MP 5,1: What are your CPU temps?

[Studio K]

Hi StudioK - question. I just upgrade my 2010 with two W5590s. Temps seem decent under load (76C/67C), but fans spin up to around 3000 rpm. What kind of fan speeds are you seeing under load?

Hi.

I have a single CPU. The Default, idle speeds are: BOOSTA=856 rpm; INTAKE & EXHAUST=600 rpm.
Under load, fans remain at their default "idle" speeds until CPU A Tdiode rises to 85C (cores reach as high as 97C).
This is the point at which the EXHAUST, INTAKE, and BOOSTA fans speed up as much as they need to in order to prevent temps from rising any further. I've never seen the BOOSTA spin faster than 1500 rpms.

Once the Temps stabilize and lower a couple of degrees the fans will ease off a bit and hold the temps steady at about 83C-diode/95C-cores.
Your system is obviously utilizing the fans a bit more than mine does to produce lower CPU temperatures.
My Mac Pro is a 4,1 which has a different SMC version. But you've also got different CPU's.

The pattern with my system, then, is that the CPU cores are permitted to reach within a couple of degrees of 100C before the fans do whatever it takes to stabilize the temps. It then holds the core temps at 95 - 96C for the remainder of the process.
If this is how Apple intended things to work, then those cooling fans are being massively under-utilized. They do the minimum amount of work at the last second to manage cpu temperatures. They could spin up much sooner and run moderately faster while still being inaudible.

Your dual-processor machine likely has different fan-speed minimums at idle than a single-cpu model. I think I've seen people with similar hardware report 1100 rpms for BOOST fans.
3000 rpms under load should produce lower temps I would hope. Using 3rd-party fan control software, I've brought my INTAKE, EXHAUST fans up to 1800 rpms which raises my BOOST fan to 2600 rpms. This gave me a Tdiode temp of 69C under full load. My fans will never go this fast without my intervention, though.

 

[flowrider]

I've got the same setup as Adam. Dual W5590s on a 2010 Mac Pro. These CPUs, IMO, should run hotter on a dual machine because:

1. The peak wattage on the W5590s is 130 Watts. Apples highest voltage CPU on a Dual machine is 95W. Apple does spec the singles at 130W.

2. The heatsinks in a dual machine are smaller than the heatsink in a single machine. And there are two of them. Yes, there is a separate fan for each one, but they are in the same space, therefore I would think they would run hotter by design.

To compensate for this, I am using smcFanControl and run my BOOSTA and BOOSTB fans at 2300 RPM and my Intake and Exhaust at 1250RPM. My machine is a bit louder than with the OEM fan speeds, but it is certainly not objectionable. My Normal CPU temps at idle range from about 100° F to 140° F. (38° C to 60° C) With CPU A always about 5° or 10° F hotter than CPU B. As I recall CPU A is the one on the left at the rear of the tray.

Lou

 

[xcodeSyn]

1. The Voltage on the W5590s is 130 Volts. Apples highest voltage CPU on a Dual machine is 95V. Apple does spec the singles at 130V.

I think you mean 130 Watts and 95 Watts, these Xeon CPUs seem to have a Voltage range of .75V - 1.35V as listed here for W5590. If you compare the spec of W5590 to that of X5570 here, you'd find very little difference except for Wattage and Tcase figures, 130W vs. 95W, and 67C vs. 75C. So Wattage and Tcase seem to have an inverse relationship. Consider their Westmere counterparts X5680 and X5670, still the same Wattage (130W vs. 95W), but very different Tcase (78.5C vs. 81.3C). We can infer that the higher Tcase seems to indicate better thermal tolerance under the same Wattage rating. The W3680 has the same 130W as the X5680, but lower Tcase of 67.9C, also a higher voltage range of .8V - 1.375V.

BTW, I was considering W5590 for another MP upgrade. But currently W5590 is sold for $200 (used) vs X5570 for $113 (new other) on eBay, and the GB score is like 19500 vs. 17500. So for < 60% cost, we get almost 90% CPU performance of the W5590. If you don't need the extra heat and performance, the X5570 is still a worthwhile upgrade before the X5680/70 price drop.

