Could running a shooter game actually damage computer?

martin57

Hi folks,


I have a four year old computer with a quad core AMD phenom 11 X4 945 cpu and AMD Radeon 4600 graphics card, and though not a gamer I am enjoying trying out max payne 3 on it, and it seems to run ok with graphics display set to normal as most other things in options.


However I do notice that the computer seems to be working hard the fan in the power unit (650 watts I think it is) is really working fast and its noisy.


After game is closed everything returns to normal.


Its a bit like me trying to do a run but not really fit and my question is Am I about to give my computer the equivalent of a heart attack running games like these?


Thanks
Martin57

HappyMJ

It's possible but very unlikely. The CPU will slow itself down to reduce the core temperature before the temperature gets too high.

Keep the fans clean and clear allowing air to flow freely. Don't put the computer near a heat source. Be sensible and it will be fine.

Strider590

The GFX card could potentially overheat and start causing "artifacts" or shutting down the PC completely. I just had to replace mine for this reason.

The power supply fans should increase in speed, but if the PSU is "humming" or "squealing" then it's hitting it's limitations.

The chances are your CPU is overkill for what your doing, I don't think you'll have problems in that respect.

Your memory could also overheat if it's not gaming grade/heatsinked.

Heat is the number one killer, so a can or two of compressed air are an essential item if your running your PC hard, take the covers off and blast out the dust every few weeks.
Also take a look at your cooling setup, you want slightly more air going in than you have going out (positive case pressure), in order to minimise dust collected on the inside.

S0litaire

The Fan you hear is probably the GFX card fan going.
That's normal.
The GPU takes 95-100% of the load off of the CPU for graphics rendering. it get rather hot rather quickly when processing even medium quality graphics. Just make sure you clean the inside of the case our every so often to stop the build up of dust and debris.

you should only worry if the PC starts to shutdown or the graphics go wonky then it's a problem with an overheating Graphics card.

poppellerant

You say the computer is 4 years old - has it been cleaned out in this time, or even recently? The fans might be spinning at a high speed due to a heat caused by a build up of dust.

martin57

Thanks for replies. Yes I clean the inside of the tower fairly often. As regards compressed air I have seen it in poundland, is it OK to buy from there, and is there any part of hardware I should really stay away from inside case when air dusting it?
Thanks
Martin57

maas

martin57 wrote: »

However I do notice that the computer seems to be working hard the fan in the power unit (650 watts I think it is) is really working fast and its noisy.


After game is closed everything returns to normal.


Its a bit like me trying to do a run but not really fit and my question is Am I about to give my computer the equivalent of a heart attack running games like these?


Thanks
Martin57

As has already been posted it will almost certainly be the Radeon's fan which will be automatically speeding up to deal with the the excess heat when you're playing games.

There should be a temperature monitor with your Radeon which you can view. Most will idle at around 40c-50c but ratchet up to 80c+ under stress (and your 7 year old card running Max Payne 3 will be stressed!). If they get much hotter, the graphics chip will automatically shut down and you'll get a BSOD.

Just check your temperature monitor before and during playing.

The idle temperature (when you're not playing any games) will tell you if there's a problem with the fan (dust etc).

poppellerant

martin57 wrote: »

Thanks for replies. Yes I clean the inside of the tower fairly often. As regards compressed air I have seen it in poundland, is it OK to buy from there, and is there any part of hardware I should really stay away from inside case when air dusting it?
Thanks
Martin57

I use the cans of compressed air from pound shops with no problems. One thing you should always do when using compressed air is to hold the fans still as the compressed air might spin them so fast they might fail.

Strider590

martin57 wrote: »

Thanks for replies. Yes I clean the inside of the tower fairly often. As regards compressed air I have seen it in poundland, is it OK to buy from there, and is there any part of hardware I should really stay away from inside case when air dusting it?
Thanks
Martin57

Blast everything, just make sure:
A) The power lead is still in the PSU (to prevent an ESD event)
and
DO NOT hold the compressed air can upside down, this will release a shot of air at around -70c, which will cause moisture to condense on whatever you spray, creating the potential for a short circuit.

poppellerant wrote: »

I use the cans of compressed air from pound shops with no problems. One thing you should always do when using compressed air is to hold the fans still as the compressed air might spin them so fast they might fail.

Nah, won't be a problem.

jaydeeuk1

I've had computers maxed out for several weeks database mining, encoding, coin mining, a game won't make it blow up.


Benchmarking is far more taxing on a pc than any game.