80C CPU temperature - is it a problem and what's the solution?

[econ21]

I'm starting to worry about my computer CPUs temperature.

I have a P4 3.4GHz and recently upgraded my graphics card to a GeForce 7800GS. Since then, my computer has tended to cut out after playing Civ4 for a while (time varies - can be hours, can be minutes). Posting on CivFanatics, this problem is often attributed to the computer getting too hot or having insufficient power.

I don't know how to explore the power issue, but I downloaded a couple of utilities to measure my CPU temperature. SpeedFan puts it at 80C (can be 90C when the computer is starting up) and gives me a flame icon which I interpret as a warning. Hardware Sensors Monitor puts it at 82C and beeps angrily at me. These temperatures are after using the computer for just wordprocessing and the internet (no gaming or fancy graphics) for a few hours.

So, I infer I may have a problem with my CPU overheating. Is that right? The temperatures certainly seem high to the layman - close to a boiling kettle. It does not seem healthy. This is all with the cover off.

If I do have a problem, what should I do about it? Bear in mind, I am technologically useless, so any suggestions should be simple to understand and implement, thanks. Reading on the net, it seems that buying an extra fan is the most common solution. Has anyone done this or taken other measures to deal with CPU overheating? Any recommendations?

[CBR]

Certainly seems like a very/too high temp. When was the last time you cleaned the CPU fan?


CBR

[drone]

You should be worried, that is very high, even for a P4. What kind of heatsink/fan do you have on the CPU?

Edit-> Looked at the Intel specs, from your description I think you have a 650/651 processor, which look to max out at around 70C.
http://download.intel.com/design/Pentium4/datashts/30638203.pdf

[Phatose]

At those temperatures, your CPU should be throttling. Any sign of it? Any sign of similiar stability problems in other apps?

When it's reporting those temperatures, touch the heatsink on the CPU. Does it feel like it's trying to cool off something that's 80 degrees? If not, either A: Your motherboard has crappy thermistors and is misreporting, or B: The heatsink has become unseated and needs to be reseated, likely with a re-application of thermal compound.

Check the net for your mobo, see if there are any mentions of misreporting temperatures. Might be a BIOS update to fix it.

If they're accurate, and the fan is going full blast and the heatsink is hot - well, probably gonna need a better heatsink.


I wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet though - misreporting mobos are fairly common, and at least back when I was playing with it, Civ 4 had serious stability troubles which many members of the community would happily blame on heat - total BS, really, the game just wasn't first class stable.

[Caius]

How can you play with a pc with 80 °C?Its a danger.

whar are mobos?

[sapi]

That is way, way too high.

Get it looked at asap.

[naut]

Whoa. It's supposed to switch off automatically if it reaches such temps, (well mine does if it goes over 60°C).

[Papewaio]

Try using a normal fan and blow it against the case... this will help reduce the temperature... if stability goes up then you definitly have an internal heat problem.

[econ21]

Thanks for the advice everyone. My computer cut out last night after a few minutes playing System Shock 2, so I don't think the problem is Civ4 specific anymore. It also seems to be getting worse - it's cutting out sooner and sooner with Civ4; now with less demanding games.

I booted up the computer this morning from cold and the CPU temperature was reported as 65C. As a layman, that makes me think it's misreporting. Even a kettle takes a while to get really hot. The heatsink feels cold on the tips, slightly warm on the base.

I tried Speedfan on my office computer this morning from cold and it reports a 33C temperature, so the temperatures reported on my office computer are definitely high.

I want to explore the BIOS update suggestion, although I am a complete newbie. When the computer crashes, it sometimes boots up with some BIOS problem. How can I find out what my motherboard is?

[R'as al Ghul]

Try compressed air and/or a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dust that assembles in the fan when you leave the case open.
Also, turn down all settings of the graphic card and select "Let application decide" to enable all the features like AA only when an application like M2TW needs them.

[Husar]

I booted up the computer this morning from cold and the CPU temperature was reported as 65C. As a layman, that makes me think it's misreporting. Even a kettle takes a while to get really hot. The heatsink feels cold on the tips, slightly warm on the base.
There may be a problem with your thermal compound as Phatose said.
A CPU without cooling can overheat within seconds, I made that experience which ended with a *crack*-sound coming out of my case...:juggle2:
If the CPU is at 80 degrees and the cooler is not hot, then it's very likely the heat compund, isf the motherboard was wrong, there'd be no reason for the computer crashing under load. And if the fan was just dirty, then the cooler should be hot.


Try using a normal fan and blow it against the case... this will help reduce the temperature... if stability goes up then you definitly have an internal heat problem.
I recommend a hairdryer.~;)

[R'as al Ghul]

How can I find out what my motherboard is?

Right click, select properties of "My Computer".
First page should tell you.

[econ21]

Thanks, people. It seems my computer is still under warranty so I will get it looked at. At a distance, the engineer strongly suspects it is a faulty CPU fan (Speedfan puts Fan1 at 20RPM, whereas Fan1 is 2100 RPM in my office PC).

[caravel]

Motherboard product code should be at the bottom of the post screen if it's not, or if there's an oem logo, you may have to hit esc or to show you what's going on behind the scenes. There may also be a bios option to disable the logo.

That temperature is potentially dangerous. And as Husar has stated a CPU can heat up extremely quickly when insufficent or badly applied cooling is used. You may need to reapply thermal compound ad give your heatsink and fan a good clean. I make a point of cleaning it out every few months to remove all of the dust from the fan and heatsink. The heatsink can usually be washed, but you need to ensure it's completely dried off before refitting it. The thermal compund should be reapplied very sparing to the surface of the CPU die and carefully scraped flat. When the heatsink is repositioned it is important not twist or apply uneven pressure, as this pushes the compound out and away from the die. Once that's done you should fire up immediately and check your core temperature from the hardware monitor in the bios setup. It is a good idea to leave the system in this state for about 20 minutes and then check the temperature again.

Regarding Throttling. If the CPU is not throttling, then it may be disabled in the BIOS, check this.

I had neglected to clean my heatsink and fan for about 3 months, and last night I was up until 1am trying to trace a fault and cleaning it out. My PC simply wasn't booting, but was giving the "processor not installed post beeps". It's ok now, so no more crashes for a while I hope. A fan that is full of dust soon becomes a faulty one.

:bow: