CPU gets really hot (>100°C !) and computer turns off... Thoughts?

[sincostan45]

If anyone could give me some direction in dealing with this problem, I would greatly appreciate it.

I know this is a long post, and I apologize for that, but I want to give all of the information that I know so that this problem can be assessed in the best way possible. But if you can take the time to read through this post, I would appreciate it very much.

I should have my computer stats available just to the left of this paragraph, if you need to know what processor and motherboard I have. Also, this is the case I have, which includes a fan on the front, back, one of the sides and two fans on the other side, not including the fan for the power supply. So, the internal components should be well ventilated. Additionally, the computer is located in a central air conditioned house.

Now, I do A LOT of video encoding. I have noticed that my computer has been continually getting more and more sensitive to the CPU overheating, especially the last couple of weeks. Before, my computer would turn off if I tried to multi-task while encoding a video, and recently it turned off when I was playing a graphics-intensive PC game. Today, I tried to encode a video and my computer turned off after it had been encoding for about two minutes, using all four cores of my processor. (My computer has turned off many other times because of the CPU overheating; those are just a few examples.)

I searched around on this forum and someone recommended to try a program called SpeedFan to see how hot the CPU gets and also to clean out the computer. In all honesty, there was not a lot of dust in my computer, (because I sometimes vacuum the inside of my computer whenever I vacuum my house) although there was some in the CPU fan grills when I looked closer. (I hadn't noticed it before because of the fan blades.) I took the CPU fan out and blew out all of the dust.

When I had the fan out, I noticed that the thermal paste was worn down pretty thin (or so I think; I don't really remember how thick it was originally) and was also not in the slight bit sticky, so all I did was detach the fan from the motherboard with no resistance. (NOOB question: Are CPU fans even supposed to come out that easily? Aren't they supposed to be almost permanently stuck to the CPU?)

I took a picture of the CPU fan ("IMG_5682") where you can see the thermal paste. It's also noticeable that one of the strips of thermal paste is a little thicker than the other two and cleaner. It also makes me wonder if the CPU fan isn't quite pressed up against the CPU evenly and firmly, though it feels pretty tight on the motherboard. When I built this computer (in February 2009, my first build), I used the generic thermal paste that came with the processor (which I think was already adhered to the CPU fan in those three strips) and was pretty sure that everything was installed correctly.

Now then, I put the CPU fan back in, turned on the computer and tried encoding a little bit of video. I took a screenshot of the Windows desktop utility that measures CPU use and SpeedFan. ("overheating CPU...") So, apparently, the dust wasn't the problem.

I should also say that I watched the temperature readings in SpeedFan while I was encoding once before I took that screenshot. The CPU temperature rose to 100°C and just stopped, while the "Core 0" temperature also rose to 100°C and then dropped to a negative number, and then began climbing towards 0°C before my computer shut off. So, basically, my CPU gets so hot that SpeedFan (or whatever senses the temperatures) aren't even programmed to read temperatures that high!

For reference purposes, I also attached a screenshot of SpeedFan showing the temperature readings whenever my computer sits idle for a bit. The CPU temperature is typically around 45-50°C and the "Core 0" temperature is around 50°C. Though it gives the flame icon whenever one of them gets over 50°. (It also shows that my video card is running too hot, but I'll deal with that after this. At least that explains why I can't play as high-bitrate videos as I used to when I first built my computer.)

I'm thinking that the thermal paste is the culprit here, because the CPU fan seems to run exactly as it always has and I haven't really noticed any major performance loss with low-processor-intensive type of activities, so I guess the processor isn't severely damaged. (Word processing, web browsing, music, etc.) (Though things have gotten slightly slower since I built the computer, but I suppose that's to be expected of any computer.)

Also, ever since I built my computer in February 2009, I have used it for video editing and encoding video (among other things.) Up until recently, it never had a problem with encoding video for hours on end, even with all four cores of the processor in use. It seems like if the thermal paste is the cause of the problem, it became a problem awful quickly, which I find kind of odd. There wasn't much of a gradual buildup, considering I've been using my computer in the same way for well over a year now.

Anyway, I'm thinking that I need to get the old thermal paste off the CPU fan and get some GOOD name-brand stuff on the CPU fan followed by reattaching it. I am also considering looking into getting a better CPU fan, since I max out my processor so much. (Also, how damaged do you think my CPU is at this point? No damage? Some damage? Or should I start thinking about getting a replacement CPU? I know that I said I think my processor is OK, but I'm open to other opinions.)

What do you think?

If anybody could give me their thoughts on this, I would REALLY appreciate it. Thanks in advance. (And sorry for the long post.)

P.S. If I had the faintest idea of how to build a water-cooled system, I would look into that.

