CPU Overheating

Incipient

Solid State Member
Messages
10
i know that many people have asked about this problem, but i need to be sure that what i read was relevant to me.

firstly, i have been told, by a reliable place, that 70 deg C is max sustainable temperature for a P4 Prescott 3.0ghz. if this is wrong, just say so :)

whats happening is that when running idle, my cpu isnt overheating at all, normal enough. when do anything that is maximised (movies, games etc) my cpu creeps up to arround 72deg C, and stays there, and lags just before reaching this temperature(as it just did now).

i have a server case(antec) with 2 rear fans, a side fan, a HDD fan and a front fan.(yes, my computer is slightly louder then a nuclear reactor). my HSF is a Zalman CNPS7000-AlCu. my room is well ventelated, aircon running to keep the room arround, or lower then 25deg C.

i have asked other people, but they give vague answers and infact unsure of what could be causing this. so far, i can only assume that my PSU might be faulty (voltages all normal), maybe my computer sufferd a powersurge and is now damaged in some way, however its all just guessing.

any help would be MUCH appreciated,

cheers,
AndrewVinci
 
Have you used a good thermal paste butween the heatsink and CPU, something like arctic silver?
 
lol i knew that there was going to be something that i forgot to say.

well, yes i was using Arctic Silver 5, and it was overheating, so i changed to some other very similar thermal paste, and i use a small blob of it, like its ment to be used :)

edit : thanks for the fast responce :)
 
Incipient said:
i have a server case(antec) with 2 rear fans, a side fan, a HDD fan and a front fan.(yes, my computer is slightly louder then a nuclear reactor). my HSF is a Zalman CNPS7000-AlCu. my room is well ventelated, aircon running to keep the room arround, or lower then 25deg C.
Can you provide detail of the fans e.g. which are intake and which are exhaust

At a room temperature of 25C there is no way a Prescott with a Zalman should be reaching temps of 70C +

Are you sure the Zalman is correctly installed? To me it sounds like the heatsink and cpu are not making proper contact.

Could you please supply your methodolgy for the mounting of the Zalman
 
....well i have 2 intake at the back and the side is also intake. the PSU (12cm fan) and the two front fans are both exhaust.

and the zalman as far as i know is properly installed, and i use a blob of thermal paste, and the first time i took off the heatsink, the blob was well compressed, so at least that time it was making contact.

method.
1) insert bracket arm under both of the original mounting clips(intel cpu)
2)add small blob of thermal paste to middle of CPU.
3) place HSF on CPU, and screw down screws one turn at a time such that even presure is applied to the CPU all the time.
4) connect power cable. done?

thanks,
AndrewVinci
 
it may be that the temp. is not being read correctly. do you have any kind of heat sensor that can give you temps? i have a prescott 3.0 gig and it did the same thing. checked out the temps from my case sensor and it read about 123F so it may just be the sensor. plus once i got a different motherboard the temps read correctly.
 
it feels about right, if i touch the heatsink, its damn hot.(when idle the heatsink is cool to touch) and i use SpeedFan, which is also the same as my mobo temp warnings (beeps when its over 70deg)

my case is well ventelated, so i dont think that a case temp will have much in commmon with the cpu temp.

thanks,
AndrewVinci
 
Incipient said:
....well i have 2 intake at the back and the side is also intake. the PSU (12cm fan) and the two front fans are both exhaust.
This is back to front to me, the rear should be exhaust, the front and side should be intake

Your methodology for the Zalman sounds correct, I would suggest swapping the case fans around and see what that does.

Incipient said:
my case is well ventelated, so i dont think that a case temp will have much in commmon with the cpu temp.
Actually I don't think it is well ventillated, in fact I doubt if you have anything above minimal air flow and case ventilation has a major effect on cpu temps
 
the general flow of air through my computer may be backwards, ill try reversing it and see what happens, but there is a good flow. i have srtong air blowing out the front of my computer where the fans are, and behind the PSU where its blowing out. i dont know if this IS good flow, but i think it is...

also, if i take the side of my case off i still have the overheating problem, if that means anything.

thanks,
AndrewVinci
 
DILLIGAF is right on the money. Reason the front can't be the exhaust is because most(not all) front covers breath from a small vent in the bottom.
gullwingairintake05-06-06012.jpg

If you're trying to push air out this vent it's too small and you get serious back pressure. Simple to fix really, like the Doctor would say. Unmount the fans and simply turn them around and remount them. The front and side should draw air in and the fans in the back should push it out. Just the opposite and you get trapped air that soon hits its thermal saturation point and things get hot. Thermal issues crop up quick. And heats kills.
 
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