Mac Pro 1,1 - Hot Northbridge

[maxp]

Hi, Ive just installed iStat and have been reviewing the various temps on my MP 1,1.

The CPUs are really good at ~31 deg C, however the Northbridge is indicated at 66 deg C. Is this something I should be concerned with?

 

[Umbongo]

Nope. Concern should come when it is over 90, even then they are rated up to 120 or 130 (can't recall exactly).

 

[666sheep]

66 C is quite normal for 1.1 Especially when you gave lot of RAM, HDDs and a little more powerful graphics card (than stock 7300). IIRC Northbridge chip in 1.1 is rated to 80 C only. In mine 1.1 it never exceeds 70 C under load (and I have 8 RAM sticks, 4 HDDs and dual slot graphics card).

If you want to lower this chip temps a little, you can remove its heatsink, polish it with water sandpaper and reapply thermal paste (use high end one, like IC Diamond carat). After such "treatment" NB chip in mine was about 60 C when idle.
Downside is, that you need to remove memory cage to access heatsink.

 

[maxp]

...If you want to lower this chip temps a little, you can remove its heatsink, polish it with water sandpaper and reapply thermal paste (use high end one, like IC Diamond carat). After such "treatment" NB chip in mine was about 60 C when idle.
Downside is, that you need to remove memory cage to access heatsink.

How difficult is it to remove the memory cage? Ive never even opened the case up...does the motherboard not need to be removed also?

 

[gullySn0wCat]

I had a problem with my northbridge temps too (~60deg idle and ~80deg under load.)

Installing smcFanControl and setting the fans to the following made it drop to more sane levels:

CPU Fan 500rpm
PCIe / HDD Fan: 1000rpm
Rear Fan: 1000rpm
Power Supply Fan: 600rpm

 

[maxp]

I had a problem with my northbridge temps too (~60deg idle and ~80deg under load.)

Installing smcFanControl and setting the fans to the following made it drop to more sane levels:

CPU Fan 500rpm
PCIe / HDD Fan: 1000rpm
Rear Fan: 1000rpm
Power Supply Fan: 600rpm

I did the same, but only increased the CPU fans as they are the closest to the northbridge heatsink. Increased from 500 to 725rpm dropped it from 66-68 to 58. (Increasing them to 1000rpm gets it into the 40's).