* Type of processor (Ordering Part Number) E.g. "AMD Athlon XP 3200+" or "AXDA3200DKV4E" = Athlon X2 4400+ socket AM2 "Brisbane"
* Brand, model and revision of the motherboard including BIOS revision = ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe, BIOS 0702
* Brand and model of the heat sink = Zalman CNPS 9500 AM2 RTL
* Brand and model of the power supply = Antec EA500
* Operating System = WinXP Pro/SP2, all MS updates
* Detailed description of the problem:

How can I read the temperature of the CPU chip? Every program I have tried (the mother board BIOS, ASUS PC Probe II, FanSpeed, CoreTemp, Topaka SIW, and more) gives a different answer. ASUS Probe II, for example, reports the CPU temperature is 8C!

Is there a solution for correctly reading the temperature of this chip?

Thank you.

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Dan in Saint Louis

Use SensorsVeiwPro! http://www.stvsoft.com/ It is the best temp. monitoring program out and it is easy to use.

Sincerely,
Dale

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AMD Athlon 64 +4000 Single-Core 939
DFI Infinity RS482 Socket 939 MB
EchoStar 480W PS ES-480-N
Wintec DDR400 Dual Channel 1024MBx2
256MB ATI Express200 Onboard Video
SMC USB2.0 108Mbs Wireless Adapter
Realtek ACL850 Onboard Sound
Realtek GB LAN Onboard
Agere PCI Soft Modem
MS Windows XP Pro SP2 with all current updates

Alas, Sensors View thinks my CPU is 4C. The other temps look more or less normal, SYS=29, AUX=36, HD0=38, HD1=36. Of course, it also says my clock speed goes up to 7723 MHz when the CPU is busy, back to the true 1000 MHz on idle.

I've contacted AMD, there is a rumor that the temperature sensing on the Brisbane chip is farkled.

[EDIT:] AMD will not comment on whether the Digital Temperature Sensor on the Brisbane chip is broken, but the author of the popular "CoreTemp" program insists that it is. His statement is supported by so many of the popular core temperature reporting utilities showing a CPU temperature that is actually well below ambient - like 5C!

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Dan in Saint Louis

Edited: 06/01/2007 at 02:39 PM by Dan in Saint Louis

So, anybody else have a program that correctly reads Brisbane temperatures?

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Dan in Saint Louis

Use NextSensor. It can read a temperature of the lates AMD processors very well.

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AMD Embedded Computing Solutions Division Software Partner
AMD Alchemy and Geode Developers Team
Native Specialist - AMD ECSD CPUID tool

Thanks, Sansei, but NextSensor says my processor is at 251C, CoreA at 3.5C and CoreB at 3.0C. Given that I am using only forced air cooling (no liquids) and the heat sink is above ambient temperature, these cannot be true.

Imagine a piece of silicon surviving 251C!

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Dan in Saint Louis

Oh, no! That temperature is not correct, of course! 251 degrees is too high. Please, make the Settings tab active, enable Custom Settings and then try to select another type of the sensor for the TCPU field, for example Thermal Diode.

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AMD Embedded Computing Solutions Division Software Partner
AMD Alchemy and Geode Developers Team
Native Specialist - AMD ECSD CPUID tool

Thank you, Sansei. I was able to get a lower reading by choosing the profile for another ASUS mother board (my model is not included).

However, it provides a reading lower than that of the mother board itself, and the core readings are still totally unrealistic.

Thank you to all who have made suggestions. All the the programs I have tried can be lumped into two categories:

1) Those that read the voltage drop across the internal silicon diode apply equations to that voltage that do not work for the Brisbane socket AM2 CPU. All of them show temperatures below the ambient temperature inside the case. Right now, for example, ASUS PC Probe II shows 22C.

2) Those that read the internal digital register (Digital Temperature Sensor) read 3C to 6C, obviously not correct with a mother board temperature of about 37C.

The bottom line is that temperature sensing in the AMD Athlon X2 Brisbane (socket AM2) series of chips is broken. AMD's own technical staff are not permitted to confirm that, but they also won't deny it. They have directed me to the same programs suggested here, none of which display reasonable answers.

I'm still waiting for news from AMD, or from anyone here who has a solution for that specific CPU family.

Thanks!

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Dan in Saint Louis

Dan in Saint Louis

Hi yet again!

Look, I've just finished a work at my new small amd64ct tool and I really want to get your feedback as soon as possible. The Amd64ct tool enables you to switch between two thermal sensors in the CPU core. I want to believe that one from them is working. Please, download amd64ct by the link

Good luck!

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AMD Embedded Computing Solutions Division Software Partner
AMD Alchemy and Geode Developers Team
Native Specialist - AMD ECSD CPUID tool

Core0, Sensor #0 = 5.5C
Core1, Sensor #0 = 3.5C

Core0, Sensor #1 = 9.5C
Core1, Sensor #1 = 9.0C

Air temperature inside the case = 35C

If AMD would like to send me a "fixed" Brisbane to try, I now have about a dozen programs to test it with and I would be pleased to publish the results. I won't need the heat sink and fan, thank you, just the CPU. Just post here a method of contact, and I will reply privately. Until then? The Brisbane temperature sensors are broken.

