# WHAT is overheating my PC?!



## tepsa (May 9, 2015)

Hello! I know this has been covered so many times, but I have been googleing this issue for about a year now and I cannot find an answer to my problem.

So, as I said, my PC is overheating. I will try and write down everything I have checked and done but there’s a chance I might forget something, since I’ve been dealing with this for such a long time. I will (try to) provide any additional info if needed.

Below are photos of my temperatures and BIOS settings.
I should add that this PC has its original coolers and it didn’t used to overheat for a couple of years. *** It started overheating last year when my son started playing some more demanding games, to the point where PC was shutting down due to the temperature. Even tho he stopped playing them on this PC, the problem just never went away!***

-I have cleaned my PC inside (it’s like a damn pharmacy in there!)
-I have opened my power unit and cleaned that cooler as well
-I have replaced the paste on my CPU and GPU coolers
-I have installed an additional cooler in my tower (not a very strong one, but still)
-My BIOS is the latest version
-I tried turning those “Smart Q-fan” and “Cool ‘n’ Quiet” features on and off - no difference when it comes to temperatures.
-Overclocking is set to Auto, whatever that means (i.e. system default in BIOS). I haven’t played with the overclocking.
-The PC is not close to a heating source. During the winter the situation was bad re temps, but I pulled through. But my PC shut down two days ago after watching a YouTube video (NOT fullscreen!) after 17 minutes. And it’s only spring here. Can’t imagine what the situation will be in the summer!

Pics from my BIOS
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OtMmy96PwoZU4yVFk1X0haNlU/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OtMmy96PwoSEFvWmpCUmt5SDA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OtMmy96PwoRWZ1T1BQNkpwLU0/view?usp=sharing

Pics of the temperatures:
1. Temps at the start (in the morning after it has been turned off thru the night) https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OtMmy96PwoQUFBdzVtMEpnZWc/view?usp=sharing
2. Some mid ranges https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OtMmy96PwoR1pzT0QwZ0ljMHc/view?usp=sharing
It gets worse than this. Yesterday I saw Core1 getting to 100C. It didn't shut down then yet.

Oh and also I did some GPU test a while ago but these numbers don't mean anything to me
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OtMmy96PwoM1VQZGhkZkQtYjA/view?usp=sharing


OK I cannot think of anything else to say right now. 
Is it possible that the GPU is heating up the whole system? I cannot control its fan’s speed (or at least I dunno how). 

Any ideas are welcome! Thank you.


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## bassfisher6522 (Jul 22, 2012)

What kind of CPU cooler do you have installed on the CPU? How long has the cooler been on the cpu cooler? Has the cpu cooler ever been cleaned?

Can you post your complete system specifications?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

please tell me where your tower is located i.e is it on the floor, is the floor carpeted, what case do you have?

please post your full specs

Also never open up your power supply unless you are a qualified electrician. A psu can still hold a charge that could harm you days after being switched off.

your 12v voltage for your psu is very low, if it goes any lower your system will not boot, you need to replace it and get a good make.


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Hi tepsa and welcome to TSF :wave:

When you cleaned the PC, did you use a can of compressed-air, with the long, thin nozzle attached? - The nozzle is excellent for getting the dust-bunnies out from between the heatsink-vanes.

You mentioned you fitted an extra 'cooler' (fan?), where? - Ideally, you need a smooth airflow from low-front to high-rear, fitting an extra fan or 2 at the rear (or top, if the case is made to take one) will help get the hot air out. Adding an extra front fan (or 2, as above) will get more cool air in.

Also, the bundles of cables can interfere with the smooth airflow. If possible tie them back to the various bits of chassis as close to the sides as possible, to assist the airflow through.



> I have cleaned my PC inside (it’s like a damn pharmacy in there!)


Try taking the medicine bottles out.... :grin:


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## tepsa (May 9, 2015)

bassfisher6522 said:


> What kind of CPU cooler do you have installed on the CPU? How long has the cooler been on the cpu cooler? Has the cpu cooler ever been cleaned?
> 
> Can you post your complete system specifications?


