CPU Overheating!

sticker

Hey all,

I've been experiencing full system crashes in the past few weeks - whereby the PC just powers down!

I installed motherboard monitor and I'm getting warning messages that my CPU's temp is moving from 73 degrees to 78 degrees (monitor tells me high end temp should be 70 degrees)

Damn! Anyone recommend a remedy? Does this mean a new motherboard / CPU?

Thanks in advance...

System Spec:

Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
Date 2007-03-30
Time 10:25

Computer Type ACPI Uniprocessor PC
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer 7.0.5730.11
DirectX 4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)
Computer Name STICKYSPC
User Name ConorMurray
Logon Domain STICKYSPC
Date / Time 2007-03-30 / 10:25

Motherboard:
CPU Type AMD Athlon XP, 2100 MHz (10.5 x 200) 3000+
Motherboard Name DFI NFII Ultra Infinity (5 PCI, 1 AGP, 3 DDR DIMM, Audio, LAN, IEEE-1394)
Motherboard Chipset nVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400
System Memory 2048 MB (PC3200 DDR SDRAM)
BIOS Type Award (11/24/04)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port Printer Port (LPT1)

Display:
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT (256 MB)
3D Accelerator nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT
Monitor Dell 1905FP (Digital) [19" LCD] (X83895681DHA)

Multimedia:
Audio Adapter Creative Audigy 2 ZS (SB0350) Platinum Sound Card

Storage:
IDE Controller NVIDIA nForce2 ATA Controller
SCSI/RAID Controller IVI VIRTUALDRV SCSI Controller
SCSI/RAID Controller Silicon Image SiI 3114 SATARaid Controller
SCSI/RAID Controller VAX347S SCSI Controller
Floppy Drive Floppy disk drive
Disk Drive Maxtor 6L200P0 (200 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/133)
Disk Drive HDS722580VLAT20 (80 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)
Disk Drive WDC WD2000BB-00GUA0 (186 GB, IDE)
Disk Drive Seagate External Drive USB Device (232 GB, USB)
Optical Drive IVI Virtual CD SCSI CdRom Device
Optical Drive PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-110D (DVD+R9:8x, DVD-R9:8x, DVD+RW:16x/8x, DVD-RW:16x/6x, DVD-ROM:16x, CD:40x/32x/40x DVD+RW/DVD-RW)
Optical Drive SCSIVAX DVD/CD-ROM SCSI CdRom Device
SMART Hard Disks Status OK

Partitions:
C: (NTFS) 194474 MB (14300 MB free)
(NTFS) 190779 MB (3270 MB free)
F: (NTFS) 78528 MB (22580 MB free)
J: (FAT32) 238414 MB (30487 MB free)
Total Size 685.7 GB (69.0 GB free)

Input:
Keyboard HID Keyboard Device
Mouse HID-compliant mouse
Mouse HID-compliant mouse

Network:
Primary IP Address 192.168.1.33
Primary MAC Address 00-13-49-47-20-C3
Network Adapter NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Controller
Network Adapter ZyXEL USB ADSL Modem (192.168.1.33)

Peripherals:
Printer Adobe PDF
Printer Dell Photo AIO Printer 962
Printer Dell Printer Fax Tools
FireWire Controller Creative Audigy IEEE1394 Firewire Controller (PHY: TI TSB41AB1/2)
FireWire Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - FireWire Controller
FireWire Controller VIA VT6306 Fire II IEEE1394 Host Controller (PHY: VIA VT6307)
USB1 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - OHCI USB Controller
USB1 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - OHCI USB Controller
USB2 Controller nVIDIA MCP2 - EHCI USB 2.0 Controller
USB Device Dell Photo AIO Printer 962
USB Device Generic USB Hub
USB Device Generic USB Hub
USB Device USB Audio Device
USB Device USB Composite Device
USB Device USB Composite Device
USB Device USB Composite Device
USB Device USB Human Interface Device
USB Device USB Human Interface Device
USB Device USB Human Interface Device
USB Device USB Human Interface Device
USB Device USB Mass Storage Device
USB Device USB Printing Support
USB Device USB2.0 PC Camera (SN9C202)
USB Device ZyXEL USB ADSL Modem #5

DMI:
DMI BIOS Vendor Phoenix Technologies, LTD
DMI BIOS Version 6.00 PG
DMI System Manufacturer
DMI System Product
DMI System Version
DMI System Serial Number
DMI Motherboard Manufacturer
DMI Motherboard Product nVidia-nForce
DMI Motherboard Version
DMI Motherboard Serial Number
DMI Chassis Manufacturer
DMI Chassis Version
DMI Chassis Serial Number
DMI Chassis Asset Tag
DMI Chassis Type Desktop Case
DMI Total / Free Memory Sockets 3 / 0

Auvers

It maybe just dust accumulated on the heatsink that sits on your CPU or the CPU fan is failing open your chassis up and check.

Daemonic

Auvers wrote:

It maybe just dust accumulated on the heatsink that sits on your CPU or the CPU fan is failing open your chassis up and check.

Yup, i had the same problem recently and when I checked there was so much dust between the blades of the heatsink it was more like a duvet than a cooling device. A quick blast of compressed air later and temperatures were halved from 70'ish to 35C

humaxf1

hi,

Could be a case of doing the following: [if you're confident to do so]

a. power down PC

b. remove heatsink/fan assembly. be careful, these can be fiddly

c. clean off, thoroughly, thermal paste residue from CPU and underneath of heatsink. I find wire wool great on the heatsink...don't use on CPU

d. hoover away any dust build up on heatsink/fan

e. reapply a dollop of thermal paste onto CPU core. not too much.

f. reinstall heatsink/fan assembly

g. hoover away any dust build up in general inside the case while you're there


the downward clamping pressure of the CPU will spread the paste naturally

OR

do as the other two posters have said first...i must type faster lol

Khannie

Sometimes the thermal paste between the heatsink and the cpu goes to crap too. You could try applying some arctic silver instead of the stuff that's already on it.

Anti

Yeah i have to agree, this does not sound like a fooked cpu. The best thing you can do is remove the Heatsing from the cpu, Clean the fan out and clear off all dialetic grease from the cpu and the bottom of the hsf too. If you have any left apply some more( rice gain size ) And use the hsf weight to spread it out. If you dont have any left call into peats ( near trinity college ) and pick up some artic 5.

sticker

Thanks for the advice all... I'm not all that techy profecient to tackle some of the suggestions, but a mate is - I'll see if I can get him up over the weekend.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help

Anti

If he isnt drop the pc round to me and ill sort it for ya. no charge

sticker

Anti wrote:

If he isnt drop the pc round to me and ill sort it for ya. no charge

Thats really good of you to offer -

I opened the tower this morning - The fan was covered with dust... Just neglect on my part. I cleaned it out and re-booted. Temp now showing a clean 45 degrees. I'll let motherboard monitor run for a few weeks - if she climbs again, I'll look into getting some fresh Artic Silver.

Thanks again for all the help