[budz]

yuh, your cpu is too hot which is why it's shutting down....hope you're not continuing to use it because you could burn out the Intel Q9400 cpu.
it's better if you fill out your computer specs in here which will make it easier for members to assist you. buy a better heatsink fan than using that crappy intel stock one. also buy new thermal paste as well. check your cpu temp in the motherboard bios. HwMonitor is better to use than speed fan.

HwMonitor download:
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

you need to reseat the Intel Q9400 cpu if you wanna continue using that Intel stock heatsink fan. Make sure you wipe off the old thermal paste with alcohol or use a thermal cleaner like Artic Cleaners.

Artic Silver ArticClean kit, $5.99
http://www.svc.com/acclean-60ml.html

MX-2 thermal paste, $6.99
http://www.svc.com/fan-mx2.html

The MX-2 thermal paste and Artic Cleaner have free shipping.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus cpu cooler, $29.99 and pay for the shipping otherwise it will take forever to get to you if using free shipping
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RR-B10-212P-G1-Universal-Heat-Pipe/dp/B002G1YPH0/r...1250576&sr=1-1

Newegg carries that CM Hyper 212 Plus but they're overpricing it at $49.99 which is ripoff.
You'll have to make sure the CM Hyper 212 Plus will fit in your computer case. Or you could get the CM GeminII S cpu cooler from Newegg.

Cooler Master GeminII S cpu cooler, $39.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046&Tpk=cooler%20master%20geminII%20S

Amazon has the GeminII S cpu cooler for $37.91 with free shipping
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-GeminII-Aluminum-Heatpipes/dp/B001B8ZS3E/ref=sr_1_...1251052&sr=1-1

[redwudz]

OK, a lot of info.

Most modern CPUs won't get anywhere near 100C. Most times the MB will lower the CPU speed/shut down the CPU at much over 70C. Extended temperatures above 90C will most often damage the CPU permanently. The top of the CPU will be darkened and it may be dead. You don't seem to have that problem, so I'm not sure your temp readings are correct. Speed Fan is a good program, but may not work correctly with all CPUs and setups. Try the latest version of HW Monitor: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html It may not be as accurate as Speed Fan, but it's easier to use and has less problems with configuring.

You seem to be using the stock Intel heatsink. I would probably recommend a upgrade.

Did you replace the CPU on the MB without cleaning off the CPU and heatsink and using new thermal compound? If so, a very bad idea. Anytime the HS is removed, you need to clean off both the CPU heatspreader and the HS with something like 99% isopropyl and apply a good brand of thermal compound.

If your CPU runs very hot for a extended time, then the thermal compound may be prematurely damaged and it can dry out and be mostly ineffective.

Anyway, bottom line, at minimum, use new thermal compound. Better, get a upgraded heatsink and new thermal compound.

MORE: GPU temps are commonly around the 50C area. They tend to run hot. 60 - 70C would be very hot. I would rather see them below 55C.

Your hard drives show temps of 35C - 40C, about normal. That hints that your case temps may be OK and your case cooling is working.

[lordsmurf]

Yep, redo thermal on it. I had this problem, too. I spent 4 hours dismantling a laptop some months back, and the paste was powdered. Removed it, replaced it with good stuff, and not an issue since.

Paste is a glaze, never globbed and sticky. If it's globbed and sticky, it's done wrong. Paste reduces space between CPU and the sink. I learned this the hard way a decade ago. Oops.

Better copper sink may also be a good idea.

Be sure the case moves cold air IN and hot air OUT of the case. Blowing hot air on the CPU doesn't help. Looking like it "should be" well vented, and actually being well vented is not the same. This might mean replacing the case.

Do you smoke? If so, there may be tar and crap on the components.
Dusty there? If so, clean it out 3-4 times per year minimum.

There is also a chance the motherboard thermostat is screwed up.

[Noahtuck]

P.S. If I had the faintest idea of how to build a water-cooled system, I would look into that.

That's why you buy one of these,
http://www.corsair.com/products/h50/default.aspx

And do this,
http://blog.corsair.com/?p=987

Like redwudz & I did,
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/270162-AMD-six-core-CPU-and-Corsair-H50-water-cooli...hlight=cooling

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/323172-Cooling-Solutions-*Solved-updated*-Problems-...=1#post2005339


Another review,
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/corsair_cooling_hydro_series_h50_cpu_cooler

I will definitely buy another one for my next build which will be a 6 core.

And it's much cheaper than building a usual water cooling system and this one is permanently sealed.

