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BF6 Temp Probe
Experiment
Sometimes using a generic
part here and/or an off-brand part there isn't always a bad
thing. As a RULE of THUMB though, stick to well known, quality products.
I am in the middle of
reviewing this Abit BF6 motherboard before it goes out the door to some
lucky winner, and I stumbled on a pretty damn cool idea ( all puns
intended ).
The BF6 has a small 2
prong thermistor connector on the board ( TSYS2 ) that has an included
6" lead on it to place anywhere you'd like to monitor temp. If I am
like MOST of you, I care about processor heat foremost, everything else
comes second.
I picked up a handful of
generic SlotKets awhile back for $11.00 each, nothing spectacular. . .
but had all the manual jumpers a fella could need and it had the
strangest pattern of holes drilled directly in the center of the socket.
. .
Probably to vent heat. . .
. in some strange way. The holes are small and not really useful
for getting rid of heat, but I have a better idea for them holes
when used with the BF6.
First, I prep this board
like I do ANY board I get in. . We smack a little TennMax
Cooler on the chipset. Although this rig will not see "ultra
high" bus speeds etc.... cooling your chipset can always help
prolong the life of your MoBo and certainly make any overclocking
attempt more stable.
And, ya gotta admit. . . .
that looks sweet.
Now, lets look at the
actual Thermistor lead on the motherboard the TSYS2. The included lead
is neither short or long, and at 6" in length, it wont really reach
anywhere other than the CPU / HeatSink / AGP Card. But how do you get an
accurate read when the probe is jammed in the heatsink or between the
CPU and Heatsink ( causing a small "hotspot" )?? Then it hit
me. . . THE HOLES!!!
So I feed the probe wire
through the hole, and attach the probe to the BACK of my processor. No
thermal grease, no wedging in the heatsink and it was a fairly easy
operation using the supplied tape. Look:
As I said. . . pretty damn
spiffy, it looks fairly high tech. . . . performs well and a great way
to monitor accurate CPU temp. on a slot one board.
O.K., I am back to doing
my BF6 Review before unleashing this bad boy on our contest winner. . .
so for now, get in the DAMN
CONTEST and try to win something !!! -=sheesh=-
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