It's the most ordinary kind (a very technical term  ) This is an old photo, but here's a pic of it https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OtMmy96PwocXNHM2I1OHAxLUk/view?usp=sharing

It has been there since I got this PC, back in 2009 (yeah, I know, too old for a PC but I still need to keep it alive). I have cleaned the cooler and have replaced the thermal paste about a year ago. Since then I have cleaned the vent itself (without taking it off) a few times.

***System specs attached****




greenbrucelee said:


> please tell me where your tower is located i.e is it on the floor, is the floor carpeted, what case do you have?
> 
> please post your full specs
> 
> ...


The tower is located in my computer desk, i.e. that niche intended for towers. I am aware that it limits the air flow, but it has been there since the beginning. Also, few months ago, I pulled it out and put in next to my desk for few days (it wasn't in the niche) and it didn't make much difference.
The case is mid tower...if that is what you asked.

You will need to clarify that PSU voltage. So did you mean that it droped to 12v over time or was it like that since the beginning and is just to low? Could that be couseing the overheating or did you just point it out as something I should take care of?




WereBo said:


> Hi tepsa and welcome to TSF :wave:
> 
> When you cleaned the PC, did you use a can of compressed-air, with the long, thin nozzle attached? - The nozzle is excellent for getting the dust-bunnies out from between the heatsink-vanes.
> 
> ...


The cooler has been cleaned by a service guy...dunno how long ago. 2 yrs? But when I cleaned it I didn't use compressed air.

As for the additional fan - I put it on the side, blowing in (if I'm not mistaken right now). But I have a Q there. I didn't install any other fans because I can't plug them in anywhere. How would I go about that? Or I could just google it if the answer would be too long. I have no openings on the top of my tower so can't put anything there. Just in the front and in the back (in addition to the one on the side). I need to find a power source for them, though.

Ah yes! The meds! THAT is where I misplaced them! 


In addition to all of this - I have turned on the "Cool 'n" Quiet" feature today. It did help re the temp in idle mode. But at 100% it does reach like 82C (I should say that 100% is reached only by opening a blank page of Google Chrome. So just that alone brings me up to such high temperature!)


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

yes a psu can cause overheating especially if its just some generic make that isn't 80% certified. Sometimes a psu can push too much voltage through from the wall causing more heat.

12v is what the psu should be at but yours is running at 11.369 this is extremely low and on the brink of failure. if a psu 12v goes above or below 12v by 5% then it on its way out 10% is the limit, anything past 10% will be failure.

When a generic psu dies it can damage other parts of the computer, this is why a good make the is 80% certified is always recommended. I have seen people who have generic power supplies that have died and as well as buying a new psu, they have had to replace their graphics card and RAM.


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## tepsa (May 9, 2015)

greenbrucelee said:


> yes a psu can cause overheating especially if its just some generic make that isn't 80% certified. Sometimes a psu can push too much voltage through from the wall causing more heat.
> 
> 12v is what the psu should be at but yours is running at 11.369 this is extremely low and on the brink of failure. if a psu 12v goes above or below 12v by 5% then it on its way out 10% is the limit, anything past 10% will be failure.
> 
> When a generic psu dies it can damage other parts of the computer, this is why a good make the is 80% certified is always recommended. I have seen people who have generic power supplies that have died and as well as buying a new psu, they have had to replace their graphics card and RAM.


Thank you so much for this!!! I will replace the PSU and see how it goes.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

please buy a good make such as seasonic,xfx or antec hcg.


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## tepsa (May 9, 2015)

Ok, since it's Sunday, I can't do anything re this PSU replacement today, so I might as well try and get additional info while I wait for Monday.

