overheating desktop

hampshirebabe

I've just bought a second hand desk top, which is working well, except when someone plays sims on it, then its started shutting down. The fan comes on for a while firest. I downloaded HWMonitor and its showing the cores temperature going up to 90. I've checked the inside for dust, it looks nice and clean, and I've moved it onto the top of the desk, but its not helping. What else can I try?

stragglebod

Is the case fan mounted the right way? Look for a small arrow in the moulding somewhere. If the fan's at the back the arrow should be pointing out of the case, if it's at the front it should be pointing into the case.

Next would be to take off the CPU heatsink, use some 99% isopropyl alcohol and a kitchen towel to clean off the thermal compound, then apply some fresh.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ARCTIC-MX-4-2019-Performance-Durability/dp/B07L9BDY3T/ref=sr_1_3?crid=25P6M2170C7IP

Or use a pad
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ARCTIC-Compound-Efficient-Conductivity-Handling/dp/B00UYTTDO6/ref=sr_1_35?crid=25P6M2170C7IP&th=1

Neil_Jones

Thermal paste has probably dried up. cannot dissipate the heat.

All the paste does is allow heat to dissipate from the processor to the heatsink where it's blown away by the cooling fan. If there is no paste (or its dried out) there is no ability to radiate this heat to the heatsink, so what happens is you get a "hot" patch of air around the processor lid (that's in contact with the heatsink) that can't be shifted and that's what causes the CPU temperature to rise.

Fortunately thermal paste is cheap and easy to apply, you only need a thin layer of paste, don't drown it because all the excess will squeeze out of the side of the heatsink when you reattach it and it's just a waste.

hampshirebabe

Neil_Jones wrote: »

Thermal paste has probably dried up. cannot dissipate the heat.



Fortunately thermal paste is cheap and easy to apply, you only need a thin layer of paste, don't drown it because all the excess will squeeze out of the side of the heatsink when you reattach it and it's just a waste.

Any particular one you recomend, can I just get one from amazon that has good reviews?

hampshirebabe

stragglebod wrote: »

Is the case fan mounted the right way? Look for a small arrow in the moulding somewhere. If the fan's at the back the arrow should be pointing out of the case, if it's at the front it should be pointing into the case.

Next would be to take off the CPU heatsink, use some 99% isopropyl alcohol and a kitchen towel to clean off the thermal compound, then apply some fresh.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ARCTIC-MX-4-2019-Performance-Durability/dp/B07L9BDY3T/ref=sr_1_3?crid=25P6M2170C7IP

Or use a pad
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ARCTIC-Compound-Efficient-Conductivity-Handling/dp/B00UYTTDO6/ref=sr_1_35?crid=25P6M2170C7IP&th=1

Some how managed to miss this, I cant see an arrow anywhere, but will try thethermal compound. :-)

stragglebod

The arrows are often tricky to find As a general rule of thumb the flow is normally from the sticker side to the non sticker side, but not always.


Arctic is a good brand and not too expensive for thermal paste. Plenty of vids on youtube showing how to apply it.

hampshirebabe

Hi, I bought the thermal compound you suggested, watched some youtube videos and replaced the old stuff, put it back together but its not made any difference. Anything else I can try?

that

[QUOTE=hampshirebabe;75945277..The_fan_comes_on_for_a_while_firest._I_downloaded_HWMonitor_and_its_showing_the_cores_temperature_going_up_to_90.[/QUOTE]

have a look in hwmonitor again. If it is still 90, then something is wrong, like blocked air vents, the sellers removed a secondary case fan, you are blocking some vent the holes (are their holes in the bottom?), the fans are facing the wrong way so the blast of the fans oppose each other, the heatsink paste blob was too small, the seller stole the fan and put a small one on it.

If they overclocked it, that would also cause it to heat up

Sometimes, but very rarely a fault on the cpu can occur that causes it to overheat, however that fan should sound like a mini jet engine!

why not tell us the make an model, cpu and motherboard and show us do nice clear pictures of the inside?

GDB2222

Can you run it with the case open?

Check all the fans are running correctly.

hampshirebabe

I've been running it today with the side of the case off and its better, but still getting hot, the fan works fine, gets going very fast sometimes.
Its a zoostorm pc, not sure of the model though. The inside is very clean, no dust.

hampshirebabe