 

[flowrider]

I think you mean 130 Watts and 95 Watts, these Xeon CPUs seem to have a Voltage range of .75V - 1.35V as listed

My face is red. Of course I meant watts.

Lou

 

[adr1974]

Just want to thank everyone for their help. My system doesn't seem stable with these particular W5590s...so I'm going to return them. Not sure if I'll look to get another pair or maybe try something different. X5670+ seem a bit pricey right now...maybe X5650s...or maybe just watch prices for a while and see if they come down...

 

[flowrider]

^^^^Sorry to hear your going to return them! Mine ain't goin' nowhere!

Lou

 

[Macsonic]

Just want to thank everyone for their help. My system doesn't seem stable with these particular W5590s...so I'm going to return them. Not sure if I'll look to get another pair or maybe try something different. X5670+ seem a bit pricey right now...maybe X5650s...or maybe just watch prices for a while and see if they come down...

Hi adr1974. Sorry to hear about your problem. Just to clarify, the only problem you encountered are the fans spinning too high? Or were there other problems related to the system not being stable? I was planning to upgrade my cpu but not yet decided. Thanks

 

[adr1974]

Hi adr1974. Sorry to hear about your problem. Just to clarify, the only problem you encountered are the fans spinning too high? Or were there other problems related to the system not being stable? I was planning to upgrade my cpu but not yet decided. Thanks

Fans running too high and some general instability (crashes during handbrake). I wouldn't let this sway you though -- I think it's a great upgrade and it looks like it has worked great for others. I may have just gotten some ill chips. Other chips to consider: X5560 - these run for around $100 on eBay, which seems like a pretty cheap boost. The W5590 is in the middle from a price perspective...and if you're willing to spend a little more, a pair of X5660 will go around $800.

 

[Macsonic]

Fans running too high and some general instability (crashes during handbrake). I wouldn't let this sway you though -- I think it's a great upgrade and it looks like it has worked great for others. I may have just gotten some ill chips. Other chips to consider: X5560 - these run for around $100 on eBay, which seems like a pretty cheap boost. The W5590 is in the middle from a price perspective...and if you're willing to spend a little more, a pair of X5660 will go around $800.

Thanks Adr1974 for your inputs. I'll weigh in my options from hereon and observe the market prices of these CPUs.

 

[adr1974]

Thanks Adr1974 for your inputs. I'll weigh in my options from hereon and observe the market prices of these CPUs.

No problem Which model MP are you going to upgrade?

 

[Macsonic]

No problem Which model MP are you going to upgrade?

I am choosing between my 4.1 8 Core X5550 2.66ghz or the Mid 2010 5.1 8 Core 2.4ghz X5620 Mac Pro. From my experience, the 4.1 MPro is as good as the 5.1 in terms of performance and heat management so I was not inclined to upgrade its firmware to 5.1 to be able to use a 1333mhz ram. That leaves me with choices of X5590 or X5680.

 

[bax2003]

Except for lidless CPU board on Dual 4.1. That is only physical diff.
BTW it is E5620 in MP 5.1 2x2.4.

Excellent info about CPU upgrade on 4.1 MP
http://pindelski.org/Photography/2013/07/08/mac-pro-2009-part-tbd/

I am choosing between my 4.1 8 Core X5550 2.66ghz or the Mid 2010 5.1 8 Core 2.4ghz X5620 Mac Pro. From my experience, the 4.1 MPro is as good as the 5.1 in terms of performance and heat management so I was not inclined to upgrade its firmware to 5.1 to be able to use a 1333mhz ram. That leaves me with choices of X5590 or X5680.

 

[Macsonic]

Excellent info about CPU upgrade on 4.1 MP
http://pindelski.org/Photography/2013/07/08/mac-pro-2009-part-tbd/

Yep already read that blog. The author is also a member here at Macrumors and he posted a thread about the blog you mentioned. Very diligent in outlining in good detail on the upgrade process.