Processor Overheating

[M|k0r]

Ok i have just built a new pc for 1 of my mates

It has an MSI kt4 turbo motherboard with an Athlon 2400+ (the limit of the board says 2800+)
Also the case displays the CPU temp and the system Temp.

Iv built it and everything and the first time i turned it on it said it was only 1800+ in the boot sequence so i thought fair enough i gotta sort out the bios, so i sort out the bios and everything and make the FSB of the board up to 266MHz (which is waht the processor runs at) And so now when it boots it says 2400+.

Ok so now im happy and i installed win xp etc etc all drivers and shit and it seems to be ok...

Now when we load up games like ghost recon or use a program that uses a lot of processing power it works for abt 2 - 3mins then the whole system crashes and i notice on the box that the cpu temp is goingup to like 70/80 degrees. Im not sure how to get this temp down without having to turn down the processors speed...

The case has 6fans in it so i dont see how it can overheat so much unless im doing sumthin wrong in the bios!

Any help or views on this wud b greatly appreciated. Thx

[amphoteric88]

what cpu cooler do you have?
ideally you want an all copper heatsink, athlon's can produce quite a bit of heat.
i've got a 2700 myself, and i had some heat problems when i first got it, i had a thermaltake volcano 9, and the cpu temp (as reported in bios) was around 64-65 degrees.
now i have an all copper cooler (bought for about £25) and all my problems are basically gone.
my cpu now runs at around 46 idle and 51 full load
hope this helps

[Somebody1234]

What heatsink/fan do you have on the CPU?
Did you use thermal transfer paste? (Like Arctic Silver)

[CornerPocket]

Better to use the all copper as mentioned by amphoteric88 along with the thermal paste also mentioned by Somebody1234. Get a heatsink/fan combo the exceeds your cpu speed, should do fine. As for the fans, how do you have those set up, should have the front of case for intake and back of case for exhaust (blow air out).

[Switeck]

Your heatsink may not be making good thermal contact with the cpu core -- which means the cpu can overheat while the heatsink isn't getting crispy-warm. That requires removing the heatsink and reseating it (putting it back on) making sure it's getting good surface contact with the cpu.

Also, make sure no IDE cables are draped over the cpu fan.

[Schmiggy_JK23]

first off, no one bothered to ask if it was celsius or fahrenheit... if those temps are in F... you have no worries, they are perfectly fine... if they are celsius... then ya, they are high... mine run at about 30 C for case, and 45 C for the cpu, according to motherboard monitor... and 85 F for case... and 110 F for cpu...

so what are your readings in?

btw... im running a 2100xp, with a volcano 7

[CornerPocket]

Originally posted by Schmiggy_JK23@1 May 2003 - 14:26
first off, no one bothered to ask if it was celsius or fahrenheit... if those temps are in F... you have no worries, they are perfectly fine... if they are celsius... then ya, they are high...  mine run at about 30 C for case, and 45 C for the cpu, according to motherboard monitor...  and 85 F for case... and 110 F for cpu...

so what are your readings in?

btw... im running a 2100xp, with a volcano 7
Betcha it's Celsius, Farenheit as you said would not be an issue and if Farenheit that would direct it to a possible fan/heatsink issue.

[Spindulik]

I have seen liquid cooled heatsinks at the computer shows, but they are too expensive. I guess they are like little refrigerators (icebox if you are English).

[amphoteric88]

with water cooling, you can get cpu temperatures of down to -15 degrees celsius.
however, it's a bit of a drastic (and expensive) measure to take.
basically all you need is a better heatsink and fan with good thermal paste
p.s. Spindulik: I'm Scottish, and we say refrigirator (or more commonly, fridge) :P
i think in the uk, people think that icebox is used by americans. not really a point at all, but who cares :D

[M|k0r]

Ok basically what it is is an Athlon XP 2400+ retail box. So it came with the fan and heatsink and also had a dab of thermal paste sorta looked like a pad but its recommended and put in the boxes so surely it would work?

Also if i wanted to keep the heatsink and fan and not spend any more money could i sort this out through the bios at all? e.g. set different clock speeds of processor, FSB etc?

Coz i dont really wanna pay more money.

Or should i use a different/more thermal paste from a different source? Could that sort it?

Thx 4 ur helps guys its much appreciated :)

[zapjb]

M|k0r, That material is like melted plastic by now. It's not the same as thermal grease. AMD comes with it. I thinks it's called phase changing material. Thats as far as my knowledge goes on the subject. GL :)

[imported_QuietSilence!]

thats probly the problem there the fans that come with the cpus are cheap go get a good one with a good copper heatsink

btw u did plug it in right? lol of corse u did u wouldnt forget that ....right?

also if u pluged in in backwords it wont work right it will be blowing in the wrong direction
it should be blowin away from the cpu not tward it

[Somebody1234]

Originally posted by QuietSilence!@1 May 2003 - 21:24
it should be blowin away from the  cpu not tward it
^^^^ I think that information is wrong.

Every PC I have worked on has the fan blowing towards the heatsink.

