Curse

Ultima pyromancer · Dec 25, 2008, 10:33 PM // 22:33

Hello, thanks for taking your time to read this in advance and sorry for the long post.

I am aware overheating is a common issue with gaming, but it has been bugging me for a while and im concerned about my hardware being damaged

Well first off some history about my computer. I built it myself 2 years ago. About 18 months later it locked up in the middle of playing a game. I have had no previous accounts of overheating or crashing like this. I restarted my computer and it was just dead. I went though all the steps of checking what was wrong and my motherboard had just died.. Im not certain of the cause either, i don't think it was an overheating with that motherboard though.

So i replaced it with a new motherboard. I bought a Gigabyte M61PME-S2. While i was buying that i thought i might aswell upgrade. I bought an Nvidia 8800GT and a 700w PSU to power it.

I re-pasted the processor whilst re-building the computer. Everything was fine for 2 or 3 days then it suddenly turned itself off. I was worried that i had somehow blown another motherboard. I was at a friends house at the time, and the computer was on the floor with PLENTY of ventilation. It wasn't anywhere near the wall or anything else. I opened up the case and it was very warm.

Fortunatly my friends Dad works with computers and he checked it out for me. He installed a program that would monitor my CPU levels. ITs a dual core and the second core was running about 10c lower than the first. Idle heat would reach 40-60c and even playing a movie with WMP would cause a spike in temperature, ranging from 70-100c Which is obviously very unhealthy for the computer. When i got home i cleaned everything out but nothing changed.

At home the computer is still well ventilated. Although the computer is next to a heater, even when in hasn't been on all day, temparatures still rise.

Here is a summary of steps i've taken to find the cause and some extra info on my system

Cleaned all the dust out of the fans
Took the heatsink fan off and cleaned out the heatsink
Re positioned the heatsink to make sure its in the correct place
Tried using programs to increase the Fan speed on graphics card - no change in temperature levels
I am 100% the system is virus free
Changed heatsink (Nothing too fancy)
Plugged the CPU fan into the System fan socket in case the CPU fan socket was not working properly
Reinstalled graphics drivers

I've checked the heat levels with many different programs. Here are a few temperatures

Average Idle: 10c-50c
Average Moderate Use (web browsing etc): 20-60c
Average Intensive use (Whilst running Guild Wars): 25c - 90c

Heres some tecnical info that might help. I used PC Wizard 2008 to get all the results, and Core Temp to double check the CPU temps

Fans: 1 Large fan blowing air out of the case, One on the side with plenty of ventilation pushing cool air into the case.

<<< System Summary >>>

> Mainboard : Gigabyte M61PME-S2
> Chipset : nVidia 6100V
> Processor : AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ @ 2300 MHz
> Physical Memory : 2048 MB (2 x 1024 DDR2-SDRAM )
> Video Card : NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
> Hard Disk : ST3300822AS (300 GB)
> Hard Disk : WDC (80 GB)
> DVD-Rom Drive : TSSTcorp CD/DVDW SH-W162C
> Monitor Type : 18 inches
> Monitor Type : Samsung SyncMaster - 17 inches
> Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 5.01.2600 Service Pack 3
> DirectX : Version 9.0c (July 2007)

<<< Voltage, Temperature and Fans >>>

Temparature was taken whilst posting this, with nothing else running.

> Hardware Monitoring : ITE IT8716F
>> General Information
ISA Address : 0x290
Support : M61PME-S2
>> Sensor Information
Sensor : ITE IT8716F
Mode : ISA (SuperIO LPC)
PECI Mode : No

> Voltage CPU : 1.32 V

>> General Information CPU
Voltage : 1.325 V
StartupVID : 1.100 V
MaxVID : 1.375 V

> Processor Fan : 2596 rpm
> Chassis Fan : 1670 rpm
> Processor : Thermal Diode

> AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Core 1) : 206.8 °C << Hopefully a glitch...
> AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Core 2) : 206.8 °C <<Srylsy wtf?

