Hi all! I've recently made a pc upgrade and my system seems to be overheating but maybe thats my impression. First of all, here is my setup:
Case: Lian Li PC-7FB aluminium case
Case fans: 1 front for air intake (Lian Li factory fan running at 1000rpm) and 1 Noctua NF-P12 120mm fan.
CPU: Core i7 920
M/B: Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5
CPU H/S: cooler Master Hyper Z600 passive heatsink (with optional fan addition)
Graphics: Sapphire HD 4670 Ultimate
RAM: 2x3GB Adata 1600 DDR3 9-9-9-24
Now here are the problems...
The BIOS temperature readings seem to worry my, as I see that the only good reading is the CPU temp (27-35C). System temperature is around 46+ and MCH (Northbridge?) temperature is always between 55 and 60C.
How can I reduce the overall temperature but still keep the whole system as silent as possible? This pc is used for music and I need it to be as silent as possible given the components used.
The air flow starts at the bottom of the case (intake), goes up to the CPU heatsink and outputs from the back case fan. I found out that in order to achieve low noise levels, I have to use high quality case and cpu fans and keep the running under 1000rpm. The retailer suggested me to buy a set of Cooler Master TLF-S12 led type fans (2 of them) but these have no pwm option and they are supposed to run at 1220rpm with almost 20dB noise.
I decided to go for the Noctua NF-P12 case fans, as they have earned higher ratings and have better specifications. They also utilize two types of adaptors for setting the rpm at 1100 or 900rpm.
My main concern is the Northbridge temperaqture level that always stays above 53C. The CPU will stay below 40C while in passive cooling. So:
What are the safe limits for the chipset?
What are the safe limits for the CPU?
What should I do with passive CPU cooling? Leave it as it is or add a fan?
Are the Noctua NF-P12 fans up to what they say regarding noise and efficiency?
Should I replace the Sapphire passive cooled VGA with an active one?
Should I add a passive heatsink to the chipset?
Thanks in advance.