Computer constantly overheating

[dl77002]

I made a post here a few weeks ago regarding upgrading my computer. I added 2 sticks of ram and a 700 gig hard drive; and the general concern was that my power supply wasn't enough to handle the upgrades. I decided to just go along with the upgrade and see what happens.

Ever since, the computer speaker makes a siren noise under the slightest bit of stress (something that told me to add thermal paste last year, which resolved it). Can this siren mean anything else other than overheating? Can it have anything to do with my power supply? What's the solution? Faster fans? I know nothing about cooling.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kesava]

it depends on what beeping it is.

from what i can remember i think my bios issues 1 continuous beep when my cpu reaches above 60 degrees.
what does your beeping sound like?

 

[dl77002]

it depends on what beeping it is.

from what i can remember i think my bios issues 1 continuous beep when my cpu reaches above 60 degrees.
what does your beeping sound like?

It's a siren. Same sound it made last year when it was a definite overheating problem. I wasn't aware that there are different sounds for different problems, so since I'm positive that it's the same sound it made when thermal paste was the problem, does that mean it's definitely a heating issue?

 

[taylormsj]

My friend has a PC that has a siren that bleeps 24/7 when in windows, i think its overheating but i haevnt looked at it yet

 

[porterjw]

It's a siren. Same sound it made last year when it was a definite overheating problem. I wasn't aware that there are different sounds for different problems, so since I'm positive that it's the same sound it made when thermal paste was the problem, does that mean it's definitely a heating issue?

Typically, a siren is a siren is a siren. Beeps, though, vary depending on different problems.

Did you apply the Thermal Paste properly?
Is your CPU fan spinning?
Are you case fans spinning?
Do you know what your CPU temp is? (Download SpeedFan to see. Depending on your CPU, it won't detect it and just give a general 'Temp' listing. Open a few programs and see what temp spikes the quickest--that's the CPU.)
When is the last time you cleaned dust from your case/components?
Is your case near a heater vent?
Can your CPU run/is it running SpeedStep to cut back it's clock speed when not in use?
If your CPU runs warm to begin with, but still in safe temp ranges, can you raise/disable the high temp warning in BIOS?

 

[dl77002]

Typically, a siren is a siren is a siren. Beeps, though, vary depending on different problems.

Did you apply the Thermal Paste properly?
Is your CPU fan spinning?
Are you case fans spinning?
Do you know what your CPU temp is? (Download SpeedFan to see. Depending on your CPU, it won't detect it and just give a general 'Temp' listing. Open a few programs and see what temp spikes the quickest--that's the CPU.)
When is the last time you cleaned dust from your case/components?
Is your case near a heater vent?
Can your CPU run/is it running SpeedStep to cut back it's clock speed when not in use?
If your CPU runs warm to begin with, but still in safe temp ranges, can you raise/disable the high temp warning in BIOS?

I did apply the paste properly, that solved it the first time (about a year ago - before the upgrades). It was fine up until the day after I made the upgrades, at which point I reapplied it again, but the siren was still there. The fans are spinning, the case fans are loud enough to hear (always have been), and I've seen the cpu fan spinning. I don't know the temp, I'll cehck that once I get home - but usually the siren starts when I have objectdock, konfabulator, winamp, and full screen youtube running (all of which never used to be a problem - it's always been a daily activity).

I blast the dust with compressed air about once a month and constantly clean the vents. I've never heard of speedstep. Would I want to disable the high temp warning? Isn't it necessary? I'd assume it runs warm to begin with (it's a huge Area 51 with case fans that have always made a racket), but isn't the siren telling me it's too warm?

 

[tooch926]

I did apply the paste properly, that solved it the first time (about a year ago - before the upgrades). It was fine up until the day after I made the upgrades, at which point I reapplied it again, but the siren was still there. The fans are spinning, the case fans are loud enough to hear (always have been), and I've seen the cpu fan spinning. I don't know the temp, I'll cehck that once I get home - but usually the siren starts when I have objectdock, konfabulator, winamp, and full screen youtube running (all of which never used to be a problem - it's always been a daily activity).

I blast the dust with compressed air about once a month and constantly clean the vents. I've never heard of speedstep. Would I want to disable the high temp warning? Isn't it necessary? I'd assume it runs warm to begin with (it's a huge Area 51 with case fans that have always made a racket), but isn't the siren telling me it's too warm?