[Schmiggy_JK23]

are u sure spreaded the thermal paste well enough, to make a full contact, and are u sure the heatsink is making full contact with the processor via the paste?

[M|k0r]

Yea positive. I followed the instructions AMD gave me. It has abt a 1cmx1cm square of this thermal heat paste stuff and its all installed correctly...

So do u think i should get more thermal paste and see if that works? Or just buy sum huge Heatsink and fan?

Can u direct me to any good/cheap heatsink and fans that go with my processor. (Athlon XP 2400+)

Cheers guys u have helped a lot.

[zapjb]

IMO if it came from AMD it's NOT thermal paste or grease. And it's one use only. So if you take off the HS you're going to need another thermal solution (i.e. Artic Silver 3). And this is the part I don't know much about, you gonna have clean off that pre-installed (PCM?) shit first. As stated in a previous post, are those temps in C or F? The C or F question is foremost though.

[Spindulik]

A long time ago, I had a new motherboard with an AMD CPU on it. Well, I tried to remove the chip and broke the plastic on the motherboard. Now that clamp doesn't hold the heatsink anymore.

So I used J-B Weld expoy and permantly glued the heat sink onto the chip. It worked without over heating.

I had no choice, but to use the expoy, (or buy another motherboard).

I don't recommend using expoy, when you do not need to.

[3RA1N1AC]

in addition to the advice that people have already given...

you may want to check the connections and make sure you've plugged the CPU fan into the correct fan header on the motherboard. read the markings on the board and make sure that it says it's for the CPU fan, just in case you've misread the owner's manual (or it has an error in the diagrams).

it's a fairly easy mistake to make, and it could cause the CPU to overheat because the case fan connectors often don't supply enough electricity for a CPU fan to spin at the correct RPM.

[CornerPocket]

Originally posted by 3RA1N1AC@2 May 2003 - 07:19
in addition to the advice that people have already given...

you may want to check the connections and make sure you've plugged the CPU fan into the correct fan header on the motherboard.  read the markings on the board and make sure that it says it's for the CPU fan, just in case you've misread the owner's manual (or it has an error in the diagrams).

it's a fairly easy mistake to make, and it could cause the CPU to overheat because the case fan connectors often don't supply enough electricity for a CPU fan to spin at the correct RPM.
On that note..if you tweaked around the Bios settings make sure you have the correct cpu voltage setting as well..........refer to manual to see correct voltage and verify that you have it set correctly. If all setting are correct, just purchase thermal paste and apply and perhaps just a larger fan.....just don't over apply the paste, use a small amount but insure the entire cpu area is covered with thin layer. Paste is basically used to fill in any small gaps between the cpu and heatsink, too much and you will not make proper contact........

[M|k0r]

So what are good sorts of fans/heatsinks 2 use?


As stated in a previous post, are those temps in C or F? The C or F question is foremost though.

Those temps were in degrees C.

Also where can i get thermal paste/grease from and what are good sorts to get?
How much paste should i apply? Enough to cover the whole chip or just the bit in the middle?

[zapjb]

If some of the experts on this subject could speak up (I'm NOT one). Is he going to have remove (& how) that PCM before applying thermal grease (artic silver 3)? I'd try just cleaning the PCM away & applying AS3 before buying another HSF. If that isn't sufficient I'd get a Thermaltake volcano 7 HSF (if your MB & case support it) for about $15 USD.

[amphoteric88]

yeah, you're gonna have to remove the pcm.
make sure you remove it all before applying paste
i assume you're in the uk from your avatar, so try going to dabs (http://www.dabs.com) (if you have a credit card, or ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.co.uk) (if you don't)
look for arctic silver 3 as this is the best paste. if you can't find it here, just go to pc world, it's about 4 quid or ss
look on the sites for a full copper socket a heatsink and fan
also, look for an 80mm fan if possible, with a high cfm value

[CornerPocket]

So what are good sorts of fans/heatsinks 2 use?
Thermaltake and Volcano are good, again all copper fin heatsink would be best. Perhap you will have luck just changing the heatsink (to all copper)??



Also where can i get thermal paste/grease from and what are good sorts to get?
Artic Silver would be a good brand/type to use - run a search on google.com or check your local pc supply store.



How much paste should i apply? Enough to cover the whole chip or just the bit in the middle?
Put just the paste on the center, not compete cpu. Some apply it evenly over the whole center, others as well as myself apply a small botch in the center and allow the heatsink to spread it when it gets placed over the cpu.

Remember the paste is to help make complete contact between the cpu and heatsink and eliminates any tiny air pockets or gaps between them.......................

[CornerPocket]

Originally posted by zapjb@2 May 2003 - 10:48
If some of the experts on this subject could speak up (I'm NOT one). Is he going to have remove (& how) that PCM before applying thermal grease (artic silver 3)?
I razor blade has a fine edge and should be most useful for this because of the small cpu dye size center.

[M|k0r]

Cheers guys :beerchug:

you have helped a lot. Gonna go buy a big heatsink and large fan with sum of that thermal paste now.

Hope it works :D