Need Help!!!!

[teknikull]

I pulled out my old rig:
Systemax
P3 733Mhz
128MB PC100
30GB HD
Win 98

and as soon as i turn it on the system warning goes off (AND ITS VERY ANNOYING!). I went into BIOS and found out that my CPU is runnin at 80C. How can the CPU get so ot instantly as i turn it on! I need help..do i need a new CPU fan? cuz the one i got runs fine...or is the CPU fried cuz it runs at 80C? should i buy new thermal paste? HELPP!

 

[Law]

When was the last time this computer was used? Either the thermal paste dried out or the CPU isn't dust free. If you try removing the heat sink you'll run into a problem with the paste being dried and glue to the heat sink. Use a blow drier to heat the paste so it loosen up.

Does the CPU FAN work? or the system fan that work over the CPU still work?

 

[teknikull]

yea i took the CPU fan off and believe me it was caked in dust..i cleaned it out..and i noticed the thermal paste is all dried...so will the thermal paste really affect the CPU shooting up to 80C in startup?

 

[turtile]

If you took the heatsink off, you should reapply the thermal paste.

You pretty much wreck it when you do that.

 

[Law]

Yea that and dust, could be a combination of other things also like loose heat sink or bad CPU fan and air flow.

You need to use a blow drier to loosen the paste so you don't mess anything trying to force it to seprate. Heat helps.

 

[teknikull]

But theoretically wouldnt the CPU heating up to 200F be enough heat to reactivate the thermal paste... i dont see how thermal paste is what causes a normal CPU to shoot up for 80C in a split second

 

[CrazeD]

Ok, here's how thermal paste works. The bottom of the heatsinc, and the top of the die, are not MADE for eachother. They have imperforations in the surfaces, which cause microscopic holes and grooves. If there is not a complete seal between the heatsinc and the CPU die, then there will not be effective cooling because the heat from the die can't get to the heatsinc.

Thermal paste is like silver paste, or zinc paste, or whatever. It conducts heat. So, when you put thermal paste ontop of the heatsinc, it can bond with the CPU die almost perfectly...filling in all the microscopic holes and grooves. So now, the heatsinc has almost 100% contact with the CPU die.

Thermal paste is very cheap, and easy to apply. To remove the old stuff, carefully warm it up with a hairdryer, and then use rubbing alcohol or acetone (nail polish remover) on cotton swabs to remove it. Make sure all residue and any cotton pieces are gone before you re-apply it.

Put a small blob of thermal paste in the center of the bottom of the heatsinc. Take your finger and spread it out in a thin but complete layer, big enough to cover the die and that's pretty much it.

EDIT: By the way...

CPU's get VERY hot VERY fast. The second you switch on your computer, your CPU is already hot. If you were to take off your HSF and run the computer without it, the chip would heat up so fast that it would be fried before you left the BIOS screen.

 

[teknikull]

thank you for that. i now kno thanks.. i will go out right now and get thermal paste.