cpu temp

[mulder]

Please help, I've recently installed an 64mb nvida graphics card and I've started getting random crashes where my monitor just goes on stanby after 3-4 hours of use. could my pc be overheating since I've upgraded? My cpu temp is 51 degrees centigrade 123 farenheit and my system temp is 32 degrees cent and 89 degrees farenheit.

elite k7s5a mobo,Duron 1300, 384mb sdram, 64mb graphics card, 300w power supply,

[Reid]

I have the same motherboard with an AMD 1800, and the CPU runs at 45C, so yours is somewhat hotter than I think it should be. Do you have any intake and/or exhaust fans to help the airflow? I have 80mm intake and exhaust fans in my system. I also added a "slot fan" in the space next to the video card. That alone dropped sytem temperature about 1.5 degrees, which is not much, but seems to indicate the video card generates a fair amount of heat.

[Rick]

Is it just the Video that is crashing ( Blank Screen / standby mode)
Or is the system completely locking ?
Can you press the cap’s lock or Num Lock key and see the lite on the key board go out and or on ?

That card can require a Lot of air to cool the Chip on board .
The more warm / hot air in the case the higher the temps are going to be.

51 is a bit high But shouldn’t cause a system lock up

I agree with REID check your air flow and add a case fan as needed.
Also check the air intake holes in the case and clean the fans and exhaust ports as needed.
You may also want to add a small fan to direct the fresh cool air into the card slots

Too Much Air flow is always best

[mulder]

Rick, basically my monitor just switches off to stand-by and the only way is to reset and start again.I tend to get a partial screen freeze some things I'm still able to do until the monitor goes off, It's not just happening when I'm playing games though it happens at random. I think I'll fork out for a couple of fans though. Whats the best positioning one at the front of the case blowing cool air in and one at the back pushing warm air out?
Still if the temp is not that high any idea what else it could be as this has only started happening since I installed the geforce 4? overheating was the only thing I could come up with.

[mjc]

It does sound like over-heating, but not of the CPU, possibly of the video card.

[ranchdog]

Remove the side cover from your PC case

and run your system for approx. the same

amount of time. See what results you get

with some access to added air flow.


Luck.

RD.

[mulder]

ranchdog,
I ran my pc with the sides off for about 3 hours and it froze again, it's is making me wonder if it is the power supply any ideas?

300w psu
elite K7s5a board
Duron 1300
geforce 4 64mb graphics
384 sd ram
128 soundcard
cd rw
cd rom
floppy drive
56k modem

[Budfred]

Ok, I would do the same experiment again, but this time run it with a small desk fan blowing on the inside of the computer. It is still possible that it is heat, but that simply opening the sides without increasing the cooling wasn't enough.

Also, it could be your power supply or some other issue, but you need to rule out one issue at a time. If you happen to have a voltimeter to check the power supply or another supply to try, you can check that option out.

[mulder]

Budfred,
I went and picked up a couple of case fans yesterday and my system temp is down from 32 to 26 centigrade and it never crashed last night but when I switched on this morning my pc wasn't sounding to healthy I thought it wasn't going to start up but it did, I'm not 100 percent sure whether my power supply I am using is enough what do you think?

[Budfred]

If it is a good quality power supply it may be ok at 300watts, but if it is a cheapy that came with the case it may be struggling. Either way, it could be worthwhile to test it with the voltimeter or by trying another.

When you say the PC wasn't sounding healthy, what kind of sound do you mean? The most likely thing to sound bad is the hard drive and a failing hard drive could be causing the crashes you have experienced. You might want to download the diagnostic utilities from the hard drive maker and test it out.

[dilsburger]

Just my 2 cents - I know that the PNY 64 MB GF4 requires a minimum 350W PSU. Since you didn't state what brand you bought I thought I'd throw this in...