The Highest CPU Temp. Problem

[drummerboy4]

I just recently recieved a barebone kit for christmas, with an AMD Athlon 3700. This was my first build, so I was confused, and I looked on these forums some and I finally got everything installed and running. Well, even at idle, my HSF was running loud, but I just guessed that the fan was naturally loud, so I didn't worry about it. Well recently, I installed speedfan and get this-my cpu had been running on idle at 86 degrees Celcius! And it still hasnt fried, or at least I think. My computer is beeping, but last time it just beeped, all I did was reseat the CPU and it worked fine, so I will do that again, but I just don't know what my problem is. Is it the fan, CPU, mobo, psu? I've even set up a fan right next to my computer to blow air in it and that didnt help. So if any one has any ideas, or any suggestions for a new 754 HSf, plz post.
Thanks, Drummerboy4

[saphalline]

Explain the CPU reseating in more detail. It sounds like it wasn't done properly.

Here's a basic run-down. For retail boxed CPU's, the HSF unit (heatsink & fan) is included with the CPU. This stock HSF has a thermal pad on the bottom of it that melts and bonds to the CPU as the system gets used. Sometimes there's a thin plastic film over this thermal pad to protect it while the CPU retail box is shipped out. This film must be removed prior to installing it on the CPU in order for it to work.

For OEM CPU's that don't come with an HSF unit, you must buy one separately. They usually come with a generic form of thermal grease, which is like a thermal pad but in liquid form. Alternatively, you can buy separate thermal grease like Arctic Silver 5 (AS5) which is considered to be the best thermal grease in the universe. ;) Thermal grease takes a lot of patience and learning to be able to apply properly, and if any of it spills outside of the CPU area onto the mobo, that's bad! It must be cleaned off before you turn the system on.

Either way, once you remove the HSF unit from a CPU, both the CPU and HSF unit must be cleaned thoroughly with a non-residue cleaner, and new thermal grease must be applied. 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol is the preferred cleaning solution and can be found at just about any local chain store in the pharmacy department. You must also make sure that any cloth or wipes that you use are lint-free, like a cloth used to clean eye glasses. If you do not clean both the CPU and HSF after removing them, your system's CPU cooling with suffer dramatically.

[drummerboy4]

OK, I took the heat sink fan off, opened the little CPU latch, cleaned them, but I didn't use a non-residue cleaner, so that must be the problem. BUt anyway, I just put the CPU back in, closed the latch, put the thermal grease onit, put the HSF on it, locked it down, and let it rest for a while. Then the next day I turned it on, and it still didn't work. So I am probably going to get some Artic Siver, and a new HSF, and I'm going to go buy some of that isopropyl stuff, and use it in the mean time.
Thanks, Drummerboy4

[saphalline]

For putting the AS5 on the CPU & HSF unit, follow the official instructions (http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm) from Arctic Silver. Actually, these instructions are valid for any thermal grease, so it's a good read.

[drummerboy4]

Well, I put my cpu back in, and my computer does what it use to do...beeps. I've already tried 2 sticks of RAM, reseated graphics card, and reseated the cpu once again. Last time it beeped, all I did was reseat the cpu. Did I fry my CPU, there are no burn marks on the pins or anything, and none of the pins are bent. I need all the help I can get.
Thanks, Drummerboy4

[drummerboy4]

Can I use anti-static wipes, and then go back over it with a lint free cloth?

[saphalline]

Yeah, you can do that. As long as there's no dust or residue when you apply the thermal grease.

Ok, something else that caught me when I was re-reading this thread. What hardware are you using? As in your specific CPU and mobo? And how hot does/did your heatsink feel to the touch?

[drummerboy4]

Ok, well first off, it powered up yesterday and booted all the way up, but speedfan said it was still running at 86 degrees celsius. Anyway, I turned it back off and I'm waiting for the AS5 to come in. BTW I have 5 fans in this thing, so it shouldnt be that hot at all. Well anyways, I have a AMD Athlon 64 3700 Processor, and a Mach Speed K8M8MS Socket 754 MicroATX Motherboard . My whole barebone kit can be viewed here: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1592094&CatId=1914
Also, after I take off my HSF, the processor is not hot whatsoever. Thanks for all of this, and just to know, since it is running at 86 degrees, will AS5 make a difference? I figured if it did, it would just mean that my thermal glue was just horrible. Thanks again, Drummerboy4

[saphalline]

Feel the heatsink while the computer is on and running and see if it really is that hot. I'm starting to suspect that the CPU temp is simply being reported incorrectly.

