Options for reducing heat without voiding warranty?

[idata]

I just built a machine with an i7-960, and the processor is running much hotter than I would like. The Prime95 Torture Test got it up to 76 degrees C in minutes. I don't overclock, and tried all the steps here: http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-029427.htm http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-029427.htm (that actually got it down; prior to that, I hadn't locked the heatsink pins properly and it was getting up to 92C during the torture test, as well as once while making a system image backup). The motherboard temperature has never gotten to 40C, so I don't think it's a case issue. I don't want to void the warranty, but I don't want the system running that hot either. (It's idling around 35C, and under partial load hovers around 50C.) I put the machine together to edit HD video, so I'm going to be taxing the processor a fair amount. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

My machine:

i7-960

Asus Sabertooth X58

EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti

Kingston HyperX 4 GB 1600 x3

Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1 TB 7200rpm

LITE-ON 24X DVD-RW

PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk 2 750W

NZXT GAMA-001BK w/5 120mm fans

[idata]

If you are just using the stock fan and heatsink, and it is installed correctly, I would start looking at aftermarket coolers.

Look at Arctic Cooling, either the Freezer Pro 7 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134) or their Freezer 13 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186039 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186039). CoolerMaster and some others also makes some good ones.

[idata]

Don't aftermarket coolers void the warranty, though?

[idata]

Here is th eWarranty info

http://download.intel.com/support/processors/sb/english_3yr_warranty.pdf http://download.intel.com/support/processors/sb/english_3yr_warranty.pdf

Not getting the heat sink installed correctly could be considered Voiding the warranty, but I don't see that use of any approved heat sinl is an issue.

[idata]

Jeremy Wolford wrote:

Don't aftermarket coolers void the warranty, though?

No they do not. The only way they could void the warranty is if they did not cool properly and destroyed the CPU. That is not likely to happen as the CPU will shut itself down before that could happen.

For cooling, the coolers I mentioned are far superior to the OE cooler. By a long shot. OE is adequite, but the AM ones to a superb job. I am running the Freezer 13 on an I7 860, and the fan never needs to go above minimum speed, even when I am working with videos.

As an example on mine, it runs at 40c at idle with the fan at minimum (889rpm) speed. When using the IDCC stress test for 10 minutes, the max temp is 51c with the fan still at minimum. Not even close to max temp.