System is Overheating in this Heat MUST READ to prevent making it worse.

[cyberrico]

My computer shuts down automatically when it gets too hot. I have been struggling with this for the last few months as I have been too lazy to do anything about it. I can't do anything about it until Monday. I was wondering if anyone had a temporary solution to get me through the weekend.

I have had one side of the case open with a small house fan blowing directly into my machine.

I know, I know, for a guy that's always giving computer advice, this is a very dumb thing to do.

Any suggestions to get me through this weekend? If I can't play SWG this weekend, I'm going to be pissed.

[the flinger]

whoa whoa whoa....A small HOUSE FAN blowing into your PC??? jesus, i know its hot out, but thats really enough to cool anything!

download mobo monitor or hdd temperature (google it) to check how hot your system is running.....because something seems fishy....

flingy

[LPDad]

have you cleaned all of the dust and crap out of your HSF??

Having a big fan blowing directly into the side of your puter is not going to keep it cooler, and in fact might even make your cooling problem worse. The reason is that you want AIRFLOW through the computer and over the HSF and OUT of the case.

If you have a big fan blowing directly into the side of the case then you run the risk of creating lots of air pressure inside of your case (right over your HSF/Processor) because the air getting blasted in by the fan cannot excape out the other side.
This is what happens if you have no way for all that air to excape--- to illistrate this: If you hold an empty coffee can with the open side toward you and you hold a feather right at the opening of the can and then you try to BLOW the feather into the can...you cannot do it. The harder you blow the farther the feather is pushed OUT away from the opening of the can.

(The big fan blowing into one side of your computer would work well only if you could completely remove the opposite side of the case so the air goes in, over your processor and out the other side without obstruction)

What you need to do is to somehow get nice airflow restored without using a big fan blowing directly into the case.

the long term solution is to put a small 80 or 120 mm fan on the side of your case blowing in and over your Vid card and processor and then have ALL of the fans on the back of your case EXAUSTING the air out the back. It really depends on the shape of your case, placement of PSU, and what the tangle of wires in your computer does to the airflow.
If you look at the pictures of Rastagard's computer you will see what a beautiful job he did with wrapping all the wires and cables so there would be good airflow. The Rastamachine really shows the right way to do it.

Hope this helps. For now, turn your fan down to LOW and set it on a STEEP ANGLE blowing into your computer from the front left side toward the back right side. and make sure all of your fans on the back are clean and blowing exaust. Get the AIR FLOWING.

[Wobbel]

Originally posted by LPDad

If you look at the pictures of Rastagard's computer you will see what a beautiful job he did with wrapping all the wires and cables so there would be good airflow. The Rastamachine really shows the right way to do it.

And if you take a look at my pc pic,it shows you how it shouldn't look,cables everywhere,bad airflow. (no problems with the cpu temp though)

Here are rastagards pc pics,great job he did with it

pics

[cyberrico]

The problem was dust. I carefully cleaned out everything and the temperature dropped 10 degrees F. One of the fans must have been jammed. That's what I get for using my pc as an ashtray.

The house fan, which is an amazing ice machine of death did lower my temperature significantly. I agree that it isn't a smart idea (as i stated above) and don't suggest it to anyone even if they get a good airflow passage.

Thanks for your advice.

Oh man Wobbel's going to beat me to 400 posts. See you at 500, pal.

[LPDad]

??? you mean I did not need that big long boring post?? you mean I could have left it at: Clean the crap out the HSF??

Damn, I could have prevented myself from getting these blisters on my fingers from all the typing!!!

AS LONG AS THINGS WORKED OUT!!!
that is really all that matters--that the problem got resolved!!!

Good job CR!!

[rastagard]

Hey LP, you know better than that, my man.


Everything helps someone. If not cyberrico, then maybe the next person who is drawn to this thread cause they're havin a similar problem.


You did an excellent job of explaining how airflow should be ideally directed through a case. That is a valuable lesson to anyone!






in tha meantime mebbee ya kin snag some ointment fer yer blisters

[cyberrico]

You know, I also called my friend that helps me with more difficult stuff with my computer. He said if were really ever running at 70-80 degrees celcius, and I put my hand anywhere near the processor, it would be like putting my hand over a burner on my stove. Yet it was cool through this entire ordeal.

He's going to take a look at it this weekend, but he's had a lot of computers with my mobo read temperatures wrong.

Would you guys concur that 80 degrees celcius would be burning hot?

[the flinger]

YES!

80 CELCIUS is NOT a temp that you want to be running at!!

edit

maybe not a STOVE hot, but thats way too hot for a pc

[the hunter]

I think I would download aida32, run it, and see what it gives for temps.

[Polariz]

For a small reference take a look at this white paper from AMD on optimal cooling in your case:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/cont...ling_guide.pdf

[Dr. Avery]

I'm still considering that house fan idea...

If you were to secure a large ventilation filter to the back of a high powered box fan with plastic (for air tightness) and duct tape, secure the fan to the PC case with an airtight plastic tunnel (a modified garbage bag and duct tape should do the trick) and remove the opposite side panel for airflow, you have a pretty slick cooling mechanism. The positive airpressure environment would prevent dust from recirulating into the box, or at least that is the theory

So, assuming the airflow is directed through the filter properly, and aside from the noise, is there anything that would prevent this from working?

[alegar001]

great minds think alike Doc I had simler ideas involving a box fan and air tunnal that feed cool air, but then i thought of all the noise, and how i would get the cool air in to the case, and what to do with the hot air as it comes out, maybe revers the idea and have it draw the air out, instay of forcing air out, that way it would be like a vacume cleaner....right.
It is a great idea doc

[Kungfucious]

lmao! the house fan eh! Ive been using the old dog for over a year now.. The sun faces my room all day and since i live in a pretty newly refurbished house the insulation in the walls is a real killer.. My room is like an oven and to top it off, my monitor alone produces so much heat, you could fry an egg on it!

The monitor, believe it or not is the main source of heat in my room.. Start up a movie and by the end of the movie the room is like a sauna... next summer im definitely getting an AC or get some kinda air vents installed!

Anyway back to the fan.. ive been 'fanning' my pc's fr over a year now.. it might sound like a silly idea but it IS efficient at cooling the processor and graphics! AS LONG AS ITS NOT TURNED UP TOO HIGH.. thats when you get the 'coffee jar' effect!

I find the best way to cool using a home fan is to set it on rotate... that way it blows one end and lets the air out the other and vice versa...

i think this week ill go and get a dremel and do some DIY intakes!