Flashing MSI x58 Pro with MSI x58 Pro SLI BIOS (help with IOH heat problem)

[chaose]

so, 2 things.
First:
I noticed that on the MSI BIOS website, the MSI x58 Pro and the MSI x58 Pro SLI mobos have remarkably similar specs, with the exception being the sli version have support for both xfire and sli. I then checked the BIOS, and this is what I found:


MSI Pro:
http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=downloaddetail&type=bios&maincat_no=1&prod_no=1744
AMI BIOS  7.1  808KB
2009-02-18
file: 7522v71.zip

MSI Pro SLI:
http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=downloaddetail&type=bios&maincat_no=1&prod_no=1745
AMI BIOS 8.1 807KB  (It's smaller by 1KB :O)
2009-03-10
file: 7522v81.zip

Anyway, looking at these 2 files, it seems that one should be able to flash the pro with the pro sli BIOS. Perhaps you guys heard about Gigabyte's board having SLI built in, just locked up and unavaiable until some dude flashed the board with a sli compatible bios and got it working. While I doubt such is true of the MSI Pro board, I do think that the two would be similar enough that the pro sli bios would run on the pro. Perhaps it will help me with the IOH heat problem on the pro, which leads to my second problem...

My Pro mobo runs v7.1 BIOS. When I checked the temperatures, the IOH seems to be idling at 87C. The computer runs fine, but I'm a bit worried since the critical temperature is 100C, and 87C is cutting it close. After reading the forums, I cleaned the surfaces of the heatsink and the chips and changed the thermal paste, and now it ranges between 80-87C. I'm thinking about giving the thermal paste 3-4 days to cure, and hopefully it stabilize and drop to a decent range. Now I am wondering if flashing my BIOS to the Pro SLI version 7522v8.1 would help at all.

any suggestions/comments?

 

[Jack the Newbie]

it seems that one should be able to flash the pro with the pro sli BIOS.

It should be possible, however: do that on your own risk.

Now I am wondering if flashing my BIOS to the Pro SLI version 7522v8.1 would help at all.

I doubt it.  How do you cool your case? Have you checked if an additional fan pointed at the IOH Heatsink helps?

 

[gudel]

My X58 Pro IOH runs around 79 when idle, around 85ish when playing COD4. I can't say that I've seen 87C when idle.
Just curious, for you and others with high IOH temperature, what kind of case are you using?

 

[chaose]

I'm using the xclio wind tunnel full tower, with a 120 mm exhaust fan and a xigmatek dark knight cpu cooler

case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103011&Tpk=xclio%20wind%20tunnel

cpu cooler:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

 

[chaose]

flashed it 2 nights ago. works fine. =]
not sure if the SLI works though, since i don't have nvidia cards.

the thermal paste is curing, temperature is now in the 70C range instead of 80. Although I wish it was lower, I guess I'll have to settle for what I can get. hopefully it will drop some more over the week.

 

[NovJoe]

I'm using the xclio wind tunnel full tower, with a 120 mm exhaust fan and a xigmatek dark knight cpu cooler

case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103011&Tpk=xclio%20wind%20tunnel

How many fans do you have for inlet air and how many for exhaust air?

 

[198962]

hi
I just ordered my MSI Pro motherboard
and I am using COOLER MASTER RC-690  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
the case currently has one inlet fan which is on the front, 2 exhasut fans which are on the back and right side
i also ordered artic 5 thermal paste, now i am wondering how many case fan I should get to keep the motherboard temp down
i can still install 2 fan on the top, one fan on the bottom, and one fan on the left side
but I dont know which one should be inlet and which one should be exhaust
can anyone help me?

 

[NovJoe]

You do not need so many fans. Usually, 2 inlets and 2 exhaust fans of the same model will give a very good and balanced airflow.

 

[sangster]

see my experience with cooling the IOH on the X58 Pro.

https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=126767.0

 

[HU16E]

@ sangster, quote me an industry standard unsafe idle IOH temp for the X58. Your 72c seems to be well below the 100c max. limit. What does it stabilize at under full load?