So my question is - Is there something specific I should pay attention to while picking a PSU? In terms of is there something about it that has to be compatible with the rest of my system? Dunno how else to ask this  Like you have to match RAM or GPU to the motherboard... Or would just any PSU do?
My current PSU is 450W. Can I get a 500W one, for example?
I seriously dunno anything about electricity except not to put my fingers into a wall socket 

The reason I'm asking all of this (and, btw, the following has nothing to do with solving my issue, so you don't have to read it) is because I have really bad experiences with tech guys and services over here. And everyone I know had bad experiences. I never heard anyone say "Go {there}. {That guy/service} is good." Walking in with a specific request, like asking just for installing a specific PSU into my PC, is a different matter. Just saying "Figure out what's wrong with my PC" is just asking for trouble.


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Hi again tepsa :grin:

Re: PSU's, the only thing to check is the wattage (power output), this depends mostly on what graphics-card you have. If you're presently using a 450W model, a 550W model will give adequate power without stress (helps make it's fan quieter too :wink

The main thing to look for is that a quality PSU is marked as '80+' (efficiency, bronze, silver, gold and platinum relates to better efficiency), Seasonic, Thermaltake and Corsair are the TSF-recommended models, if you can get one (More PSU info here - *Link*)


As for extra fan-connections, case-mounted fans usually connect to 'Molex' connectors (see piccie below), as used on the older 'IDE-hard-drives', they will run at full-speed though and cheaper fans are usually noisier than quality ones. Fans will often have 'Pass-through' connections, so you can still use the power-cable for other things (more fans, HDD etc.)











Mounting a fan on the side-panel can sometimes cause the PC to run warmer, it can disrupt the smooth air-flow from front-to-back, try reversing the fan (turn it round) so it blows warm air out, or remove and fit it on the rear panel of the case.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I agree with Bo here and would disconnect the side fan as it could interfere with the hsf fan if opposite way for air flow is present. You really have to tell us your hardware to recommend wattage for psu. We do not know your board, cpu or video card and it is impossible to suggest except to say the brand name here is really the most important choice. As mentioned Seasonic, some Antec mainly HCG and Neo Power, XFX and Enermax are all good quality makers. Do not be afraid to go higher than 450 watts as today the average is 500 - 550 with onboard video but if you have a pci-x video card that could require more.


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## tepsa (May 9, 2015)

Thank you for that explanation re the connections!!!

Re my system specs, I attached it somewhere up there, but here it is again. 

MB - ASUS G-surf365
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5400+, 2800 Mhz
I cannot really tell you anything about its cooler, except to say it's the most ordinary kind, max 3200RPM and here's a pic of it https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3OtMmy96PwocXNHM2I1OHAxLUk/view
RAM 2GB (2x1GB)
GPU ATI Radeon HD 3600 Series (has its own cooler)
1 HDD
2 DVD RW
1 extra fan I put in, max 1200RPM (I think)


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Good quality 450 watt psu is all you need.


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## tepsa (May 9, 2015)

Hello again!
Sorry for not replying sooner but I didn't get around buying a new PSU right away, plus I wanted to test-run it for few days before posting my "results" here. I wanna say what the outcome is just in case some other "poor soul" who has the same problem stumbles upon this post.

Anyway, I got a new 550W PSU and it definitely makes a difference! So thank you guys! :grin: I posted two pictures - one is with a new PSU shortly after I turned on my PC and second one is after several hours (ignore that "TMPIN2-70C". Something went wrong with HWMonitor. That shouldn't exist); I watched some YouTube clips in that time. As I said before (I hope I said it. Can't be bothered to read all my posts now) watching YouTube made the temperature skyrocket before! Also doing anything with graphics (photos) made problems. That doesn't happen now. 
Yeah, the temperatures are not perfect, but this is an old machine, so I don't expect them to be. Also, I will clean everything again...when I get around to it. 

But anyway, thank you so much! I have posted this issue on some forums before, but never got a decent enough answer, and this PSU issue I had would have never occurred to me.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Definite improvement thanks for the comeback and kind words!


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Mmmmmm those temps are far better, glad the new PSU has cleared the problem - It's possible it's also saved a lot bigger problem in future too, PSUs often get very hot just before they fail, then their death can take lots of other bits out too (graphics-card, motherboard etc.)

Thanks for posting back with the results :thumb:


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