EggXpert

I tried this post in the "Cooling" forum but got little response.  I figured I'd try it here:

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I'm thinking of trying to moderately overclock my new PC.  I've read several guides and have a question about temperatures.  All the guides say to monitor the CPU temperature.  But noplace have I seen what I should monitor it for?  What is the limit I shouldn't exceed?

Processor: i7 920, no overclocking
Heatsink: Intel stock cooler (currently)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932

With this setup (with the Intel stock cooler) in a room ambient of about 27C, I get an idle CPU temperature of about 30C.  At 100% CPU usage, the Gigabyte EasyTune utility shows 49C.  RealTemp and CoreTemp show about 60C-62C.  From reading, I understand that RealTemp and CoreTemp read sensors actually in the CPU chip.  What is the EasyTune utility reading?  It's consistently reading 10C-15C lower.

I know I need to replace the Intel stock cooler if I want to overclock very much.  But do I have any headroom (temperature-wise) to overclock moderately with this cooler?

Core i7 and Core 2 Temperature Guide - by CompuTronix

All the info you need to know about Intel processor temp. :-)

intelguy:

Core i7 and Core 2 Temperature Guide - by CompuTronix
All the info you need to know about Intel processor temp. :-)

Read this only briefly so far, but it looks like this is indeed all I need to know.

I did notice that all of the other temperatures displayed by SpeedFan were higher than the core temps (at ~10% loading).  Am I reading something wrong?  I have not done the calibration step they discuss, so that might be it.

Now I have another question.  If I use the Xigmatek 1283 Dark Knight cooler, for example, which has several times been recommended here, which way do I orient it?  The airflow from its fan, I mean.  The CPU is rectangular, and on this MB is oriented with the long dimension up-and-down.  The die inside the CPU is even more rectangular, and also oriented up-and-down.  The Dark Knight has a rectangular base, although I haven't found anywhere the dimensions of the base.  If installed matching the orientation of the CPU, the fan will blow out the back.  The Cooler Master HAF 932 case has a huge fan on the top vent.  It would seem that blowing the CPU heatsink fan upward into this fan would be good (heat rises)?  Plus the back of my computer is only a few inches from the wall, so the airflow up from the top vent is much freer than from the back vent.  But this means orienting the Dark Knight cross-wise on the CPU. So what's the right way to install it?  Or is there maybe a better choice than the Dark Knight?  Note that I do not intend to OC this to the max, only moderately.

Here is a very thoughtful guide for you to overclock your PC, I've saved this great info to my favorite for long. Hope it helps.

http://computershopper.com/components/howto/overclock-your-desktop