[sincostan45]

Awesome, thanks for the replies guys.

yuh, your cpu is too hot which is why it's shutting down....hope you're not continuing to use it because you could burn out the Intel Q9400 cpu.
it's better if you fill out your computer specs in here which will make it easier for members to assist you. buy a better heatsink fan than using that crappy intel stock one. also buy new thermal paste as well. check your cpu temp in the motherboard bios. HwMonitor is better to use than speed fan.

...

you need to reseat the Intel Q9400 cpu if you wanna continue using that Intel stock heatsink fan. Make sure you wipe off the old thermal paste with alcohol or use a thermal cleaner like Artic Cleaners.

Currently, I am only using it for low-processor-intensive stuff, like typing out this post. I will NOT do any video encoding or do anything with multimedia on it (other than maybe listening to music in Winamp.) I am also keeping a close eye on the HwMonitor / SpeedFan. By the way, I tried HwMonitor and SpeedFan side by side and they gave exactly the same temperature readings. Also, I would check the temperature in BIOS, but since I have to reset my computer to access BIOS, doesn't that defeat the purpose of reading temperatures while the computer is in use?

Well, I figured that having my computer specs filled out in my profile would be alright so people can see them to the left of my post. But yeah, I guess having it like this can be easier to read:

Processor - Intel Core 2 Quad 9400
Motherboard - Asus P5Q3 (LGA 775 CPU socket)
Video card - NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT

Those should be the main components we are dealing with.

Yeah, after learning more about this overheating problem, I plan on getting a better CPU fan and better thermal paste! (Screw that Intel stock fan.) If I plan on continuing to do more video encoding for hours on end like I have been doing, then I need to get good equipment to do it.

Thanks for the links and product recommendations, budz! I'll look at them a little closer later tonight when I have a bit more time.

By the way, my current thermal paste is stuck on the Intel stock CPU fan. When I took it off, I didn't see any stuck to the CPU, though I suppose giving the CPU a quick wipedown with thermal cleaner or isopropyl alcholo wouldn't hurt to get rid of any small remaining bits whenever I get my new CPU fan and thermal paste.

...Extended temperatures above 90C will most often damage the CPU permanently. The top of the CPU will be darkened and it may be dead. You don't seem to have that problem, so I'm not sure your temp readings are correct.

Did you replace the CPU on the MB without cleaning off the CPU and heatsink and using new thermal compound? If so, a very bad idea. Anytime the HS is removed, you need to clean off both the CPU heatspreader and the HS with something like 99% isopropyl and apply a good brand of thermal compound.

If your CPU runs very hot for a extended time, then the thermal compound may be prematurely damaged and it can dry out and be mostly ineffective.

MORE: GPU temps are commonly around the 50C area. They tend to run hot. 60 - 70C would be very hot. I would rather see them below 55C.

Your hard drives show temps of 35C - 40C, about normal. That hints that your case temps may be OK and your case cooling is working.

That's why I was worried about my CPU being damaged, although everything seems to be working fine. (Other than it overheating, obviously.) When I took the CPU fan off, I did not notice any darkened areas on the CPU. So, maybe the more than 100°C thing is a bunch of crap, though both HwMonitor and SpeedFan give exactly the same readings. So maybe the sensors on my motherboard are not working correctly?

Basically, what I did was take the CPU fan off, blew out all of the dust and put it right back on. I didn't really mess with the thermal paste other than touching it just a little bit with my finger. Next time I take the CPU fan off though, it's staying off for good as it will be replaced. (By the way, there was no resistance when I removed the CPU fan, other than where it was obviously attached to the motherboard. That's not a good thing, is it?)

Yes, this is the other thing I forgot to mention in my initial post. The thermal paste on the Intel stock fan was completely dry! No wonder why my CPU has been overheating.

So, since my video card runs around 55°C, then you think that it's slightly warmer than it should be, but nothing too serious? (Yet?) I have noticed that I haven't been able to play as high birate and/or resolution of videos in the past couple of months as I did when I first built the computer... But that's a different issue entirely.

Yeah, I've never had a problem with my hard drives, especially since my case pulls air in between them. (More about my case below.)

Paste is a glaze, never globbed and sticky. If it's globbed and sticky, it's done wrong. Paste reduces space between CPU and the sink. I learned this the hard way a decade ago. Oops.

Be sure the case moves cold air IN and hot air OUT of the case. Blowing hot air on the CPU doesn't help. Looking like it "should be" well vented, and actually being well vented is not the same. This might mean replacing the case.

Do you smoke? If so, there may be tar and crap on the components.
Dusty there? If so, clean it out 3-4 times per year minimum.

There is also a chance the motherboard thermostat is screwed up.

I see, thanks for the info on the thermal paste. It's probably good to have an idea of how it goes on before I get my new stuff.

