Is the CPU too hot?

  • Thread starter Thread starter happymac.support
  • Start date Start date
H

happymac.support

Hi,

My computer specs are as follows:

OSes: Windows XP Pro
Motherboard: ASUS P5ND2-SLI
Processor: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0GHz (not overclocked)
Hard Drive: 250GB SATA
RAM: 2x 512MB DDR 667MHz
Video Card: ATI Radeon X1300 PRO
Optical Drive: Pioneer DVR-110D DVD-RW
USB: 4x USB 2.0
Sound Card: 7.1 Channel
Ethernet Adapter: Intel 10/100/1000 Gigabit

I dont know but I think my Pentium D 830 is too hot. Upon startup
(after being left off for about 10 hours), the CPU temperature is
around 45C (celsius) and steadily rises to about 70C. Even when I'm
not doing anything on the computer the temperature varies from 70C -
75C. When I am doing stuff, playing games, browsing the net, etc. the
temperature is around 75C - 81C. When I am doing big multitasking, the
temperature varies from 81C -86C. Is this normal? I know Pentium D
chips are hot but are they supposed to be this hot?

Thanks
 
Hi,

My computer specs are as follows:

OSes: Windows XP Pro
Motherboard: ASUS P5ND2-SLI
Processor: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0GHz (not overclocked)
Hard Drive: 250GB SATA
RAM: 2x 512MB DDR 667MHz
Video Card: ATI Radeon X1300 PRO
Optical Drive: Pioneer DVR-110D DVD-RW
USB: 4x USB 2.0
Sound Card: 7.1 Channel
Ethernet Adapter: Intel 10/100/1000 Gigabit

I dont know but I think my Pentium D 830 is too hot. Upon startup
(after being left off for about 10 hours), the CPU temperature is
around 45C (celsius) and steadily rises to about 70C. Even when I'm
not doing anything on the computer the temperature varies from 70C -
75C. When I am doing stuff, playing games, browsing the net, etc. the
temperature is around 75C - 81C. When I am doing big multitasking, the
temperature varies from 81C -86C. Is this normal? I know Pentium D
chips are hot but are they supposed to be this hot?

Thanks
Click to expand...




Oh, by the way the program I used the check the temperatures was ASUS
PC Probe II. Its a program that comes with the motherboard.
 
Hi,

My computer specs are as follows:

OSes: Windows XP Pro
Motherboard: ASUS P5ND2-SLI
Processor: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0GHz (not overclocked)
Hard Drive: 250GB SATA
RAM: 2x 512MB DDR 667MHz
Video Card: ATI Radeon X1300 PRO
Optical Drive: Pioneer DVR-110D DVD-RW
USB: 4x USB 2.0
Sound Card: 7.1 Channel
Ethernet Adapter: Intel 10/100/1000 Gigabit

I dont know but I think my Pentium D 830 is too hot. Upon startup
(after being left off for about 10 hours), the CPU temperature is
around 45C (celsius) and steadily rises to about 70C. Even when I'm
not doing anything on the computer the temperature varies from 70C -
75C. When I am doing stuff, playing games, browsing the net, etc. the
temperature is around 75C - 81C. When I am doing big multitasking, the
temperature varies from 81C -86C. Is this normal? I know Pentium D
chips are hot but are they supposed to be this hot?
Click to expand...

Sounds pretty hot to me. The processor will throttle itself if it gets too
hot, so you shouldn't damage the processor running it this hot, but you will
shorten its lifetime! Have a read through this:

http://www.heatsink-guide.com/maxtemp.htm

Open the case and clear all the dust and debris fromt he CPU heatsink. Its
also worth running with the side off your case for a while to see if the air
temperature inside the case is pushing the CPU temperature up. If running
for a while with the side off makes the CPU cooler, then you need some case
fans, or better air flow through your case.
 