CPU Temperature Taken with Core Temp:
Core 1: 50c
Core 2: 40c

> NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT : nVidia Driver
> GPU Temperature : 54 °C
> GPU Ambient : 40 °C
> GPU Fan : 2%
> Hard Disk Monitoring : S.M.A.R.T
> Hard Disk WDC WD800JD-08LSA0 : 31 °C
> Hard Disk ST3300822AS : 39 °C

Ok, i hope that is enough information on the system, if you require anymore info, i would be happy to post it. Thanks again

Elder III · Dec 25, 2008, 11:53 PM // 23:53

try to reinstall your processor drivers

try Everest Ultimate to check CPU temps.... Core Temp is sometimes goofy...

all I can think of at the moment that you haven't already listed....

Merry Christmas btw

Ultima pyromancer · Dec 26, 2008, 12:52 AM // 00:52

Temperatures:
Motherboard 53 °C (127 °F)
CPU 66 °C (151 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #1 53 °C (127 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #2 42 °C (108 °F)
MCP 66 °C (151 °F)
Aux 36 °C (97 °F)
GPU 59 °C (138 °F)
GPU Memory 51 °C (124 °F)
GPU Ambient 42 °C (108 °F)
Seagate ST3300822AS 38 °C (100 °F)
WDC WD800JD-08LSA0 28 °C (82 °F)

temps from everest

i will reinstall drivers, anythings worth a shot. Thanks for the response, happy christmas

Divinity Sword · Dec 26, 2008, 02:09 AM // 02:09

Looks like it's your CPU. The things I can recommend are to get some arctic silver 5 thermal paste and a freezer 64 pro heatsink + fan. That should only cost you $30 max from newegg. That keeps my 6000+ cool @ 48c under load so yours should be insane low. Merry Christmas and GL

Snograt · Dec 26, 2008, 02:38 AM // 02:38

Actually, all those temperatures are pretty high.

Div. Sword's advice is good, but I'd think about getting a few more case fans - in-suckers at the front and out-blowers at the back.

Ultima pyromancer · Dec 26, 2008, 11:14 PM // 23:14

Ok, so i got to thinking and i made a few changes with my current setup and i managed to get the temperatures down quite a bit.

Temperatures:
Motherboard 52 °C (126 °F)
CPU 63 °C (145 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #1 47 °C (117 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #2 38 °C (100 °F)
MCP 59 °C (138 °F)
Aux 36 °C (97 °F)
GPU 57 °C (135 °F)
GPU Memory 48 °C (118 °F)
GPU Ambient 40 °C (104 °F)
Seagate ST3300822AS 30 °C (86 °F)
WDC WD800JD-08LSA0 22 °C (72 °F)

That was whilst running 2 copies of guild wars. Here are the idle temperatures after waiting 2 minutes between the first temperature

Temperatures:
Motherboard 35 °C (95 °F)
CPU 31 °C (88 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #1 13 °C (57 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #2 15 °C (61 °F)
MCP 59 °C (138 °F)
Aux 35 °C (95 °F)
GPU 50 °C (122 °F)
GPU Memory 42 °C (108 °F)
GPU Ambient 37 °C (99 °F)
Seagate ST3300822AS 30 °C (86 °F)
WDC WD800JD-08LSA0 22 °C (72 °F)

CPU Temps with Core Temp:
Core#1: 7°C
Core#2: 6°C

The change i made was the placement of the chasis fan. Instead of being on the side of the system, i put it on the front. That way, cool air goes in through the front and out of the back, rather than just pumping in cool air from the side. A more structured airflow if you like.

Heres pathetic ms paint diagram to show the airflow before and after.

This is just a temporary fix, i will buy a new cpu heatsink and a couple more fanse just incase.. it may be overkill but i would rather spend $40 than $100+ buying a new mobo

RotteN · Dec 27, 2008, 02:04 AM // 02:04

does your powersupply suck air out of your case ?
Or does it blow it's hot air into the case ?

I'd get an extra 120mm intake fan above the one you already have.

Elder III · Dec 27, 2008, 02:50 AM // 02:50

good airflow does make a big difference......... blue glowy fans are cool too XD

Ultima pyromancer · Dec 27, 2008, 03:12 AM // 03:12

Yea its blue and glowy

and the PSU fan sucks air from the case

Thanks for the tips all

RotteN · Dec 27, 2008, 02:36 PM // 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultima pyromancer

and the PSU fan sucks air from the case

In that case i would def install an extra intake fan. If you have more exhaust fans than intake fans you'll basically be sucking air in from every small hole in your case, which is pretty bad for airflow.