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

**econ21** · 02-01-2007, 23:08

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** · 02-01-2007, 23:27

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

CBR

**drone** · 02-01-2007, 23:30

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/Pen...s/30638203.pdf

**Phatose** · 02-02-2007, 04:35

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.