• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

CPU overheating

TJM

TJM

TJM

Associate
Joined
10 Jun 2007
Posts
2,378
I just put together a new computer with an Intel Core Duo 6750 Retail on a NF650i Ultra. I followed Intel's installation instructions to the letter, but one of the legs on the heatsink wouldn't click into place on the motherboard like the other three. It was wobbly, but it was through the hole. I fired up the computer and it lasted about 15 seconds before turning itself off. I turned it on and off again a few times (doing things like disconnecting drives in case it was a power issue), but I checked BIOS on about the sixth boot up and found that the CPU temperature was rising by about 3 or 4 degrees every second. The computer turned itself off when the CPU temp went over 100. O er.

The heatsink is definitely running, but could the slight looseness caused by one of its legs be enough to cause the temp to spiral out of control like that?

Also, there's a now a silver coloured paste or something on the bottom of the heatsink and top of the CPU. Has the overheating partially melted the CPU or something?
 
Heh, phew. I was worried that I had cooked it. Just slightly confused by the fact that it wasn't there when I originally stuck the heatsink on.

I've tried refitting it, but the same leg is always giving me the same problem. I guess that I'll get a replacement.
 
Problem solved. I followed the above advice and just put a lot of force into it. Heard the click and now she's sitting at about 45 degrees.
 
I'll get some of that paste stuff then. Is there any risk of damage to the CPU if I continue using the computer until it arrives? 40-45 when idle doesn't seem too bad.
 
I've got a new problem. I bought the Arctic Silver stuff, cleaned the CPU/heatsink using rubbing alcohol, and applied the paste as instructed (small lump, about pea-sized, in the centre of the CPU). The temperature reaches 50 quickly and then crawls (over the course of about 10 minutes) to the mid 60s where it stays as long as the computer is idle. I've tried two applications of it and used less the second time around, bringing the idle temp down from 71 to 63. I know that less is more with this stuff, but any less would be a very small amount.

What can cause the paste to not work very well? I'm thinking it might be residue left over from the old thermal paste (the CPU looks a bit smudgy, although the writing on it is completely clear), but ten minutes of cleaning with the rubbing alcohol on cotton buds lifted almost nothing after I had cleaned the visible paste off.
 
Ok, my idle temp is staying at about 35-40 but it is now reaching 70 when under load. I've decided to stop arsing about and simply replace the cooler.

I'll be getting some of that Arctic Clean stuff to remove the paste from the CPU, but which cooler should I go for? Ideally, it should have a thermal pad on the bottom so that the chances of me screwing things up are minimised.

Edit: Just for info - Intel TAT reports the CPU temps at 30 and 27 when idle. Running the torture test on Prime 95 increases them both to about 50-55.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom