Heat related slowdown

[Matt Saunders]

My PC slows down after a random period of time, due to heat. I know this
because if I stick a household fan pointing in the side it doesn't do
it. It is a P4 3ghz running on a Foxconn K7S5A motherboard.

If anyone has an insight in to this problem, please please let me know
what might be causing it!

Many thanks,

Matt

 

[BruceM]

You're the only one who knows what fan or heatsink you're using?
Go get a better one or put a better case fan on it.
Remove the heatsink & put new paste on the die?

 

[Matt Saunders]

You're the only one who knows what fan or heatsink you're using?
Go get a better one or put a better case fan on it.
Remove the heatsink & put new paste on the die?

The heatsink & fan is the Foxconn one that came preinstalled. I have got
another one but the product is still under garauntee so I'm not too keen
in putting it on. I have already returned the PC once but they couldn't
find anything wrong with it, which is why I have turned to you guys.

Does this mean that it's definately the processor overheating?

 

[Derek Baker]

The heatsink & fan is the Foxconn one that came preinstalled. I have got
another one but the product is still under garauntee so I'm not too keen
in putting it on. I have already returned the PC once but they couldn't
find anything wrong with it, which is why I have turned to you guys.

Does this mean that it's definately the processor overheating?

What is the temperature?

 

[Clark]

Beside the processor fan, you have to make sure air is circulating in the
case. I have two extra fans running to push air in and suck air out, beside
the power supply fan/s. Keep any filters clean and make sure the box is in
a ventilated area.

Have you added any equipment to the box that might be overloading the power
supply?

Do you have two hard drives sitting close together (basically touching)?

Clark

 

[Matt Saunders]

Beside the processor fan, you have to make sure air is circulating in the
case. I have two extra fans running to push air in and suck air out, beside
the power supply fan/s. Keep any filters clean and make sure the box is in
a ventilated area.

Have you added any equipment to the box that might be overloading the power
supply?

Do you have two hard drives sitting close together (basically touching)?

Clark

I'm impressed with your guess on the hard drives - yes I do have two
installed. They were basically touching but I have moved them apart now,
as when the PC ran with just one hard drive it took a lot longer for the
slow down to take place (half a day instead of 15 minutes). I have one
case fan installed, I guess I could chuck another in and see what happens.

I'm interested to know about the circulating air, is this simply a
matter of keeping it cool?

Someone has suggested it could be something to do with the power supply
- is this a possibility? Or is it definately to do with the processor
overheating?

Many thanks for your replies

 

[Matt Saunders]

The heatsink & fan is the Foxconn one that came preinstalled. I have got

What is the temperature?

I can get readings on 3 temperatures - I'm not too sure where they are
taken from though. One reading settles around 31, another is mid 30s,
but rises in to the 40s when the computer is working hard. Another one
fluctuates greatly, from as low as 20 up to 60 and then back down,
almost like a waveform. I don't know if there's anything dodgy that can
be taken from this?

 

[Derek Baker]

I can get readings on 3 temperatures - I'm not too sure where they are
taken from though. One reading settles around 31, another is mid 30s, but
rises in to the 40s when the computer is working hard. Another one
fluctuates greatly, from as low as 20 up to 60 and then back down, almost
like a waveform. I don't know if there's anything dodgy that can be taken
from this?

Download Everest: http://www.lavalys.com/products/overview.php?pid=1&lang=en

Run it and select Computer>Sensor. What does it say there under
Temperatures?

 

[Matt Saunders]

Download Everest: http://www.lavalys.com/products/overview.php?pid=1&lang=en

Run it and select Computer>Sensor. What does it say there under
Temperatures?

Sensor Type - ITE IT8705F (ISA 290h)
Motherboard - Foxconn 661M03-G

Temps:
Motherboard - 33
CPU - 32
Seagate - 30
Maxtor - 23

At the moment I have the home fan in the PC. I have taken it out and
will watch the temperatures and see if the computer slows at a certain
temperature.

 

[Bob]

Motherboard - 33
CPU - 32

Everest gets these backwards. You can tell by stressing the CPU.

Seagate - 30
Maxtor - 23

Is that Maxtor dead? Or do you have it on ice?