Hi,

My computer specs are as follows:

OSes: Windows XP Pro
Motherboard: ASUS P5ND2-SLI
Processor: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0GHz (not overclocked)
Hard Drive: 250GB SATA
RAM: 2x 512MB DDR 667MHz
Video Card: ATI Radeon X1300 PRO
Optical Drive: Pioneer DVR-110D DVD-RW
USB: 4x USB 2.0
Sound Card: 7.1 Channel
Ethernet Adapter: Intel 10/100/1000 Gigabit

I dont know but I think my Pentium D 830 is too hot. Upon startup
(after being left off for about 10 hours), the CPU temperature is
around 45C (celsius) and steadily rises to about 70C. Even when I'm
not doing anything on the computer the temperature varies from 70C -
75C. When I am doing stuff, playing games, browsing the net, etc. the
temperature is around 75C - 81C. When I am doing big multitasking, the
temperature varies from 81C -86C. Is this normal? I know Pentium D
chips are hot but are they supposed to be this hot?
Click to expand...


That's too hot. Was it always that hot? If not what has
changed since then? I'm wondering if it's time to clean out
the dust from heatsink or case intake/exhaust areas, or if
you have a fan failing-or-failed-already.

Higher room temps could account for a rise too but most
people have rooms climate controlled enough to not
experience so much of a change to see the temp go from
otherwise low enough to this high.

If you had installed the heatsink right before this, I'd
wonder if it was installed properly. If it has been a long
time and you used silicone based heatsink grease, I'd wonder
if that had dried up and left poor interface. If it is the
original thermal interface material and you remove the
heatsink you would need to then clean it off and apply
grease to remount it, the original thermal material can't be
reused after it has melted upon first installation and
subsequent running of system.

An acceptible solution would have the system running no
hotter than 65C when at full load for an extended period of
time (say over 30 minutes) while the room temp is at the
highest level you expect year-'round. If that room temp is
not reasonably attainable at the moment, additively factor
for it. For example if CPU was at 70C and room is expected
to be 10C hotter in summer because of no air conditioning,
expect 80C at some time.

Full load is produced running an app stressful to the CPU.
A linear job heavy on computational power like video
encoding might come close enough, but the more common test
is Prime95's Torture Test, it's Large In-Place FFTs,
setting. The above "acceptible solution" is not the ideal,
ideally you would have the CPU a bit cooler than 65C in that
test, but no extra effort might be warranted if it's already
at 55C or below. In those ranges, also consider whether CPU
was hot due to poor case ventilation and if it was, whether
that state of case ventilation is contributing to other
system parts running at similarly high temp levels.

Ultimately without seeing the system or knowing it's history
we can't be certain of the cause. More info may help, or
you may take each part of the cooling subsystem in turn and
scrutinize it while system is off & open.
 
That's too hot. Was it always that hot? If not what has
changed since then? I'm wondering if it's time to clean out
the dust from heatsink or case intake/exhaust areas, or if
you have a fan failing-or-failed-already.

Higher room temps could account for a rise too but most
people have rooms climate controlled enough to not
experience so much of a change to see the temp go from
otherwise low enough to this high.

If you had installed the heatsink right before this, I'd
wonder if it was installed properly. If it has been a long
time and you used silicone based heatsink grease, I'd wonder
if that had dried up and left poor interface. If it is the
original thermal interface material and you remove the
heatsink you would need to then clean it off and apply
grease to remount it, the original thermal material can't be
reused after it has melted upon first installation and
subsequent running of system.

An acceptible solution would have the system running no
hotter than 65C when at full load for an extended period of
time (say over 30 minutes) while the room temp is at the
highest level you expect year-'round. If that room temp is
not reasonably attainable at the moment, additively factor
for it. For example if CPU was at 70C and room is expected
to be 10C hotter in summer because of no air conditioning,
expect 80C at some time.

