Reboots and CPU temp

#1

My RockPI 4a has been rebooting once every couple days, usually under load, but nothing crazy. Mostly file server activity, I was streaming videos from it to jellyfin/chromecast the first couple times it rebooted. And today I was copying files to USBs. So pretty constant file server for 1+ hours each time.

I have the large radxa heatsink installed, no fan. It’s sitting on the heatsink, with the SBC above the heatsink. CPU temps according to htop in armbian range from 45-50C (shown in red).

I’m wondering if these temps are the cause of the reboots. I’m also wondering if I’ve got SD card problems. But any advice on the CPU temps would be appreciated. I had to move the SBC around several times lately, so IDK if maybe the heatsink isn’t seated as well as before.

Thanks

#2

50 degrees is normal. Something else could be causing the reboot.

#3

What power adapter are you using and how is the USB3 power consumption?

#4

I purchased a power supply bundled with my rockpi4 from allnet in January of last year.

All USB hard drives are 3.5" and externally powered.

#5

I recently added an APC UPS to my setup. The USB power supply for Rockpi is plugged directly into one of the battery backup plugs on the UPS.

#6

Armbian overclocks the CPUs by default and this leads to instability; try limiting the A53 cores to 1400MHz and the A72 cores to 1800MHz. Stability should improve after doing this.

#7

Just double checking. Is 45-50C cpu temp at idle with the large heatsink normal?

I ask because I’ve found a couple posts/videos with test of the small and large heatsinks, and at idle with the large it seems like CPU temps sit in the 30s C.

Trying to figure out if I could pull the heatsink and reapply thermal paste, if maybe I don’t have a great connection. Rockpi is in the basement which is currently around 21C.

#8

No, that’s not normal. Doublecheck you’ve remembered to use the thermal paste, and that the machine actually is idle and you don’t have some rogue process chewing up CPU.

#9

I flipped the SBC over so the heatsink is on the top. Temps are mostly in the 40-45C range now. CPU load is below 1 most of the time, usually below 0.5.

Current htop

rockpi%20htop
rockpi htop.png732×172 10.7 KB

That seems like it’s still in the not normal temp range?

#10

I pulled the heatsink, cleaned off the older thermal paste(it was there). Applied new arctic silver and put it back together. I let it sit relatively idle (with it’s normal docker container processes running, but no active users) for about two hours. Heatsink on the bottom.

Long%20idle%20after%20new%20paste
Long idle after new paste.PNG739×174 5.73 KB

#11

Heatsink up is better since that’s how thermodynamics works. If you have a 3D printer, I can suggest a great case for it.