Well, this is how the fans on my case work. The fan on the front, in front of the hard drives, pulls air in. The fan on the right side, also next to the hard drives, pushes air out. On the left side, closer to the back, there are two fans that both pull air in. The fan on the back pushes air out. So, there should be air circulating through the inside of the case, so I wouldn't imagine that air stagnates in there. This is the case I have (Page with pictures.)

Nope, no one smokes in my house and I keep everything fairly well dusted. I also keep my tower up off the floor. In fact, I have it on a shelf on my computer desk, over my monitor. (I have a theory that it's better to keep computers off the floor to help decrease the amount of dust that gets taken in by the fans.)

...And it's much cheaper than building a usual water cooling system and this one is permanently sealed.

I see, thanks for all of the links! It actually looks pretty easy. The water cooling system you've linked to is the simplest one I've ever seen, though I will admit I haven't exactly seen too many of them.

The thing with water cooled systems that has always kind of baffled me is how complex they look from pictures, like this one. I suppose there are guides for building water cooled systems and I'm sure Newegg (or wherever) sells the necessary equipment, but I don't like the idea of having water inside a computer case. If something goes wrong and water starts leaking... Well, there goes your computer. But, I dunno. I guess I'm just paranoid.

Because water has such a high heat capacity, I can definitely understand why it would work so well to keep the CPU cool, not to mention some water cooled systems look pretty awesome and are probably quieter than fans inside a fan-cooled system. But when it comes down to it... it just seems too risky to me.

[Noahtuck]

The CPU liquid cooling system i linked to is permanently sealed from the factory, unlike the standard systems like you linked to.

And the more complex ones, like the one you linked to, they also have blocks for the GPU on graphics cards, northbridge, ect. where this one is just for the CPU.

And while i was looking through the message boards, i believe it was on the actual corsair site, there has only been 1 report of a system leaking, and i am sure the chances of that happening are very rare as they are designed to be permanently seled, but the dude who had it happen contacted Corsair and they replaced his entire system for free because it was a defect in their system.

I would also be a little more paranoid building a system from parts like the one you linked to, but i have no worries about the corsair sealed CPU system.

It is super quiet and works better than any standard aftermarket heatsink/fan CPU cooler i have ever used.

[budz]

I forgot to give you a link on how to apply thermal paste. This guide is good as it illustrates how to apply on cpu coolers that have flat surfaces & on heatpipes.

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1

[redwudz]

So, since my video card runs around 55°C, then you think that it's slightly warmer than it should be, but nothing too serious? (Yet?) I have noticed that I haven't been able to play as high bitrate and/or resolution of videos in the past couple of months as I did when I first built the computer... But that's a different issue entirely.

A lot of GPUs seem to run at those temps, so nothing serious most times. Low game bitrate is likely a GPU driver or similar problem.

Well, this is how the fans on my case work. The fan on the front, in front of the hard drives, pulls air in. The fan on the right side, also next to the hard drives, pushes air out. On the left side, closer to the back, there are two fans that both pull air in. The fan on the back pushes air out. So, there should be air circulating through the inside of the case, so I wouldn't imagine that air stagnates in there.

Usually it's best to pull in air from one side and exhaust it out the other, think through-flow. Lots of air doesn't always help unless it's all going in the same direction. Think air exchange within the case to carry the heat outside. Higher air velocity usually moves heat better than low velocity air. If it just goes in circles, not too efficient. But your case is probably fine as is.

[thymej]

I could not help from noticing that the picture of the heat sink IMG_5682 looked as if it was never used. If that is not a picture of a never used heat sink then it appears it never came in contact with the CPU, the reason for the 100c.

[lordsmurf]

Yeah, I'm not digging the case design either. Again, feel the air from the out fans. Open it up after it's been closed and in use for 10 hours. Did hot/warm air rush out? I don't know that it's giving good circulation. I think idiots design most computer cases. I'd say that "fine" for one setup may not be cool enough for warmer/hotter setups. Something to watch for.

I'd think about flipping the back fans to push air out, then just removing the right panel fan. Leave it an open grill. Get that "through-flow" that redwudz mentioned.

I forgot to give you a link on how to apply thermal paste. This guide is good as it illustrates how to apply on cpu coolers that have flat surfaces & on heatpipes.

Interesting read, but I don't know that it would help a newbie. I would advise against the "glob and stick" method, too. It should be evenly glaze-applied with your finger. (Preferably your finger behind Saran wrap.)

[budz]

I forgot to give you a link on how to apply thermal paste. This guide is good as it illustrates how to apply on cpu coolers that have flat surfaces & on heatpipes.

Interesting read, but I don't know that it would help a newbie. I would advise against the "glob and stick" method, too. It should be evenly glaze-applied with your finger. (Preferably your finger behind Saran wrap.)