Full load is produced running an app stressful to the CPU.
A linear job heavy on computational power like video
encoding might come close enough, but the more common test
is Prime95's Torture Test, it's Large In-Place FFTs,
setting. The above "acceptible solution" is not the ideal,
ideally you would have the CPU a bit cooler than 65C in that
test, but no extra effort might be warranted if it's already
at 55C or below. In those ranges, also consider whether CPU
was hot due to poor case ventilation and if it was, whether
that state of case ventilation is contributing to other
system parts running at similarly high temp levels.

Ultimately without seeing the system or knowing it's history
we can't be certain of the cause. More info may help, or
you may take each part of the cooling subsystem in turn and
scrutinize it while system is off & open.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the replies. I got the system custom-built from a computer
shop. Its been about 7 months since I got it. Since I have a see-
through case, I checked the inside and the CPU fan. There is barely
any dust. This is the current status of the fans:

Power Supply Fan: OK
GPU Fan: OK
CPU Fan (stock Intel): OK
Chassis Fan: OK

I felt the air that was coming out of the chassis fan and it was just
barely more than room temperature (around 25C, I estimated) I think
its always been this hot, I just noticed it now. Do you think I should
use a different utility to check the temperature? By the way, I
checked the motherboard temprature too. No matter what i do, the
motherboard temperature is always 40C - 42C, and I also checked the
RPM for the CPU fan, it always varies from 4000RPM - 4150RPM.
 
Thanks for the replies. I got the system custom-built from a computer
shop. Its been about 7 months since I got it. Since I have a see-
through case, I checked the inside and the CPU fan. There is barely
any dust. This is the current status of the fans:

Power Supply Fan: OK
GPU Fan: OK
CPU Fan (stock Intel): OK
Chassis Fan: OK

I felt the air that was coming out of the chassis fan and it was just
barely more than room temperature (around 25C, I estimated) I think
its always been this hot, I just noticed it now. Do you think I should
use a different utility to check the temperature? By the way, I
checked the motherboard temprature too. No matter what i do, the
motherboard temperature is always 40C - 42C, and I also checked the
RPM for the CPU fan, it always varies from 4000RPM - 4150RPM.
Click to expand...

The system is, overall, running at the top end of acceptable parameters.
The motherboard temperature indicates that there is insufficient airflow
through the computer case and this, in turn, is keeping the CPU temp high.
Just how many chassis fans are there? For a Pentium D, there should be at
least 1 intake fan from the front, 1 intake fan from the side over the
CPU heatsink/fan, 1 exhaust fan out the back plus an exhausting PSU fan
for a total of at least 5 fans. Also, the cable routing benefits the best
airflow.

For comparison's sake, we set up Pentium D 950's in tower cases with 8
fans, resulting in idle temps of 25° C at the motherboard and 45° C at
the CPU. Yes, the Pentium D's do run hot.
 
The system is, overall, running at the top end of acceptable parameters.
The motherboard temperature indicates that there is insufficient airflow
through the computer case and this, in turn, is keeping the CPU temp high.
Just how many chassis fans are there? For a Pentium D, there should be at
least 1 intake fan from the front, 1 intake fan from the side over the
CPU heatsink/fan, 1 exhaust fan out the back plus an exhausting PSU fan
for a total of at least 5 fans. Also, the cable routing benefits the best
airflow.

For comparison's sake, we set up Pentium D 950's in tower cases with 8
fans, resulting in idle temps of 25° C at the motherboard and 45° C at
the CPU. Yes, the Pentium D's do run hot.
Click to expand...


I have 3 fans (maybe 4, not sure)
 
The thermal MAXIMUM limit of operation of that CPU is 70 C. You are
destroying it by running it at 81 C - 86 C. You need a better heavy duty
cooling fan on it.
 
The thermal MAXIMUM limit of operation of that CPU is 70 C. You are
destroying it by running it at 81 C - 86 C. You need a better heavy duty
cooling fan on it.
Click to expand...


