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General discussion

Overheating Still!!!

Dec 11, 2003 3:42AM PST

I posted a problem with my PC overheating recently and then bought a fan for my video card, it is the correct fan as I took advice from various websites and settled on the fan they all reccomended.

My PC still resets when playing games and must be due to overheating, as after reading other topic on this forum, I tried running the games on the PC with the cover off and a household fan pointed at the PC. the games then worked fine.
I would be quite happy to continue doing this if it were practical, but unfortunately it is not. so do i need some case fans or other cooling system? what do people reccomend?

also, the fan for the video card used the last free connector from my PC's power supply, does that mean if I buy a case fan that I will need an extra power supply? or can I get double conectors or something?

cheers for your help.

andy

my PC is an eMachines 770, 2.40 Ghz Intel Pentium 4, 80GB Hard Drive, 256 MB DDR, CDRW, DVDROM, GeForce 4MX 440.

Discussion is locked

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Re:Overheating Still!!!
Dec 11, 2003 3:59AM PST

This can be a sign the motherboard capacitors are starting to fail. Look at the pictures and compare to yours at http://www.badcaps.net/ident/

If you have this issue, cooling only cures it for a short while.

Bob

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Re:Re:Overheating Still!!!
Dec 11, 2003 4:06AM PST

Checked the pictures and the capacitors, mine look fine, the PC isn't that old and isn't showing any signs of wear and tear like that yet.

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Yes you can get "cables" to provide additional power supply connectors
Dec 11, 2003 4:20AM PST

at many places such as BestBUY. On line www.computergeeks.com www.cyberguys.com.

Not sure why you thought that the video fan was the problem. Yes, the video card is a major source of heat into the case. The heated air causes the CPU to have temp problems. Concentrate on moving ait into the case and exhausting it. You need forced airflow in both directions Bsically get the interior ambient air temp down to less than 7 C degrees above room ambient. Get a remote reading [inside/outsime] thermometer at Radio Shack and put the "outside" sensor in the case bout an inch above the fan on the CPU heatsink.

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Re:Yes you can get
Dec 12, 2003 12:52AM PST

I was looking around a new Fry's the other day and saw some cases that had as many as 5 fans and 400 watt or above power supplies.

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Re:Yes you can get
Dec 13, 2003 3:33AM PST

my power supply is the standard 250W power supply that came with the PC. will this be able to cope running an extra couple of case fans as well?

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Re:Re:Yes you can get
Dec 15, 2003 1:24AM PST

I would look to upgrade to a minimum of 400 watt power supply or buy a new case that comes with the power supply and the extra fans. Even a case with 2 (1 in and 1 out) fans should help. I personally think 5 fans would be excessive for your PC.

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Sorry I miss read your specs!
Dec 15, 2003 1:27AM PST

The 5 fans still might be excessive but 2 might not be enough. I would also look into the 450 watt supply and definitely nothing under 400.

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Re:Overheating Still!!!
Dec 17, 2003 5:42AM PST

One of the things that I have found that contribute to the CPU overheating is the Heatsink/Fan combo. If for any reason the HS/F has been moved or displaced, then the heatsink tape on the bottom of the sink does not do it's job of wicking the heat to the heatsink. A gap between the HS/F allows the temperature to rise.

If you have instead heatsink compound, then sometimes the compound dries out and does not make good contact between the heatsink and the CPU.

The cure is to replace the Heatsink tape, or remove the old heatsink compound and spread a thin layer of new compound on the surface of the CPU to make an airtight fit.

If you choose to use compound, then you may consider lapping the bottom surface of the heat sink to smooth out any imperfections in the HS. You can use fine emery paper or 180 grit sand paper to do this.

If this doesn't suit, then a purchase of a new fan.heatsink combo may be in order.

Norm

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WOW, Glad to see this name in the forums again. [NT]
Dec 17, 2003 7:30AM PST

.