Gaming CPU overheating ridiculously much

[Trolly]

Perhaps it's a mix of strangely hot British weather and poor ventilation in my computer, but even during summer of last year I was having no problems with my computer overheating. However, in this weather my computer can't game for half an hour without the CPU reaching over 70C, and the other day I even saw it at nearly 100C (I'm measuring the temperature with SpeedFan).

Perhaps it's never really been hot enough for me to notice before, but if my CPU can't go for two hours on a game without overheating and turning off (in only about 25C weather), I seriously need to be looking at more cooling solutions - or at least I think so, unless you can suggest something else might be going wrong. Adding more fans seems to be ineffectual with the poor casing I have (the CPU fan blows straight into a closed-off panel, musta been the shitty custom building company I used), getting more casing will be costly and I have no idea how I'll be able to get casing with the relevant holes to where my CPU fan is, and water cooling and these other hi-tech solutions seem like overkill for my system.

Oh, and my CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ 2.7GHz (so not exactly a powerhouse either), and has an extra fan I paid for stuck over the heatsink. Dunno whether that information will help.

I'm guessing re-sorting out the casing and fan position would be my first priority, but I have no idea what the best way of doing it would be.

 

[Jiggah]

Can you post some pictures of the internals? Is it a stock heatsink? Most stock heatsinks are junk. I'm thinking there some else wrong with your setup. First solution is to check to make sure the fan on the heatsink isn't obstructed or just completely off. Additionally, you'll want to make sure you apply some good quality thermal paste between the heatsink and the CPU (Arctic Silver 5, is the usual choice). Also, yes, you should open it up and check and/or rearrange things inside to give better air circulation.

 

[yeahitschris]

have you tried dusting out your computer?

 

[Elritha]

25C wouldn't cause your computer to heat up that much. Could be dust clogging up the fan or a wire stopping it from turning, or the heatsink isn't sitting on the cpu properly. I'd take the heatsink off and clean the dust off the fan, then reseat it with some good thermal paste.

 

[Maz7006]

Dust out ur pc.
Position it in a ventilated place if possible.
Check for damage of the heat sink or fan.

 

[warbird]

as mentioned above, remove your heatsink, clean off any cooling paste on the heatsink and cpu and reapply new cooling paste. that will probably help a ton. Just be sure to properly remove the old paste!

 

[Trolly]

Thanks guys, not sure how I'm supposed to go about removing the heatsink without damaging something though, just gently prise it off with something to lever it out or is there a specific way to do it?
As for taking a pic of the internals I cba at the moment aha, but I'll do it if this thermal paste and reseating doesn't work.

 

[Jiggah]

Thanks guys, not sure how I'm supposed to go about removing the heatsink without damaging something though, just gently prise it off with something to lever it out or is there a specific way to do it?
As for taking a pic of the internals I cba at the moment aha, but I'll do it if this thermal paste and reseating doesn't work.

Usually a light twist and pull works. The twist breaks the seal.

 

[moose3]

Thanks guys, not sure how I'm supposed to go about removing the heatsink without damaging something though, just gently prise it off with something to lever it out or is there a specific way to do it?
As for taking a pic of the internals I cba at the moment aha, but I'll do it if this thermal paste and reseating doesn't work.

Usually a light twist and pull works. The twist breaks the seal.

That is after you remove the fasteners on the heat sink, there is normally a metal clip running from the heat sink to the plastic housing/connection for the CPU. Take a look at this site, and follow it in reverse if you have the clips. Otherwise it's some thumb screws attaching the heat sink to the motherboard that you have to unscrew.

Once it's off, along with the case and fan dusting, make sure to get the dust out from between the metal fins of the heat sink, (part below the fan) not just the fan itself. That's an even bigger problem... those dust bunnies are giving your heatsink a nice 'fur coat', keeping it warm and toasty.

 

[Athlon-pv]

Yeah usually it is space between the cpu and heatsink that gives these kind of screwy problems.

As long as some of the mechanics are working:
You can hear the fan increasing blowing after a good while. Then you are safe to assume that either there is to much space inbetween cpu and heatsink and or to much paste used (which causes insolation ).

The paste thing in your case seems unlikely coz even if it is freezing you still kill your cpu when to much paste is applied.

Can you check some of your 3.3V and other voltage after overheating ?

 

[kobykaan]

just dont for FLIP sake use a vacuum cleaner on it as they cause static and static kills components use canned air or blow the dirt out with air from yer lungs , wear googles or glasses as it can get everywhere!

use a bigger heat sink and fan combo to keep the heat down its worth the investment in the longrun!