The method using your finger with saran wrap is fine for cpu coolers that have a flat surface. But for the newer cpu coolers that have heatpipes using that method wouldn't be ideal. Just my 2 cents!

[lordsmurf]

Yeah, I don't know that either method looks to work very well on the heat pipes.
I'd still opt for finger application over drops, regardless of CPU cooler surface.

[budz]

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1&lim...1&limitstart=5

It works well with my CM Hyper 212 Plus cpu cooler which is a heatpipe cpu cooler. Most newer model cpu coolers have heatpipes compared to the conventional flat surfaces. The new trend is heatpipe cooling. Bottom line is use the method that will suit one's needs. Nuff said!

[sincostan45]

Sorry for the late reply, guys.

The CPU liquid cooling system i linked to is permanently sealed from the factory, unlike the standard systems like you linked to.

And the more complex ones, like the one you linked to, they also have blocks for the GPU on graphics cards, northbridge, ect. where this one is just for the CPU.

...

I would also be a little more paranoid building a system from parts like the one you linked to, but i have no worries about the corsair sealed CPU system.

It is super quiet and works better than any standard aftermarket heatsink/fan CPU cooler i have ever used.

Oh really? Well, that's definitely good to know, that it's sealed from the factory. And I wasn't aware some water cooled systems also cooled all of that. But now that I've looked at a few more (poorly taken) pictures of water cooled systems after reading your post, it makes a lot more sense why there are so many hoses.

Anyway, since you made me aware of this water-cooled heatsink, the Corsair H50, I've read some more reviews on it (which were overwhelmingly positive) and researched it. It seems like a good decision to purchase it. I figure that if I'm going to be doing a lot of video encoding, I might as well get some good equipment for it, in addition to the fact that if I'm going to replace a component in my computer, I might as well make it a good one. I've already placed an order for it, so it (and the thermal paste) should be arriving at my doorstep before the end of the week.

I also plan on getting another 120mm fan to setup a "Push-Pull" system like what was talked about on this page. But I'll get it when I get some more money here in a few weeks.

I forgot to give you a link on how to apply thermal paste. This guide is good as it illustrates how to apply on cpu coolers that have flat surfaces & on heatpipes.

Cool, thanks. Before I ask any questions, there is this one sentence I found in the article...

"Most enthusiasts shriek at the thought of using the push-pin style clips found on Intel's stock LGA 775 thermal cooling solution."

...That's exactly what my current CPU fan is.

OK, so this is what I got out that article: First, you want as much metal-to-metal contact as possible, so one doesn't need to thickly slather the thermal paste on. Second, according to the author of the article, if one of the surfaces aren't too smooth, then it's best to first spread the thermal paste over almost the entire surface but thin enough to where the metal can still be seen through it (using a finger covered in a plastic bag or latex glove.) Then apply a little bit more thermal paste in a pattern that works well, which is two lines spaced apart about 1/3 of the processor's width.

So... I guess as long as the surface of the heatsink is mounted so that it is constantly in contact with as much of the CPU's surface area as possible, combined with the thermal paste application technique above, then... It should be OK?

A lot of GPUs seem to run at those temps, so nothing serious most times. Low game bitrate is likely a GPU driver or similar problem.

Usually it's best to pull in air from one side and exhaust it out the other, think through-flow. Lots of air doesn't always help unless it's all going in the same direction. Think air exchange within the case to carry the heat outside. Higher air velocity usually moves heat better than low velocity air. If it just goes in circles, not too efficient. But your case is probably fine as is.

Well, I'm actually not much of a PC gamer. (I only have a demo of Crysis installed just because somebody asked me to install it and tell them how it ran on my computer.) What I am talking about is my system not being able to simply play some videos smoothly. I remember my system being able to handle anything I threw at it after I built it, and now it's been chugging at some of the more recent things I've acquired. It could be because some of the more recent stuff might have been encoded at a higher bitrate (resolutions and framerates are about the same) than what I played before, but I can't say for sure. It's something that needs specific testing instead of me just whining about it. So, I'll save it for another thread, another day.

I see; that actually makes a lot of sense. Though other than this issue with my processor, I can't say I've had a problem with anything getting too hot. The case always feels normal - like any other metal thing sitting in room temperature would feel. I've also never felt any hot air come out of the case.

I could not help from noticing that the picture of the heat sink IMG_5682 looked as if it was never used. If that is not a picture of a never used heat sink then it appears it never came in contact with the CPU, the reason for the 100c.

Well, I took that picture after I blew all of the dust out of it, so that could be part of the reason. Although it's entirely possible it wasn't quite on the CPU like it should have been. But never came in contact? Wouldn't my CPU have overheated the first very time I maxed it out?

