my computer over heats!! help

[varunkapahi]

it just turns off occasionally and then when i restart it, it says it had turned off due to a thermal event (overheating)

i cleaned all the dust off from the insides of my cpu when it happened a couple of days back but its re-occuring. all the fans (processor fan, power supply fan, gfx card fan and one additional cabinet fan) are all working fine. so now there is no dust or any cable getting in the way. also, its winter time here the room temperature remains 10-20 degree Celsius. its got plenty of air room on all sides too.

the computer is NOT overclocked! its totally stock as it was assembled by the vendor. is there something i can check or fix myself?

config:
core2duo
vindows vista
2gig ram
500gb sata hdd
nvidia geforce 9600gt gfx card
maya audiophile 4/4 sound card
i-ball power supply, dont remember the rating but its meant to take this load according to the vendor
let me know if you need to know anything more

[NJL]

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[Asa Samuel]

If your computer is against a wall or under a desk get it out right away, make sure the fans are free of any obstructions and there is a good clear flow for them, if there is anything against your computer that would reflect heat, insulate the computer in any way or block the air flow remove it.

Also, make sure your fans are actually running (one might be broken?) and make sure you haven't installed any fan control software that might have turned one off or turned it down.

Asa.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Asa Samuel

If your computer is against a wall or under a desk get it out right away, make sure the fans are free of any obstructions and there is a good clear flow for them, if there is anything against your computer that would reflect heat, insulate the computer in any way or block the air flow remove it.

Also, make sure your fans are actually running (one might be broken?) and make sure you haven't installed any fan control software that might have turned one off or turned it down.

Asa.

thanks for the replies but i already wrote about all the points you mentioned in my first post

[cliffbass]

Try to put the cpu thermal thingy more stable at the procecor becauase the closer it is the most low deegrees you get also it might be a registry problem

[Sbociol]

I had the same exact problem you are reporting,it's very likely the grease between the processor and the fan needs to be replaced.How old is your computer?

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Sbociol

I had the same exact problem you are reporting,it's very likely the grease between the processor and the fan needs to be replaced.How old is your computer?

just about 5-6 months old. the whole of it

[DigMe]

Obviously this should not be happening but first you need to diagnose what exactly is overheating and when. First you need to check your CPU temps so install a program such as Core temp or Real Temp to do so. Think of some of the things you were doing before when it shut down and then do those things as you check temps. Also Core Temp can keep a log of temps that you can check afterwards. Your idle temps should be in the mid to low 40s (Celsius) with stock cooling. Your cores should probably not be getting over 70 or so. Hotter than that and you'll probably be shortening the lifespan of the processor.

You also need to check temps for your hard drive(s) and graphics card. Use rivetuner to check GPU temp. Google to find download links for these programs.

bc

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by DigMe

Obviously this should not be happening but first you need to diagnose what exactly is overheating and when. First you need to check your CPU temps so install a program such as Core temp or Real Temp to do so. Think of some of the things you were doing before when it shut down and then do those things as you check temps. Also Core Temp can keep a log of temps that you can check afterwards. Your idle temps should be in the mid to low 40s (Celsius) with stock cooling. Your cores should probably not be getting over 70 or so. Hotter than that and you'll probably be shortening the lifespan of the processor.

You also need to check temps for your hard drive(s) and graphics card. Use rivetuner to check GPU temp. Google to find download links for these programs.

bc

exatcly! i cant figure out what is overheating. the processor and motherboard temperature were between 41-43C in the BIOS when i opened it

[Georynn]

Originally Posted by DigMe

Obviously this should not be happening but first you need to diagnose what exactly is overheating and when. First you need to check your CPU temps so install a program such as Core temp or Real Temp to do so. Think of some of the things you were doing before when it shut down and then do those things as you check temps. Also Core Temp can keep a log of temps that you can check afterwards. Your idle temps should be in the mid to low 40s (Celsius) with stock cooling. Your cores should probably not be getting over 70 or so. Hotter than that and you'll probably be shortening the lifespan of the processor.

You also need to check temps for your hard drive(s) and graphics card. Use rivetuner to check GPU temp. Google to find download links for these programs.

bc

Very good suggestions.

If your PC is a reputable name brand, it shouldn't be overheating, PERIOD. The manufacturer should cover this under warranty, so be very careful not to void your warranty while trying to troubleshoot the problem.

Some other things to try:

Make sure your fans are drawing air across the CPU, and not installed backwards (pulling the air towards the CPU or into the case).

If there are lots of untidy cables in the way, they can also restrict the air flow and keep the warm air from escaping.

Checking the thermal paste is another good suggestion, if there isn't enough between the CPU and the heat sink, or if it has dried out, there is no way for the heat to be transferred away from the CPU, which could cause it to overheat as well.

If you can get into your BIOS setup utility (usually by pressing one of the function keys, or the delete key, when your computer first turns on) there are usually some settings for adjusting your fan speeds and thermal shutdown thresholds.

I've also seen a few PCs that get "false positives" from the thermostat, because the thermostat was actually touching some part of the CPU instead of reading the temperature of the air around the CPU, or the temperature of the heat sink as some thermostats are supposed to do. Read your owners manual to see if the thermostats are correctly set up and positioned as they should be.

