, (at least this is what i was taught) is to unplug the CPU fan and boot, if the heatsink itself gets too hot to touch, then you have made good contact.

Sean

BTW-what program are you using to check temps.

Im using Epox's own USDM program also speedfan and everest...but usdm has a transparent thing so it shows through some games...making it easier. I can't seem to understand how others never hear of these kinds of temps with the same setup (including CPU fan). How come it can bring down the idle temps so much but let the load just fly right by it. if you go on newegg and look up this product...there are many people who reviewed it with prescotts and none have had load temps like mine...if in a few days this "break through" doesnt happen im going to reapply the thermal paste.

PS: im using Arctic silver 5 and im not supposed to spread this...i just put a small dollop on the center of the cpu dye and the weight of the heatsink spreads it out...so i cant say whether i have a thin layer or not.