Yeah, I'm not digging the case design either. Again, feel the air from the out fans. Open it up after it's been closed and in use for 10 hours. Did hot/warm air rush out? I don't know that it's giving good circulation. I think idiots design most computer cases. I'd say that "fine" for one setup may not be cool enough for warmer/hotter setups. Something to watch for.

I'd think about flipping the back fans to push air out, then just removing the right panel fan. Leave it an open grill. Get that "through-flow" that redwudz mentioned.)

...

It should be evenly glaze-applied with your finger. (Preferably your finger behind Saran wrap.)

I answered one of your questions in this post already. And the air from the fans doesn't feel hot either.

...I see. That actually makes a more sense than the way my case is currently set up. Looking at the fans on the left side, it looks like it might be possible to reverse them, though the screws don't look too promising. I think I am going to reverse the fans, now that I've thought about it. (Why wasn't the case designed like that before?) I'll have to mess with it later though. Thanks for the tip! (Same goes to you too, redwudz.)

Hmmm. OK, so I have either put the thermal paste into two small strips about 1/3 of the width of the processor apart, or evenly glazed with a plastic-covered finger.

Honestly, the latter of the two makes more sense to me. Just thinking about it... Wouldn't a person want the thermal paste distributed over more surface area so it can do a better job of filling in more gaps between the two touching surfaces? With that being said then... Then would a person want just enough thermal paste to fill in the gaps, but not so much that it prevents the surfaces from touching or gushes out if the two surfaces are pressed really hard together?

[DarrellS]

Two problems with a stock heatsink and fan is that one, the push pins don't secure properly and you get no contact with the CPU which it looks like in the picture that you posted.

The other is that the fan just blows hot air onto the CPU instead of pulling the heat away from the CPU like it should. I'm using a stock fan on my old 3.2GHz P4 machine but it's a socket 478 that secures to the motherboard a lot better and the fan works like it should (sucking the heat away from the CPU and out the side of the case through a horn).

I use an older CoolerMaster Hyper 212 that was made for my Socket 775 CPU. It bolts to the motherboard so it can't fall off. My new CoolerMaster case is made perectly for the cooler with a hole to mount the Cooler without removing the motherboard (I had to mod my old case to mount the cooler).

I live in the Arizona desert and my CPU is running at 35*C. The System runs at 32*C and the GPU runs at 48*C. Oh yeah, my 2.40GHz Q6600 is overclocked to 3208.1 MHz.

[redwudz]

I guess I'm still a bit 'old school', so I use a credit card to spread the thermal compound evenly over the CPU heat spreader. About one to two magazine pages thickness. You can use those fake credit cards you get in the mail.

I'm not a fan of those push pin setups either. Especially if you have to reuse them a few times. If you're serious about CPU air cooling, the bolt on CPU HSs are a much better choice, IMO.

If your CPU HS only contacts the CPU loosely, it will overheat in a few seconds and shut down. I had a HS come loose and I restarted the PC several times before I checked the HS. It was just hanging there, but the MB and the CPU protected itself and shut down within about three seconds each time, so no damage was done. I think the CPU was smarter than me in that case.

Some PC cases aren't designed all that well for cooling. Bottom air intake, top exhaust is usually the best. But front intake, rear exhaust works well if the air flows through the CPU HS and out the back. The fans are easy to reverse as the fan mount screws will work from either side, just flip them over. I've plugged extra side fan holes and got better cooling with some cases.

GPU video cards are also often lacking good cooling with the HS on the bottom side, though the heat goes upwards. It's mostly trapped. I have one video card that has the heatsink on the top, connected with heat pipes. It runs ~40C with no fan.

But I think the Corsair cooler will solve a lot of case problems. Without the large air cooled HS in my PC, the case temps dropped several degrees, so the rest of the PC benefited along with the CPU.

[lordsmurf]

Think of heat paste as "liquid metal" -- it fills gaps where the solid metal doesn't touch. It insures a 100% touch, which is what you need to transfer the heat off the CPU, and onto the various metal doo-dads on the heatsink (be it fins, pipes or whatever). Indeed, you want the solid metal to be as close as possible; therefore you only apply a glaze of paste, just enough to fill gaps. Finger application is my suggestion, too, not the "glob and pray" method.

I've plugged extra side fan holes and got better cooling with some cases.

Yep. Me too! I used duct tape on both sides.

GPU video cards are also often lacking good cooling with the HS on the bottom side, though the heat goes upwards. It's mostly trapped. I have one video card that has the heatsink on the top, connected with heat pipes. It runs ~40C with no fan.

My nVidia card used to overheat, and the fan bearings gave out after running 100% speed at all times, so it sounded like a woodpecker living in the computer. I removed the buzzy little fan. Guess what? No more heat issues. Dumbass fan was trapping the heat on the chip. The CPU fan blows hard enough that it passes air backwards off the motherboard and across the GPU, and that seems to suffice.