 

[Matt Saunders]

Everest gets these backwards. You can tell by stressing the CPU.




Is that Maxtor dead? Or do you have it on ice?

Haha, no the Maxtor isn't dead, or on ice! (although I like that
idea...) I guess it's just the impact of having a household fan aimed at
it from point blank! With the case side on and no fan the temperatures
are currently standing at:

Motherboard (CPU) - 48
CPU (Motherboard) - 40
Seagate - 42
Maxtor - 41

The computer hasn't slowed down yet... Why does it never happen when you
want it to!?!

 

[Derek Baker]

Everest gets these backwards. You can tell by stressing the CPU.

It gets them right for me.

 

[Derek Baker]

Haha, no the Maxtor isn't dead, or on ice! (although I like that idea...)
I guess it's just the impact of having a household fan aimed at it from
point blank! With the case side on and no fan the temperatures are
currently standing at:

Motherboard (CPU) - 48
CPU (Motherboard) - 40
Seagate - 42
Maxtor - 41

The computer hasn't slowed down yet... Why does it never happen when you
want it to!?!

Try stressing it with rthdribl: http://www.daionet.gr.jp/~masa/rthdribl/
Watch the frame rates.

 

[Matt Saunders]

Try stressing it with rthdribl: http://www.daionet.gr.jp/~masa/rthdribl/
Watch the frame rates.

Nice one Derek - the computer slowed down exactly as the motherboard
(CPU) hit 50 degrees. This seems too spot on to be a coincidence?!

So I presume from that I know that the CPU is overheating? Should this
be something that shouldn't happen or is it up to me to put in a couple
of extra fans and a better heatsink & fan?

 

[Alceryes]

My PC slows down after a random period of time, due to heat. I know this
because if I stick a household fan pointing in the side it doesn't do it.
It is a P4 3ghz running on a Foxconn K7S5A motherboard.

If anyone has an insight in to this problem, please please let me know
what might be causing it!

Many thanks,

Matt

That CPU heatsink/case airflow must really be bad for it to throttle down.
Is this a custom built system or a Major brand? Did it start to happen all
of a sudden? I wouldn't point the finger at hardware just yet...

 

[kony]

Nice one Derek - the computer slowed down exactly as the motherboard
(CPU) hit 50 degrees. This seems too spot on to be a coincidence?!

So I presume from that I know that the CPU is overheating? Should this
be something that shouldn't happen or is it up to me to put in a couple
of extra fans and a better heatsink & fan?

50 C is an arbitrarily, too-low temp to expect a
CPU-integral thermal throttling. I suspect your motherboard
bios is misset (or incorrect default values set by
manufacturer) for the CPU throttling temp.

 

[Derek Baker]

Nice one Derek - the computer slowed down exactly as the motherboard (CPU)
hit 50 degrees. This seems too spot on to be a coincidence?!

What was the reported CPU (motherboard) temp at that point?

So I presume from that I know that the CPU is overheating? Should this be
something that shouldn't happen or is it up to me to put in a couple of
extra fans and a better heatsink & fan?

50's not so much. If you bought it, I'd complain.

 

[Matt Saunders]

That CPU heatsink/case airflow must really be bad for it to throttle down.

Is this a custom built system or a Major brand? Did it start to happen all
of a sudden? I wouldn't point the finger at hardware just yet...

The system was built barebones, all I've put in are the drives &
graphics card. This is what makes me think this really shouldn't happen.
It has happened since I bought the system half a year ago. I have
reformatted the computer, checked all the drivers etc. to no avail.

After running the Everest as advised above it is apparent that the
computer slowdown occurs as the CPU hits 50 degrees.

 

[BruceM]

But you were told that 50 was still not hot enough to cause the bios to slow
down the comp.
Now go into the bios & see where it says "monitor"?, well set the temps up a
bit. (if you can in yours?) Maybe 5 degrees will be sufficient to never
slow down again.
While you're in there look at the temps if they're in there because these
might be more acurate than even Everest.
Look up Intel or AMD & find the max temp allowed for that processor & then
set the monitor alarm for a bit less than that.

 

[Bob]

It gets them right for me.

How do you know for certain?