Overheating issues are sometimes hard to diagnose. If any of this sounds like something you aren't comfortable doing, let a certified technician take a look at it. Heat can RUIN a processor very quickly, and render your PC completely useless in a very short amount of time, so be very careful.

Good luck!

[Asa Samuel]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

thanks for the replies but i already wrote about all the points you mentioned in my first post

So you did, another case of not reading the original post properly.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Georynn

Very good suggestions.

If your PC is a reputable name brand, it shouldn't be overheating, PERIOD. The manufacturer should cover this under warranty, so be very careful not to void your warranty while trying to troubleshoot the problem.

Some other things to try:

Make sure your fans are drawing air across the CPU, and not installed backwards (pulling the air towards the CPU or into the case).

If there are lots of untidy cables in the way, they can also restrict the air flow and keep the warm air from escaping.

Checking the thermal paste is another good suggestion, if there isn't enough between the CPU and the heat sink, or if it has dried out, there is no way for the heat to be transferred away from the CPU, which could cause it to overheat as well.

If you can get into your BIOS setup utility (usually by pressing one of the function keys, or the delete key, when your computer first turns on) there are usually some settings for adjusting your fan speeds and thermal shutdown thresholds.

I've also seen a few PCs that get "false positives" from the thermostat, because the thermostat was actually touching some part of the CPU instead of reading the temperature of the air around the CPU, or the temperature of the heat sink as some thermostats are supposed to do. Read your owners manual to see if the thermostats are correctly set up and positioned as they should be.

Overheating issues are sometimes hard to diagnose. If any of this sounds like something you aren't comfortable doing, let a certified technician take a look at it. Heat can RUIN a processor very quickly, and render your PC completely useless in a very short amount of time, so be very careful.

Good luck!

its an assembled unit. so all the parts are individually under warranty but i'd have to pay to get it checked from a technician to figure out what needs to be replaced.

now, how and where do i check for the thermal paste??
also, where is the thermostat located, i'd check if its accidentally touching something

[DigMe]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

exatcly! i cant figure out what is overheating. the processor and motherboard temperature were between 41-43C in the BIOS when i opened it

OK, so still go ahead and follow my directions. It doesn't matter what the BIOS temperature was after the crash. It does not stay high, it goes up under load and then almost immediately drops once the load is off. What matters is what the coretemp was WHILE you crashed. Then check the hard drive temps and the graphics card temps per my instructions. This needs to be tested under load while the cores are working hard.

Used speedfan to check the hard drive temp.

bc

[Sbociol]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

its an assembled unit. so all
now, how and where do i check for the thermal paste??
also, where is the thermostat located, i'd check if its accidentally touching something

Considering your computer is only six months old it doesn't sound too likely that the thermal paste already needs to be replaced...i changed the one in mine after 3 years...anyway:



once you remove the fan and expose the processor,that's what you should see...you gotta scrape off gently the old thermal paste both on the processor and on the fan part and then apply a very thin layer of new paste

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Sbociol

Considering your computer is only six months old it doesn't sound too likely that the thermal paste already needs to be replaced...i changed the one in mine after 3 years...anyway:



once you remove the fan and expose the processor,that's what you should see...you gotta scrape off gently the old thermal paste both on the processor and on the fan part and then apply a very thin layer of new paste

never knew about this thermal paste thingi before! dunno even if they put any in mine
does the paste come along with the processor??

[Sbociol]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

never knew about this thermal paste thingi before! dunno even if they put any in mine
does the paste come along with the processor??

Yes it should come along with any computer as far as I know...I discovered it the hard way as well when my computer started shutting off and upon checking the BIOS i noticed the processor's temperature was around 102 degrees Celsius.

[standupright]

sometimes a process with a memory leak can cause cpu resource consumption which in turn increases the amount of heat needing to be dissipated. next time your computer starts to over heat, try checking your task manager>click on processes>and then click twice on the cpu column to sort the process by the ones consuming the most cpu. if it is something other than "system idle process" post what it is here in this thread.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by DigMe

OK, so still go ahead and follow my directions. It doesn't matter what the BIOS temperature was after the crash. It does not stay high, it goes up under load and then almost immediately drops once the load is off. What matters is what the coretemp was WHILE you crashed. Then check the hard drive temps and the graphics card temps per my instructions. This needs to be tested under load while the cores are working hard.

Used speedfan to check the hard drive temp.

bc

i dont know how to configure these softwares, there are exe files but they dont install the software but it just pops up and shows me the info. how do i set them to store the temperatures at all times and check later after an overheat event? i have all three you mentioned, only speed fan installs actually

also this is a screen shot please look, it says core1 39C core 29C
but CPU 60C? is that ok?

check the details and tell me if you can point out anything.



thanks a lot

edit: i have turned on the logging in core temp but how do i view the log??

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by standupright

sometimes a process with a memory leak can cause cpu resource consumption which in turn increases the amount of heat needing to be dissipated. next time your computer starts to over heat, try checking your task manager>click on processes>and then click twice on the cpu column to sort the process by the ones consuming the most cpu. if it is something other than "system idle process" post what it is here in this thread.

it just over heats and turns off in a jiffy. it doesnt "start" overheating, no warning

[standupright]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

it just over heats and turns off in a jiffy. it doesnt "start" overheating, no warning

pull up your task manager anyway and take a look at what processes are running, and which ones are consuming the most cpu.