I've heard that ASUS PC Probe II (the program I am using to measure
temperature) is too high by 10 degrees. Is it true? Its what most
people are saying in the forums. The links are:

http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/t33047.html

http://www.ocforums.com/archive/index.php/t-76422.html

http://www.tweaktown.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-2070.html
 
Thanks for the replies. I got the system custom-built from a computer
shop. Its been about 7 months since I got it.
Click to expand...


What case? Is that case's ventilation system mostly
obsttructed by grills made of mostly blocking, stamped-out
holes in the case wall?

What temps were the system when new?
I'm wondering if the temps have risen, you dont quite say
why you now wonder about them.

Since I have a see-
through case, I checked the inside and the CPU fan. There is barely
any dust. This is the current status of the fans:

Power Supply Fan: OK
GPU Fan: OK
CPU Fan (stock Intel): OK
Chassis Fan: OK

I felt the air that was coming out of the chassis fan and it was just
barely more than room temperature (around 25C, I estimated) I think
its always been this hot, I just noticed it now. Do you think I should
use a different utility to check the temperature? By the way, I
checked the motherboard temprature too. No matter what i do, the
motherboard temperature is always 40C - 42C, and I also checked the
RPM for the CPU fan, it always varies from 4000RPM - 4150RPM.
Click to expand...

take the case side-panel off, point a desk fan at it and see
if it reduce temps much. If only a small single-digit # of
degrees, you probably need to replace or at least remount
(with fresh thermal compound, after cleaning off the
original) the heatsink. If temps change more than that, you
may have dust in the case intake or exhaust areas or need
better case cooling - but we can't be sure of this since it
would depend on what has changed since it was new, but your
reported temps are an indication it has poor cooling.

Compare the temp report you see to the one in the bios
health/hardware monitor page. Sometimes a bios update may
fine-tune these temps more, you might check Asus website for
such a bios and notes describing whether there is any such
problem with reported temps or at least an improvement in
accuracy of reporting.
 
What case? Is that case's ventilation system mostly
obsttructed by grills made of mostly blocking, stamped-out
holes in the case wall?

What temps were the system when new?
I'm wondering if the temps have risen, you dont quite say
why you now wonder about them.






take the case side-panel off, point a desk fan at it and see
if it reduce temps much. If only a small single-digit # of
degrees, you probably need to replace or at least remount
(with fresh thermal compound, after cleaning off the
original) the heatsink. If temps change more than that, you
may have dust in the case intake or exhaust areas or need
better case cooling - but we can't be sure of this since it
would depend on what has changed since it was new, but your
reported temps are an indication it has poor cooling.

Compare the temp report you see to the one in the bios
health/hardware monitor page. Sometimes a bios update may
fine-tune these temps more, you might check Asus website for
such a bios and notes describing whether there is any such
problem with reported temps or at least an improvement in
accuracy of reporting.
Click to expand...


I dont know the temps when new. I just noticed the temperatures in
ASUS PC probe now. The case has ventilation holes on the rear and a
fan exhaust (about a 3 inch diameter hole with a small wire mesh
covering it) on one side of the case. i have not had any problems with
performance except for a lock-up about once in 3 months when doing
processor intensive tasks, even though pc probe occasionally warns
about high temperatures. i have noticed something though. Before from
when I got the sytem to 3 months ago there was a sound of something (i
am assuming its a fan) that revved up and down. Now, the fan noise is
consistent and stays the same. Maybe, just maybe the system was a bit
louder before. Do you think it is possible to make the fans run at
full capacity without any damage to the system?
 
Oh, by the way the program I used the check the temperatures was ASUS
PC Probe II. Its a program that comes with the motherboard.
Click to expand...


have you checked the temp in the bios and does it has a temperature control
where you can set the temperature for pc shutdown if it reaches the set
temp.
 
Do you think it is possible to make the fans run at
full capacity without any damage to the system?
Click to expand...