I don't know, I can't think of any other good reasons why your CPU temp would be so high. :confused:

[drummerboy4]

OK, well, my HSF hasn't felt hot before, but it is always running full speed. So I figured since it always runs so loud, it would be because the CPU is hot. That is why I downloaded Speedfan. To check and see if that was the case. And it said it was. What should I do?

[jlreich]

I have used speedfan on a machine that nothing else will work on and I thought it to be kind of buggy. It lists my CPU and system temps correctly but also lists some other unknown temp as being somewhere over 120C. :eek:

That can't be right. Even if it was the video card I think I would notice some performance issues at the very least, if not system shutdown. ;)

[drummerboy4]

My system did shutdown, after it restarted 2 times. Are there any other freeware programs I can d/l that will tell me temp.?

[madad2005]

If you want to get a new HSF, then you could do worse than get this one:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=184657

or this one:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=212720

Both will cool your cpu up to 15C more than the stock fan.

Have you tried checking the CPU temperature in the BIOS? How hot is the motherboard?

[drummerboy4]

Bios says its around 35 but I figured that after it started up it just got hotter. My motherboard isnt feeling hot at all. But if my CPU isn't really getting hot, then why does the HSF run so loud???? Alos, can you check bios after the computer has already booted up? If so, how?

[madad2005]

I thought all stock fans made a hell of a racket! That's why I got rid of mine. Plus, if your motherboard doesn't support active fan speed control, then the cooler you have is going to run at around 4000rpm (32db of noise) constantly.

Could you try using a different program to check the CPU temperature? Maybe Sandra Lite?

Finally, have you checked the air flow in the case? Not meaning to be funny, but have the case fans been installed properly i.e. blow into the case at the front and blow out of the case at the rear?

If you start your pc up with the case door removed, does the cpu still overheat? If you try this you can also make sure that the fans are blowing in the correct direction.

[jlreich]

Try Everest. It is technically no longer freeware but you can still find some of the slightly older versions that are free like here. http://www.filehippo.com/download_everest_home/

I am thinking speedfan is reporting it wrong. If the BIOS is reporting 35C then it should be the same or close while idling in windows once the OS is loaded and the CPU returns to idle. Give Everest and or Sandra Lite a try and let us know what it says.

[drummerboy4]

Case fans are installed correctly, and Everest didn't tell my temp.

[jlreich]

If the fan is really loud it could be a bad RPM sensor on the fan, or a bad sensor on the CPU causing to run at full speed. But then again, I have a new AMD64 3000+ build with stock fan that I have running full speed all the time and it hardly makes a sound. I can't even hear it over the case fans(only two).

Perhaps the fan has some bad bearings or is off balance or something? :confused:

Have you tried Sandra Lite? Have you watched the temps in BIOS for awhile to see if the temps are stable, or do they tend to get hotter as the machine sits?

EDIT - With Everest, did you go to "sensor" under the "computer" section? Did it give you any temp readings? It may take 2 or 3 seconds for it to come up with the readings.

[drummerboy4]

Ok, well right now I'm using my old computer, but I'm about to power on my new one and check Everest. I'll post on what it says.

[drummerboy4]

It wouldn't power up. All I got was beeps again. I'm really getting sick of this. Sometimes it works, sometimes it dosen't. Why????

[saphalline]

Cool 'n' Quiet is usually turned on by default in the BIOS, and the BIOS is reporting 35C anyway, which is perfectly fine. If the CPU fan is running full-tilt all the time and there's a beep code now, the PSU is probably fine (pending a check on the beep code - refer to the mobo manual).

It sounds like the mobo may be defective. Contact TigerDirect and see about getting a replacement.

[drummerboy4]

Well, right now I'm using my new computer. The CPU is running at about 25 degrees C. So I think you were right, Saphalline. It wasn't a CPU temp. problem. I think its the mobo. The fan is still running loud, so should I send in for another one?

[saphalline]

I would suggest at least contacting TigerDirect and telling them your problem. If it was just a loud CPU fan, I might not bother to troubleshoot it, but random reboots and POST beep codes are another matter. If this is a hot item they've been selling and your problem is widespread, they might even have a stack of user complaints by now and be willing to just replace all the mobo's (or whatever is the problem).

In any case, this is not something you just want to "live with" - this is a very serious problem and TigerDirect should do something to help you.