[dan1491]

Hi TSF,

I have been having computer heat issues for a little while now, random power downs when rendering video etc. I purchased a new case with much higher air flow and multiple case fans/ventilation.

This did not resolve the issue, I downloaded SpeedFan and discovered that my "Core" (So I presume CPU) is running at 75C on idle!

I have an AMD Phenom II X4 850 Processor at 3.30GHz.

After reading around I think it may be that the thermal compound has worn off due to the poor ventilation in my old case, but I came here for any advice/suggestions.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[greenbrucelee]

do not believe speedfan for temps always trust the BIOS but for software use CPUID hardware monitor. please post your full specs including make and model of psu and cooler.

 

[dan1491]

Okay, BIOS indeed does confirm a range around 75C.

PSU: CIT ATX12V Model: 700UB

And when you say cooler. I'm not 100% on what you mean. The heatsink is stock from when I purchased the barebones. Other than that I'm not sure where to find that information for you.

 

[greenbrucelee]

cooler = heatsink.

Your psu is bargain basement quality and should be replaced even if it is not the cause of your issue which it could be.

Go into your BIOS or use hardware monitor and post your voltages for the 12v, 3.3v and 5v readings.

How often do you clean out any dust with compressed air?

It could be that new thermal past should be applied after cleaning off the old stuff. It wouldn't hurt to try.

 

[dan1491]

Moved to a new case yesterday so I tried to clear as much dust as possible from the components.

I appreciate the PSU isn't great, as a student without full time employment, purchasing a more expensive PSU will hopefully be a last resort.

I couldn't find a result for 3.3v reading in the BIOS...

But +12.0V: 12.126V
And +5.0V: 5.026V

 

[enanobp]

you can download hardware monitor to see the voltages.. i recommend you to apply new thermal paste.. how old is your PC? Remember that when time pass by the thermal paste gets old too and it gets like stone.

 

[dan1491]

Thanks for all the help!

I purchased the PC about a year ago. Fitted an AMD Radeon HD7800 and the PSU listed above. All in a small, poorly ventilated box. Big mistake as time has gone by clearly.

Is that enough time for the paste to wear down if running particularly hot for several hours a day?

Also, regarding voltages, I've attached a screenshot of Hardware Monitor showing voltages and temps of every component that had the results available.

I'm sure this isn't the info you might need, but hopefully it may help.

 

[itbydj]

You should get a new CPU cooler if you don't have a decent one and get some good thermal paste like Antec Formula 5 or better. Make sure your current cpu fan is blowing air and not sucking air.

I would also make sure your Core Voltage is set correctly. If it is set higher than what it is supposed to be your cpu will run hotter. I had a motherboard that set my core voltage 0.02 higher than it was supposed to and my cpu ran 10C+ hotter when idle.

You may have a bunch of fans in your case but make sure you have fans bringing air into the case and fans taking air out that creates a normal flow of fresh air.

Make sure you get fresh air or fans on your hard drives. If I saw that correctly you have a hard drive that is running really warm.

 

[Tyree]

OEM CPU coolers are more than sufficient for normal use.
If the thermal paste needs reapplied and almost any brand is good.
Too many case fans can be as bad as too few. One 120mm in front & rear is usually fine.
How old is the build?
PC Specs?
Pre- Built Brand & Model Number
Custom Built- Brand & Model of Mobo-CPU-RAM-Graphics-PSU.

 

[gcavan]

Thermal compound does not "wear down" over time. Provided it was applied correctly, if left undisturbed, it will continue to act as it was designed, ie promote the transfer of heat from the processor to the heat sink.

If however, the heat sink had been removed from the processor at any time, the mating surfaces should have been thoroughly cleaned and new compound applied.

 

[dan1491]

Thanks for the replies. I haven't removed my heatsink since the original purchase. The new case is a Zalman Z11+ advertised for its cooling. I figured it would be a better case than the stock case that came with the barebones.
I'm currently not at my pc but should be able to list full specs in a couple of hours.

Is there a good utility I can use to list any more specs you may need?

Cheers!

 

[Tyree]

Brand & Model of Mobo-CPU-RAM-Graphics-PSU is the info we need.
If you don't know that info. You can use HW Monotor or Speccy to retrieve them and then post the list.

 

[greenbrucelee]

download speccy to give us the specs.

The psu should be and is the most important component. Go cheap/crap brand and your asking for trouble.

As said paste doesn't wear but if the heatsink isn't on right or has moved somehow then the paste will become redundant and need replacing.

If your just using the pc for normal stuff then the oem heatsink will be ok but you said you moved the parts to a new case it is possible that the heatsink has become dislodged slightly.

 

[enanobp]

do you have a good cable management?

 

[dan1491]

If your just using the pc for normal stuff then the oem heatsink will be ok but you said you moved the parts to a new case it is possible that the heatsink has become dislodged slightly.

While true I have moved everything. The reason for the move was the original heat problem so I can't imagine the original cause is from moving the heatsink.

Mind you it's a relatively cheap thing to test so I may look into it. I'll have the speccy post up in half an hour!

 

[dan1491]

Alright, here's the Speccy Data

CPU
AMD Phenom II X4 850 43 °C
Propus 45nm Technology
RAM
4.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
FOXCONN A76GMV (Socket AM3) 40 °C
Graphics
LCD-TV ([email protected])
AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series
Hard Drives
466GB Seagate ST3500413AS ATA Device (SATA) 26 °C
149GB TOSHIBA MK1655GSX ATA Device (SATA)
149GB Seagate ST3160023AS ATA Device (SATA) 24 °C
PSU
CIT ATX12V Model: 700UB

 

[Tyree]

Brand of the 78xx GPU and what particular 78xx?
Your PSU is very poor quality and poor quality PSU's are always a suspect.
There are no good quality 700W PSU's in the £27.50 price range.

 

[dan1491]

GPU is a Sapphire HD 7850.

Incredible that the PSU only costs that much. It was twice the price when I originally purchased it. Out of curiosity, considering I am poor as hell and want to stay to a tight budget, are there any suggestions for a PSU that would be adequate for my setup?

Thanks!

 

[Tyree]

Minimum for a 7850 is 500W and 620W would be wanted for extended use.
SeaSonic and XFX are top quality.
PSU's all deteriorate in quality with time and the low quality ones do so at a much faster rate.

 

[dan1491]

Okay, little update. I unplugged the box and tried to find which parts were hot to touch. The PSU, GPU, and HDD's were all cool.

The two which burned were the Heatsink and another component.

I removed the heatsink and cleared a large amount of dust that had formed between the fan and the main section. (excuse my lack of jargon!) Underneath the heatsink there didn't appear to be any paste-like substance, just a very thin layer of what felt like concrete dust.

Attached are photos of the other component that was boiling, and the underside of the heatsink (the perhaps lack of paste).

Does this help at all?

Thanks again!