"Stephen said:
Hello,
My Mb is an A7v-333 with an updated Athlon XP 2800+, BIOS V. 1016. The
processor been
fitted about 6 months ago without problems.
My problem is just today when I restarted my computer after doing a normal
disk scan and defrag it would not do a manual restart, it stopped at the
point
where you had to press delete to enter the BIOS settings where it said there
was an Hardware Monitor fault....
I went into power, Hardware Monitor and in red the CPU temp was in red and
showing 76°c/168.5°F, this is the first time anything like this has
happened!
I know today was warm, but the computer was only switched on for around 2
hours! The room is well ventilated so took of the side panel and checked the
fans to see if they are ok, yes all working ok...
The only way I could restart was to disable CPU temp monitoring, but worried
I might fry the CPU if I carry on using the PC!
Can anyone tell me what is the normal running temp, and is the above temp
too high, and what could be the problem?
Thanks
Steve
When the machine is running, touch the heatsink on the CPU and
see if it is hot. If the heatsink is cool and yet the Hardware
Monitor is complaining the CPU is hot, then it could be the
thermal interface material (paste, for example) has flowed out
from between the CPU and the heatsink. With any grease or paste
product, you have to redo the grease or paste once in a while,
as it has a tendency to work its way out.
(I don't think AMD approves of thermal grease, and may refuse
a warranty claim if they find evidence that it has been used.
You may want to Google on the subject, as the AMD search engine
is a disaster. This might have to do with this defect of
paste/grease products, in that the user might not be aware that
the CPU has "pumped" the joint dry. There are some semi solid
phase change materials that are used some times, and these are
solids that melt at operating temperature, so that the solid
will flow to comform to the contour of the CPU die.
Unfortunately, at retail, thermal grease/paste is about all you
can get, to redo the CPU.)
While you have the HSF off the CPU, examine the CPU carefully
for burn marks or brown spots. That could be a sign that the
reason the CPU was so hot, was because an internal fault has
developed in it. Sometimes, this can be due to the die
being cracked or chipped - when the HSF is put in place, it
is easy to crack pieces off the die while seating the HSF.
Another reason a CPU can get hot, is if the Vcore is higher
than normal. You may want to check the voltage reading for
the core, in the Hardware Monitor, to see if it is outside
the value specified for the processor.
I find the safest way to work on a CPU, is to pull the
motherboard out of the case. This allows me to carefully
open the lever on the socket, and reseat the CPU to make
sure it is sitting flat in the socket. Handle the CPU by
the edges and try not to handle the pins, so ESD from
your fingers doesn't zap the processor. (And, make note
of where all the wires go, and which wire is pin 1 on
each cable etc.)
At that point, you can follow the instructions that come
with the thermal grease you bought, and apply the grease.
The idea with the grease is it is only used to fill the
void or air gap between the two parts, it is not intended
to squish out when the two parts are pushed together. On an
AMD CPU, you don't want the grease to get on the bridges on
the top of the chip package, as that would make it harder to
clean off the grease later. The technique I use is to apply
a dot of grease the size of the head of a pin, then carefully
place the heatsink on top of the die, and then remove the
heatsink again, to see how far the grease will spread for the
amount you just applied. This will help you gauge how much is
needed to fill the gap, without making a big mess. After you
have clamped the heatsink in place for the final time, you
can look around the edge of the contact area, to see at least
a little bit of grease oozing out, as that is proof that the
whole die is covered.
When it comes to the lever or latch that holds the HSF to
the socket, you need to use a tool that won't slide off
while you are trying to fasten it. Some of those latches
can be worked with a hex socket tool, as it has less of
a tendency to slide off, like a slot head screwdriver would.
(Some people have cut tracks on the motherboard when a
slot head screwdriver slides off.)
My computer case is just big enough, to slide the motherboard
back into the case with the HSF in place. My case doesn't
have a motherboard tray, and one of those would make life
easier. If you have to work on the CPU while it is still
in the case, this whole procedure will be much more
risky (I do the extra work to avoid the risk of damaging
something).
Oh, and 65C is probably hot enough. More than that and it
is time to look into improving the cooling somehow.
HTH,
Paul
