# Overheating?



## um52 (May 29, 2012)

This is my first post on the forum, and I wasn't completely sure whether I needed to post this here or in the gaming forums. This has been a problem for a few years now, but I just recently decided I needed it fixed. My computer will sometimes begin to stutter. Usually it happens after a while of playing games (usually Minecraft), but recently it has started happening randomly. So what happens? My mouse will start to slightly stutter, things like scroll bars on web pages and moving windows will slow down, and games like Minecraft will slow to a crawl. I recently started recording and editing Minecraft videos (with Minecraft on the lowest settings), and the stutter will cause me not to be able to edit, as the video in the editor becomes unwatchably choppy. An interesting point is that YouTube videos don't seem to lag, though. After a period of unuse or sometimes just randomly the PC will return to its normal, smooth self. Just recently I began to consider the possibility that it was overheating, due to the fact that a loud WHIRR noise would accompany the stutter on some occasions. Worried that the computer may become damaged, I downloaded SpeedFan, and am not sure what to think of the results. (Keep in mind, this is in the midst of one of those "stutters")
CPU usage: 1.1%
Fan1: 1911 RPM
Fan2: 1176 RPM
Fan3: 0 RPM
GPU: 116C
Temp1: 52C
Temp2: -128C
Temp3: 57C
HD0: 30C
Core: 58C
I defragmented the hard drive yesterday, and that seemed to delay the stutters, but now I am in one again. If I need to find any specs or stats or whatever that I need to post, please say so. Please help! :ermm:
Manufacturer: HP
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) 9550 Quad-Core Processor 2.20 GHz
RAM: 6 GB
System type: 64-bit Operating System


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## Dwarflord (Dec 13, 2007)

Welcome to the Forums!

What type of Graphics card do you have.

Make/Model please

After a quick look at your post above, GPU Temps look very high!

Edit: if in doubt download CPU-Z from my link.

Download CPU-Z 1.60.1 - Download - FileHippo.com


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

I find Speedfan to be useless as a temperature monitor unless you spend a lot of time calibrating and interpreting the results. But consider this: 
A temperature of 116°C is hot enough to destroy many graphics cards. The GPU may well be shutting down on you in an attempt at survival. The whirring is the card's cooling fan kicking into high gear.
CPU core temperatures in the high 50s C, though not particularly dangerous is still higher than I'm usually comfortable with.

Things to do: 
Get a better system monitor; Google HWMonitor and/or CoreTemp.
Turn your system off and open your computer case. Use a can of compressed air to blow any out any dust/debris clogging the cooling vents and fans/heatsinks.


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## IanHanssens (Oct 11, 2011)

Maybe also buy a good cooling pad to keep your pc cooled down ( if u have a notebook).


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## um52 (May 29, 2012)

Thank you all for the quick replies! :smile:


Dwarflord said:


> Welcome to the Forums!
> 
> What type of Graphics card do you have.
> 
> ...


Graphics Card Info:
Name: NVIDIA GeForce 9100
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Approx. Total Memory: 2927 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor

Don't take this the wrong way, but what exactly is CPU-Z? After seeing my fair share of viruses, I am hesitant to download things without being absolutely sure what they are. :hide:



gcavan said:


> I find Speedfan to be useless as a temperature monitor unless you spend a lot of time calibrating and interpreting the results. But consider this:
> A temperature of 116°C is hot enough to destroy many graphics cards. The GPU may well be shutting down on you in an attempt at survival. The whirring is the card's cooling fan kicking into high gear.
> CPU core temperatures in the high 50s C, though not particularly dangerous is still higher than I'm usually comfortable with.
> 
> ...


 Thanks, so do you think that the Speedfan is accurate enough that I should do something about it, or ignore the results? If I'm understanding this right, are you saying that the reason the performance is dipping is because the computer has to save energy in order to survive the heat? Or is that incorrect? 
I am not good with all this hardware stuff, so how would buying a new computer monitor help? And could I have more details on how to blow out the cooling vents with comressed air? This is all very new to me. :smile:



IanHanssens said:


> Maybe also buy a good cooling pad to keep your pc cooled down ( if u have a notebook).


 I don't believe I have a notebook. It's a desktop HP. Thanks anyway, though!:grin:


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

What is the complete HP Model Number?
Has any hardware been added to the original configuration?
Your problem sounds like overheating and the most common causes for that are dust buildup, particularly around the CPU heatsink/fan, or lack of sufficient power.. The Bios is usually the most accurate source to view your Temps & Voltages.


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## IanHanssens (Oct 11, 2011)

Oh didn know that. Sorry about that. :-D


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## um52 (May 29, 2012)

Tyree said:


> What is the complete HP Model Number?
> Has any hardware been added to the original configuration?
> Your problem sounds like overheating and the most common causes for that are dust buildup, particularly around the CPU heatsink/fan, or lack of sufficient power.. The Bios is usually the most accurate source to view your Temps & Voltages.


Model Number: a6720y
No, no hardware has been added.
I figured it was dust buildup, but since I have never dealt with anything like this before, does anyone know of a good tutorial on cleaning?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

cpu-z tells you about the speed of your system and ram and other things it is safe.

Speedfan is for fans and not to be trusted unless you know how to configure it properly.

Realtemp, hardware monitor are better.

You really shouldn't get viruses if your system is protected properly.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

um52 said:


> Model Number: a6720y
> No, no hardware has been added.
> I figured it was dust buildup, but since I have never dealt with anything like this before, does anyone know of a good tutorial on cleaning?


Use compressed/canned air and pay particular attention to dust buildup on the CPU heatsink and fan. Use a non-conductive object to prevent the fan(s) from turning while blowing onto them.


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