Yes, though if they're poor quality fans it is possible that
might reduce their lifespan below that of the rest of the
system's (viable) lifespan so replacement might be required
some futureyear (interval depending on how good the fans
are).

The fan control is either in the bios or a software you are
running.
 
Yes, though if they're poor quality fans it is possible that
might reduce their lifespan below that of the rest of the
system's (viable) lifespan so replacement might be required
some futureyear (interval depending on how good the fans
are).

The fan control is either in the bios or a software you are
running.
Click to expand...


If the system keeps running at these temperatures, how long do you
think the cpu will last?
 
If the system keeps running at these temperatures, how long do you
think the cpu will last?
Click to expand...

I don't know, probably 8 years would be a guess but it isn't
the important factor. The important factor is why it is
running hot, and if that is due to poor system cooling. IF
that is the fault, it will kill OTHER parts far sooner than
the CPU.

You should run Prime95. large in-place FFTs stress test for
a long time to be sure it remains stable.
 
I don't know, probably 8 years would be a guess but it isn't
the important factor. The important factor is why it is
running hot, and if that is due to poor system cooling. IF
that is the fault, it will kill OTHER parts far sooner than
the CPU.

You should run Prime95. large in-place FFTs stress test for
a long time to be sure it remains stable.
Click to expand...


thanks for everything. What I am most suspicious of is if the numbers
on PC PROBE are wrong. ASUS Motherboard monitoring programs have a
tendency to report the temperature 10-20 degrees more that the actual
temperature as said in the forum links posted previously. Is there an
accurate program (that doesnt have the power to alter fan settings ro
anything) that I can use to monitor the temperatures? Isn't 45C an
unusual temperature when starting up the computer after being left of
for atleast 10 hours?
 
thanks for everything. What I am most suspicious of is if the numbers
on PC PROBE are wrong. ASUS Motherboard monitoring programs have a
tendency to report the temperature 10-20 degrees more that the actual
temperature as said in the forum links posted previously. Is there an
accurate program (that doesnt have the power to alter fan settings ro
anything) that I can use to monitor the temperatures? Isn't 45C an
unusual temperature when starting up the computer after being left of
for atleast 10 hours?
Click to expand...

I have more details. I found out that these are the fan controls in
PC Probe:

Enabled Sensor Name Current Value
Threshold

Yes CPU
4115 1000 RPM
No CHASSIS
0 1000 RPM
No POWER
0 1000 RPM

Is this how its supposed to be? Are the CHASSIS and POWER supposed to
be enabled?
 
Enabled Sensor Name Current Value
Threshold

Yes CPU
4115 1000 RPM
No CHASSIS
0 1000 RPM
No POWER
0 1000 RPM

Is this how its supposed to be? Are the CHASSIS and POWER supposed to
be enabled?
Click to expand...

I've no idea because you didn't clearly state what it is.
Is this a fan control of RPM, or a warning if RPM is too low
or ???

There is no "supposed to be", necessarily, every fan has
it's own RPM, the software can't know what your fans need,
per each, to get the balance you want/need.
 
thanks for everything. What I am most suspicious of is if the numbers
on PC PROBE are wrong. ASUS Motherboard monitoring programs have a
tendency to report the temperature 10-20 degrees more that the actual
temperature as said in the forum links posted previously. Is there an
accurate program (that doesnt have the power to alter fan settings ro
anything) that I can use to monitor the temperatures? Isn't 45C an
unusual temperature when starting up the computer after being left of
for atleast 10 hours?
Click to expand...


Forget PC Probe numbers. I do not mean a chipset temp, i
mean the actual temperatures of ALL parts in the system.
You can use a thermometer of some sort or touch-test with
your finger, or go overkill on airflow to be sure everything
is beyond a reasonable margin.

That the CPU is so hot is a sign "something" is wrong. Fix
that something, instead of looking at software.
 
Back
Top