Help! : Abit KV7 and XP 3200 - 70 degree case temp!

Hi,

I would be grateful if anyone could assist with this problem.

I have a system built around the following components :

Motherboard : Abit KV7
Processor : XP3200 Processor
Fan : Standard AMD Fan
Memory : 2 x 512MB DDR 400
Graphics Card : Standard Geforce 5200 8X AGP
Hard Drive : 80GB SATA
DVD Rom : Standard 16x Samsung
CD/RW : Standard 52x CD/RW
Case : Generic ATX silver with transparent side panel and blow hole at top.
Fans : 0 intake, 80mm at rear (out), side (out) blowhole (out)

The problem is the system is extremely unstable when playing games. Can usually last 10 / 15 mins at most before crashing back to Windows.

I've checked the CPU temp in the BIOS on boot, and it starts at around 40 and quickly rises to 45/50. However, the board/case temp is reported at 45/50 and within a few mins of gaming rises to 70!. I have turned the fans ar the side of the case and also at the top to intake, this has had no impact on temperatures. I have replaced the CPU fan with a more powerful and larger model. This managed to knock off a few degrees but the system is still reporting CPU 50/60 and Case 60/70 when gaming via Motherboard Monitor.

I have used very similar cases in other machines, with no such problems (case temp of 30 and CPU of 40/50).

I believe that the board could be mis-reporting the temperatures (I've never seen a case temp of 70 degrees!). Could this be possible?

Can anyone shed any light on this matter?, what course of action do I take?

Many, many thanks in advance.


Phil

Check the heatsink mounting and thermal material being used. Check nothing is being shorted.

70ºC case temp is impossible... that'd be some seriously hot air.

If you turn the system off and (while grounded) feel the motherboard, is it hot?

Touch the side of your case, if the air is 70C then you'll know!

If that's realy the temp you've got a new central heating system for the winter!

Seriously though I think you need to check that the fans are all running and heatsinks are secure. Check that the motherboard is correctly detecting the CPU and suppling the correct voltage.

Are you sure MBM's reading the right sensors for your board? If the profile it's using to determine which sensor is which is wrong then it'll give misleading temps. 70, for instance, is hardly unheard of for an XP under load (although checking that the heatsink's properly attached'd be a good idea).

Thanks for the replies...

I'll check the board temps by touch and see....

The BIOS also reports a very high temp PWB (?) what is that?...

yea.. check your heatsink... get some Arctic and reinstall your CPU cooler... 70C system?? NO WAY!! The worst I got was 76C CPU and 45C system when my original thermal pad was rubbish... gosh.. and where do you live? Sahara?!

unless you tried to rev your 754 A64 to 3.6Ghz....

If you are using MBM it could be the fact development stopped for it almost a year or so ago. It could just be the program having issues with the latest chipsets. As you have an abit motherboard why don't you use the hardware monitor that comes on the cd with the motherboard. That will give you all the temps and voltages you need.