Without the large air cooled HS in my PC, the case temps dropped several degrees, so the rest of the PC benefited along with the CPU.

On three of my older single-core systems, I removed the CPU fan entirely, and replaced it with a 90mm bracket fan that blows on the CPU heatsink, the RAM and part of the motherboard. The systems are near silent, and MUCH MUCH cooler than they had been with the stock fans. It's one reason I'm such a big fan of the large fin heatsinks, which use similar large fans for cooling. It's about quantity of cool air, not speed.

[sincostan45]

OK guys, I installed the Corsair H50 along with some decent thermal paste. (Had to get rid of the thermal paste that came on the H50 though.) First of all, I just want to think everybody for their help. I really appreciate it.

Now, here are the new temperature readings when my computer is idling:



Temperature readings when my processor has been under 100% load for almost an hour:



So, there is clearly a big improvement.

However, I've ran into a few problems with the overall cooling of my case. As you can see, my system temperature is higher than it was last time and sometimes gets over 50°C, giving the flame icon. My GPU is also starting to run around 60°C. If I could get these lowered too, then I'd be set to go.

First, Corsair wants a person to install the radiator fan as an intake fan, even though it's supposed to go on the back of the case. As I said before, the back fan on my case blows out. I didn't have the right screws to keep the fan pointing the same way the old one was, so for now I have fans on both ends of my case blowing in...

This brings me to a question I have. I plan on getting screws with enough length and the right threading so I can setup the radiator fan, radiator and my old fan into a push-pull system that was discussed before. With that being said, if this system is on the back of my case, which direction should it blow? I suppose that for maximum CPU cooling, it should be intake, but the fan on the front of my case is also intake and I have no way of accessing that fan to reverse it. (Even if I take out all the hard drives, which would be pretty difficult with how my case is setup, I'm still now sure I would be able to turn it around.)

I could have the push-pull system blow air out of my case, but if the air is already a bit warm from it circulating through my case, then it wouldn't be as effecient cooling down the CPU.

What do you think?

Also, I ran into a problem with my bottom side fan near the back. The arm inside my case (which has a fan attached to it) wouldn't close because the very bottom of the radiator was in the way.) I ended up having to take the arm (including the fan) off so I could close my case.

There's something else I wasn't aware of, and quite frankly, I feel kind of stupid for admitting this so long after the fact, but that fan on the right side of the case next to the hard drives... is non-existent. Yep, it's just an open grill. I didn't notice this until I was installing the heatsink last night. When I felt it before, there was a steady stream of air coming out of it, so that's why I thought there was a fan there. I guess it was from the front intake fan...

So anyway, this is how my case currently looks when it comes to air movement:

The front and back fans are both intake. There is an open grill on the right side, next to the hard drives. There is another open grill on the left side, near the back and bottom, from where the "arm" fan was supposed to go. The other fan on the left side, near the back and top is still blowing air out.

So... how would you suggest I change this? I was almost thinking of putting another fan blowing air out over the open grill on the left side, forcefully screwing the screws in the clear plastic to pull more air out, but that's kind of drastic.

Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for everyone's help so far!

[DarrellS]

Front fan blowing cool air in
Back fan blowing hot air out
Left side blowing cool air in (preferably in the middle to blow air on the GPU and MB)
Top fan blowing hot air out (heat rises)

I had to mod my old case (drill 4" holes in side and top for fans) to get this setup and to be honest, it was a little cooler than my new case because the side fan was in the middle, cooling the video card and MB. My new case has an adapter to mount a fan over the video card but I haven't installed it.

That Raidmax doesn't look like a very good case at all. My brother got rid of his Raidmax a couple of months ago and his son replaced his today. They both got CM 690 II Advanced cases like mine. A very good case for $100.

If you keep the case you have, I'd cut a hole in the plexiglass and put at least a 120mm fan, drill a hole in the top for a 120mm fan and get rid of that fan arm. I'd also take the front door off.

[budz]

^^^^If I'm not mistaken the rear fan that comes w/the Corsair H50 is used as a intake fan and not as exhaust.

[sincostan45]

Front fan blowing cool air in
Back fan blowing hot air out
Left side blowing cool air in (preferably in the middle to blow air on the GPU and MB)
Top fan blowing hot air out (heat rises)

^^^^If I'm not mistaken the rear fan that comes w/the Corsair H50 is used as a intake fan and not as exhaust.

