PDA

View Full Version : Overheating


Rick Phlegm
09-27-2005, 05:48 PM
My computer keeps crashing whenever I try to play a game. It'll run fine for a few minutes and then just hang with the last sound played stuttering in the speakers. This has been going on for a good few months, but I could play the odd game here and there with no problems.

Initially, when I would play Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory the computer would actually just power off about 10 minutes into playing it. Thought overheating might be the problem (a large housefan pointed at the inside of the computer kept the crashing at bay) so I got a thermaltake case with proper ventilation, one fan in front, one in back. This kept it from turning itself off but now this other kind of crash started happening after a few weeks. Now it's started deteriorating so that I can't play anything without it crashing a few minutes into play.

Then I downloaded Speedfan and checked the temps (didn't know how to check the temperature before this):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/Jesus_DeSade/hot.jpg

This is when the computer isn't even doing anything, just a bit of browsing and running Winamp. When playing a game, the temperature rockets up and crashes the computer somewhere in excess of 80 degrees.

So is the CPU faulty or am I still doing a shit job of ventilating the machine? Thanks for any advice and sorry for the long-winded post. :D
clocker
09-27-2005, 06:14 PM
What CPU?
What heatsink/fan?
Virtualbody1234
09-27-2005, 06:48 PM
How about cleaning the dust out of the heatsink.
Rick Phlegm
09-27-2005, 06:55 PM
What CPU?
What heatsink/fan?
It's an AMD Athlon XP 3000+

No idea what heat sink & fan's on it tho. It came pre-installed. The fan does have an AMD logo on it tho if that's any help... :unsure:


How about cleaning the dust out of the heatsink.
Thanks, I'll try that. As soon as I can figure out how to pry it off of the CPU. :blushing:
Gripper
09-27-2005, 07:00 PM
No no..Just use a little art brush to clean the gaps between the fins,and blow out the dust with canned air,or carefully with a vacuum suck the dust out,use the brush to stop the fan on top of the heatsink from spinning.
caeful not to touch the motherboard or memory chips with the vacuum.
If you have managed to take the heatsink off dont forget to redo your thermal paste before you put it back on.
Rick Phlegm
09-27-2005, 07:42 PM
I've got a liquid cooling system that's been sitting on my desk for weeks. Didn't want to try installing it if the CPU was faulty but I might give it a go now.
Spicker
09-27-2005, 08:15 PM
I've got a liquid cooling system that's been sitting on my desk for weeks. Didn't want to try installing it if the CPU was faulty but I might give it a go now.
if u cant figure out how to take the HS off the cpu, good luck installing liquid cooling :lol:
ApacNTS
09-27-2005, 08:46 PM
well you could always go to tomshardware guide and watch that watercooling video, looks simple enough in the vid atleast. oh and that little silver thing next to the fan on the lower corner, just lift that and the HS should lift off easily.
Rick Phlegm
09-28-2005, 12:29 AM
I've got a liquid cooling system that's been sitting on my desk for weeks. Didn't want to try installing it if the CPU was faulty but I might give it a go now.
if u cant figure out how to take the HS off the cpu, good luck installing liquid cooling :lol:
Yeah, that's another reason I've been kind of putting it off. :unsure:

I'm fairly confident I'll be able to install it without much trouble, I was just unfamiliar with the funny latch that hold the heat sink on this motherboard. I've got a mate coming over to give me a hand to be sure and to make sure I don't do anything too stupid while blundering around the innards of my PC.
tesco
09-28-2005, 12:37 AM
To take that latch off use a flat head screwdriver...push down toward the motherboard then pry out so the latch goes around the hook.
Also make sure that the screewdriver doesn't slip off the latch, or it could be bye bye motherboard! :P
Rick Phlegm
09-28-2005, 12:42 AM
Thanks! Saw a vid at the AMD site that demonstrated it as well. We're going to install the liquid cooling on Thursday so I'll post updated temps then.
clocker
09-28-2005, 04:37 AM
What kind of setup will you be installing?
Gripper
09-28-2005, 11:02 AM
How about putting a tray full of icecubes in the bottom of your tower,that would work for a while:)
Virtualbody1234
09-28-2005, 11:39 AM
How about putting a tray full of icecubes in the bottom of your tower,that would work for a while:)
Condensation and melting?
Gripper
09-28-2005, 12:28 PM
How about putting a tray full of icecubes in the bottom of your tower,that would work for a while:)
Condensation and melting?
Spoilsport :P
Virtualbody1234
09-28-2005, 12:34 PM
Condensation and melting?
Spoilsport :P
Just in case someone does something foolish. :P
lynx
09-28-2005, 12:42 PM
So you put the ice on top of the tower instead? :rolleyes:
Barbarossa
09-28-2005, 01:05 PM
So you put the ice on top of the tower instead? :rolleyes:

Put the tower in a bath full of cold water... :ermm:
clocker
09-28-2005, 02:33 PM
Spoilsport :P
Just in case someone does something foolish. :P
Did I hear my name?
Rick Phlegm
09-28-2005, 09:42 PM
What kind of setup will you be installing?
It's a ThermalTake BigWater cooling system. It's an entry level model and I won't be doing any overclocking so hopefully it'll just keep the temperature down to a reasonable level.
clocker
09-29-2005, 12:11 AM
The BigWater should work fine if the CPU is the only block in the loop.
Rick Phlegm
09-29-2005, 11:06 PM
Liquid cooling installed and temperature now stabalises 43 degrees after a good hour at constant 100% CPU usage.

And games don't crash anymore so I'm quite happy. :01:
clocker
09-30-2005, 12:06 AM
That's quite an improvement.
Congratulations.

Pics?
Rick Phlegm
10-01-2005, 09:38 PM
That's quite an improvement.
Congratulations.

Pics?
Thanks. :D

Here's a couple of pics. And please excuse the wiring in my machine, it's an utter disgrace.

And I've just noticed the amount of dust on top of the video card as well. :ermm:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/Jesus_DeSade/IM000179.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/Jesus_DeSade/IM000180.jpg
clocker
10-01-2005, 10:18 PM
Here's a couple of pics. And please excuse the wiring in my machine, it's an utter disgrace.
Yes, it is. We assume that you have tidied it up by now.

And I've just noticed the amount of dust on top of the video card as well. :ermm:
How did you install the waterloop without seeing the dust? Tsk, tsk.

Big points for initiative, but Gryffindor loses 20 points for egregious housekeeping violations