CPU Overheating

[moogle]

I've recently got a problem with my cpu. When playing games such as Americas Army I noticed that PunkBuster is taking up alot of CPU usage, and when I check my temps the CPU is running at 90C, checked with everest, but checking with coretemp too. It started when I got a tagan psu for my new graphics card and motherboard. its the ones with the two 80mm fans on the front and back. I noticed that I had to run the cpu fan on full speed to keep it cool because previously I had a psu with a 120mm fan which helped cool the components down. Also it didn't have as much wires as the tagan one did. So when I got my tagan the temps were 45C in the bios and I idled at 46 in windows. Full load was at 70C and I was running at stock speeds and volts. Now when I installed the ac freezer pro 64 it was worse than my stock amd cooler. was using some akasa paste. decided to put back the stock cooler and when i did the temps were worse. i set everything to normal no overclocking at all. the cpu is running at 2.2ghz (stock) at 1.2v which is 0.2v lower than stock but it's stable. Still playing americas army makes it go hot. I touched the cpu when the temps say 70C and it is kinda warm at the bottom but not like 70C. Does anyone have any idea whats the problem? I ordered a Corsair HX520 as its modular and it has a 120mm fan, will that help me? I might even get the antec 900 to help with the cooling. probably get the thermalright ultra 120 too since its that bad. is there any simpler way?

[Defenestration]

For starters, CoreTemp is the most reliable solution for checking CPU temps due to it using a sensor embedded on the CPU itself. Other apps will often use a sensor on the mobo which will report higher temps when the internal case temps are higher (eg. due to PSU, Graphics card, HD's etc.).

Since the problem only arose after getting the new PSU, that would indicate the PSU is the cause of the problem. 80mm fans are obviously not as efficient at removing the hot air as the 120mm ones. Check the warm/hot air from the PSU is being directed out the back of the case (and not into/around the case, which looks like what is happening).

Tagan PSU's are not known for being the best, and the Corsair HX520/620 are far superior (being made by Seasonic).

[moogle]

yea, i dont like the 80mm fans either but its all i got now. corsair psu coming tommorow so I'll see if it solves the problem. I'd just love to get a Antec 900 then I wouldn't need this case. lowered the voltage to 1.25v and its idling at 38C on a AC Freezer 64 Pro. I'm thinking maybe the internal heatsink thermal paste has dried up leaving a gap in between. anyway i ordered some liquid pro, so maybe its my thermal paste i use. its almost 2 years old now. I hope thats the problem and not anything physical.

[Defenestration]

It's worth cleaning off the old TC with something like ArctiClean and some cotton buds. I've read that while liquid pro is a very good TC (probably slightly better than AS 5) it seeps into the surfaces after prolonged contact, which is fine if you won't be removing the HS in future. However, if you have spent a while lapping your HS or CPU and see yourself removing them in the future, then I would use Arctic Silver 5 which does not suffer from the same problem, and means you won't have to lap them again in the future.

[moogle]

ah, well I guess I'll be keepin this cpu. I'll get AS5 next time I need paste. Liquid Pro's already been posted. Thanks for the tip though. Yea I cleaned the cpu and heatsink everytime. still acting up.

[moogle]

Hmmm, now is this odd or is it just me.


Just so you know, its the Everest Icons in the taskbar.
The first 2 black ones are the hard drive temps, next 3 blue ones are the GPU temps, and the next 3 mauve ones are the CPU temps - ie CPU Temp, Core 1, Core 2 and the last is the Motherboard temp.

Orthos only running 1:30 and its at 100C
I touched the heatsink and its not boiling, so is my CPU messed up?

I am trying to submit a RMA request to AMD and because the "CPU still posts and works" they wont let me...
Really starting to like Intel now.

[moogle]

Well, it looks like the temps are right. Was playing Americas Army and checking from time to time when I died the temps were 100C, and then it randomly shut down. Having to undervolt to 1.2V to keep it below 68C at idle.....
So this definately rules out the CPU thermometer being bust.