# Ram and Chipset cooling



## HunterjWizard (Dec 11, 2007)

System: Dual quad-core intel xeon processors with 24gb of RAM in 6x4gb sticks on a Supermicro X7DAL, running Windows Server 2003 x64. Anyway.

So first off, I've got a bit of an off conundrum... my CPUs are showing up as up to 140 degrees or higher, while each individual core hovers around 90-100. I'm fairly sure that means whatever sensor is registering 140 is lying, but there is that.

My RAM, on the other hand, is a bit of a problem. On a cool day it's also around 140, with up to a 20 degree variance(125 to 145), and this is with a few fans blowing directly on them(the higher-temperature sticks are not directly under the path of the fan).

Of much greater concern is the chipset. It has no sensor and only a passive alluminum heatsink. Whenever I shut down the machine to work on it, its hot enough to give first-degree burns when touched, I have to wait a while for the system to cool down.

I believe all this heat is causing some system instability, and any way you slice it, its not great for the components. I'd like some help/guidance in improving the cooling and getting these temperatures down.

Thanks!


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Is your server located inside a cabinet or closet? If everything is clean and all fans are running properly it sounds like ambient temperatures are too high.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Are you giving us Fahrenheit(F) or Celsius(C) readings?


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## HunterjWizard (Dec 11, 2007)

Farenheit, if that were celsius I think it'd be on fire...

Anyway, its not in a cabinet but out in the open. Unfortunately its out in the open in a room that routinely gets quite warm(the other day temps were toping 150 and set off a heat alarm).

But if it were an ambient problem, why is the ram so much hotter than the CPU cores? over 50 degree differences.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Those are pretty much normal temps 60c is a tad warm but it depends on the workload of the system.


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## Panther063 (Jul 13, 2009)

HunterjWizard said:


> Of much greater concern is the chipset. It has no sensor and only a passive alluminum heatsink. Whenever I shut down the machine to work on it, its hot enough to give first-degree burns when touched, I have to wait a while for the system to cool down.
> Thanks!


You could install a small fan directly onto the passive heatsink or try to find an original heatsink with fan for that model.
A 40 or 50mm fan should fit nicely on the chipset.


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## Fjandr (Sep 26, 2012)

Measure the chipset heatsinks and pick a fan that's close to the same size. With most heatsinks, the fan screws can be screwed down directly between fins and hold just fine. You only need one or two screws to hold a fan in place. As for the RAM, grab an 80mm fan and just set it directly on top of the modules, blowing down.


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