Yeah, that's the primary problem I'm having. The installation of the Corsair H50 basically made me reverse the back fan to be intake. And I am pretty sure that I have no access to the front fan, as it is actually located in the front panel of the case, behind the metal drive bay casings. I could unplug and remove all of my hard drives and then see if the drive bays come out of the case. They look like they might, but I'm not sure.

So then, if I can reverse the front fan, would having the air move back-to-front be problematic? The front fan is located at the bottom (in front of the hard drives, like I said) with the back fan closer to the top. If not, then I will try to see if I can reverse the front fan as per your recommendation.

Or...

After I get the right screws, I could reverse the back (heatsink radiator) fan to blow air out like it was before. But this also creates the problem of blowing warm air from inside the case through the heatsink's radiator...

What do you suggest?

I had to mod my old case (drill 4" holes in side and top for fans) to get this setup and to be honest, it was a little cooler than my new case because the side fan was in the middle, cooling the video card and MB. My new case has an adapter to mount a fan over the video card but I haven't installed it.

...

If you keep the case you have, I'd cut a hole in the plexiglass and put at least a 120mm fan, drill a hole in the top for a 120mm fan and get rid of that fan arm. I'd also take the front door off.

I see, that makes sense. You can tell that I'm definitely not getting the air circulation over my motherboard and video card like I was before, given my new temperatures after installing the Corsair H50.

Yeah, I had to get rid of that entire arm. The arm wouldn't snap shut because the Corsair H50's radiator was just big enough to keep it from closing, which meant I couldn't close up the entire side. So, no arm fan.

Well, right now, there are two holes (well, grills) in the plexiglass. One is already close to the top, but with a 80mm fan currently blowing out. (Thinking about changing this back to blowing air in for the time being and see if it temporarily helps.) The other grill is closer to the bottom (the one for the arm fan), but lined up with my video card. (Which explains the higher GPU temperature.)

Honestly, I'm not sure what you're saying. Are you saying put one or two 120 mm fans in the side?

Just to let you know, I currently have no way of cutting holes in the plexiglass for 120mm fans or for drilling holes for the screws due to the lack of tools. I'd probably need an electric jigsaw for the plexiglass and an electric drill with an appropriate sized bit for the screw holes, correct? I might be able to borrow these from somebody though... If you could clarify what you mean a little bit.

I've thought about taking the door off. I haven't though because there are LED lights in it, meaning I'd have to sever the wires too. The hole the wires come through in the front of the case is too small to pull the other end through. However, I always keep the door open anyway. I do it partly because it does help the circulation but also because I like the look of the blue LED lights on the back of the door. The way my computer is situated, the blue LED lights add some aesthetics to the room.

[redwudz]

In my Lian Li case the H50 fans are the only exhaust fans. I have two 120mm screen filtered front intake fans and the H50 push-pull fans are the exhaust. My power supply also works as sort of a exhaust fan, but the small amount of heat coming out of it tells me the H50 fans are doing most all the work. There are no holes in the sides of the case and there is only a small perforated grille beside the PCI cards. I checked that with a piece of paper and a small amount of air is blowing out of it, no intake.

I have had PC cases where you had to partially remove the HDD rack to get access to the front intake fans. Sometimes that can be done with the drives mostly hooked up. Depends on the case. Usually the HDD rack is bolted through the bottom of the case and may have a screw or two up top.

I'd first try reversing the H50 fan and trying it as exhaust and see if your interior temps improve. Second, try to add another front intake fan if possible. I've never had much luck with side intake fans unless they are tightly ducted to the CPU cooler fan. Just blowing air in there from the side doesn't always help.

[DarrellS]

For the plexiglass, a jigsaw might work better since a 4 1/2" holesaw could bind and crack the plexiglass. I used a 4 1/2" holesaw to cut the hole in my metal door and top of case. I'm a retired plumber so I have all the tools I need. Might be cheaper and a lot less trouble to buy a new case The main reason I bought the CM 690 II advanced was because of wire management to allow better circulation and asthetics plus the hole in the back to mount the heatsink.

I asked my nephew to take some pictures of my old case but I guess he forgot.

Templates for the holes...

http://www.mnpctech.3dpixelnet.com/picture_library/mnpctech.com_80_92_120_140_fan_gril...plates_rv2.pdf

I used 120mm metal fan grill for top and 120mm fan grill with filter kit for side fan from Fry's Electronics ($5 for both). If you wanted to get fancy, you could order parts online from a case modding site but the cost would go way up.

Tools needed...

power drill
4 1/2" hole saw w/ arbor ($38 at Lowes)
7/32" drill bit
(jigsaw with metal blade and 3/8" drill bit optional)

With the plexiglass door, you can see exactly where you need to drill the hole to get air to the GPU and chipset.

[budz]

^^^Yup, I agree easier to just buy a new computer case unless the OP is willing to do modding.