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Dan in Saint Louis

Ok I've been having some strange readings as well with my 5600+ but mine is a Windsor. Using the AMD64 CPU core I'm seeing both cores at between 24 and 27C at idle. I have an Asus M2N4 MB and using Asus' PC Probe it is reading my CPU temp at double that, 48-50C. I've tried about a dozen apps and the all report different that the Asus PC Probe application, yet the bios is matching exactly what PC Probe is reporting. I also tried sensors view and that also is reporting my CPU at 25C but the SYS is at 48C which is what PC Probe is reporting for the CPU temp. Could the SYS temp be the temp of the MB bridge chipset?


Nick

And that is clearly an error, as the air inside your case is no doubt warmer that that.


My best guess is that the BIOS is the closest, since it can only sense the thermal diode temperature -- no decoding software has yet been installed. PC Probe agrees, and supports the idea. Any program that reports less than the air inside your case must be incorrect, as the CPU will always be hotter than that.

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Dan in Saint Louis

Here's an update....I tried my stock AMD HS and that idled at 45C (lower than the Thermaltake) but the load still went up to 65C. I went out and bought another HS this time with the fan blowing on the side and that wasn't much better, idle was 43C with load reaching 60C. I spoke to Asus and they were worthless in helping. I called AMD and they said to run the CPU burn in and then try touching the HS and see if it is hot. It felt warm but not to the point of being real hot, so it would seem that the MB may be reading the temps incorrectly. I'm going to buy a Gigabyte MB at this point and see if it makes a difference, if it doesn't then I know that the processor is the culprit and will most likely downgrade to a 65W processor.

AMD's "boxed" heat sinks aren't bad at all. Two things to watch for:

1) That the HS is fully connected to the CPU with no chance of tilt or air gaps, and

2) That neither too much nor too little HS compound was applied.

If your HS came with compound pre-applied, #2 is in good shape. If you have ever removed the HS and applied new compound, I'm sure you have seen the warnings about using too much. I think one source compared the amount to "five grains of rice" -- uncooked, of course<G>.

Some grades of HS compound will also ooze out the sides of the gap after numerous heat/cool cycles. The plastic-film type does not, but once in place it cannot be disturbed. In any case, 60C under heavy load is not dangerous, and 43C at idle is probably just 4 or 5 degrees above the air inside the case.

I haven't heard from AMD about my offer to test a Brisbane with "repaired" DTS <G>.

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Dan in Saint Louis

PC Probe correctly identifies your motherboard and CPU temperatues, well as long as your sensors aer workign correctly. Asus has thier chips setup differently in the way they are sensed comapred to other motherboards. I did find that Everest Ultimate found my readings and sensors correctly in ym Asus board, except for harddrive temperatures with RAID. SpeedFan also works for the most part except for me in Vista it was a no go, Windows was good though. Hope this helps!

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Multi-Core Upgrade Guide

Do you want a world ranking? Join Team Fusion in Forum Warz 2011!

Aye, and there's the rub. Both the motherboard BIOS and ASUS PC Probe II under-report the Brisbane temperature, sometimes even showing it to be less than ambient.

BTW, PorscheRacer, would you like to buy a 2007 911 Turbo? We have one with 1000 miles on it, and no room to keep it! Faster than a GT3.........

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Dan in Saint Louis

Has there been any reported issues with the Windsor chip? I'm wondering if I should downgrade to a 65W chip.

I have not watched for trouble with other chips, so others here may be able to be more definite. That said, I have not heard of the same problems with the Windsor. If you DO decide to change anyway, I don't think its a downgrade! Less power, quieter fans, etc.

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Dan in Saint Louis

Hi all
New here and was looking for info on the brisbane series core temp also.

I am running am2 x2 4800 @2500. Zalman 9700 HSF, with AS5, applied as directed, no gaps as far as I can tell by sight alone. On Gigabyte M55Plus S3G Mobo.

Tried most temp programs, CoreTemp, Speedfan, Everest, SiSoft Sandra, AMD64ct,
all show the CPU @ ~5c - 7c, with the occasional jump to ~10c-11c.
Even the bios shows the same. (all temps at idle, no programs running).

Ambient here in Aus. is around 15c, and case should be around 20c.
So I believe the sensors in the CPU are up the creek and no chance of finding a paddle at the moment.

I dont have any problems running any apps, so I am sticking with things as they are at the moment. Unless anyone has any other problems they would like to share.

All the the programs I have tried can be lumped into two categories:

1) Those that read the voltage drop across the internal silicon diode apply equations to that voltage that do not work for the Brisbane socket AM2 CPU. All of them show temperatures below the ambient temperature inside the case. Right now, for example, ASUS PC Probe II shows 22C.

2) Those that read the internal digital register (Digital Temperature Sensor) read 3C to 6C, obviously not correct with a mother board temperature of about 37C.

The bottom line is that temperature sensing in the AMD Athlon X2 Brisbane (socket AM2) series of chips is broken. AMD's own technical staff are not permitted to confirm that, but they also won't deny it. They have directed me to the same programs suggested here, none of which display reasonable answers.

I'm still waiting for news from AMD, or from anyone here who has a solution for that specific CPU family.

Thanks!

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Dan in Saint Louis