When applying the thermal paste, you want to make sure that there are no air bubbles in between the processor and the heatsink. Also, check BIOS to see if any temperature alarms are set abnormally low. I had this happen on an old K6 back in the day. It was just one steady beep, until the temp would go down.

 

[porterjw]

I did apply the paste properly, that solved it the first time (about a year ago - before the upgrades). It was fine up until the day after I made the upgrades, at which point I reapplied it again, but the siren was still there. The fans are spinning, the case fans are loud enough to hear (always have been), and I've seen the cpu fan spinning. I don't know the temp, I'll cehck that once I get home - but usually the siren starts when I have objectdock, konfabulator, winamp, and full screen youtube running (all of which never used to be a problem - it's always been a daily activity).

I blast the dust with compressed air about once a month and constantly clean the vents. I've never heard of speedstep. Would I want to disable the high temp warning? Isn't it necessary? I'd assume it runs warm to begin with (it's a huge Area 51 with case fans that have always made a racket), but isn't the siren telling me it's too warm?

Speedstep is used on newer CPUs (started a few years back depending on the model). In BIOS, look for EIST (Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology. basically, it will only run your CPU at full speed when it's under load. When it's Idle, it will 'throttle back' so-to-speak and run it at a lower speed. This: A-keeps temps lower; and B-uses less power.

Depending on what the Temp Warnings are set at, then yes, you may want to raise them a bit. We'd need to know your CPU model though to determine what temps are hot (but safe) and when they get too high.

as for your case, I'm not familiar with it, but how many case fans are there and what kind are they? 2 120mm's will keep a system much cooler than 1 80mm. Case fan placement also plays a factor, but we'll get to that after we figure out the problem at hand.

 

[BluePlum]

If nothing works Put in a water cooling system. And try to find out which program sets it off. To me it sounds like your fans arn't good enough, are they the default ones? If they are since you upgraded they are non able to keep up with the computer.

 

[porterjw]

Water cooling will not be needed. It will be very costly and unless you OC the piss out of your system, it's a moot point.

 

[BluePlum]

Water cooling will not be needed. It will be very costly and unless you OC the piss out of your system, it's a moot point.

Dont mean to hijack but why dont you like me? you always disagree with me?

 

[porterjw]

Dont mean to hijack but why dont you like me? you always disagree with me?

Not stealing this Thread. PM sent.

 

[dl77002]

Speedstep is used on newer CPUs (started a few years back depending on the model). In BIOS, look for EIST (Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology. basically, it will only run your CPU at full speed when it's under load. When it's Idle, it will 'throttle back' so-to-speak and run it at a lower speed. This: A-keeps temps lower; and B-uses less power.

Depending on what the Temp Warnings are set at, then yes, you may want to raise them a bit. We'd need to know your CPU model though to determine what temps are hot (but safe) and when they get too high.

as for your case, I'm not familiar with it, but how many case fans are there and what kind are they? 2 120mm's will keep a system much cooler than 1 80mm. Case fan placement also plays a factor, but we'll get to that after we figure out the problem at hand.

I don't see an option for EIST, but I did happen to notice something called 'CPU THERM-Throttling' which was set at 50. Is there any other way to get the computer to cut back while idle? I'd like that.

I believe there is a fan in the case, a fan in the back, and a fan on the CPU itself. The front of the case is open with mesh (the Alienware eyes). I'm not sure what size the fans are, they're the ones that came with the system.

As for specs:

Power Supply: Alienware 480 Watt Power Supply
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 Processor 550 w/ HT Technology 3.4GHz 1MB Cache
Motherboard: Alienware PCI Express Motherboard with Intel® 925XE Chipset 1066/800MHz FSB
Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz - 2 x 512MB
Samsung 2GB (1GBx2) DDR2 at 533MHz
Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT PCI Express 128MB DDR3 w/Digital and S-Video Out
System Drive: High Performance - Serial ATA - 120GB Seagate® Barracuda 7,200 RPM w/8MB Cache
Storage Drive: Additional Storage Drive - 80GB Seagate® Barracuda 7,200 RPM w/8MB Cache
Storage Drive: Additional Storage Drive - 750GB Western Digital 7,200 RPM w/16MB Cache
Optical Drive One: Lite-On 16x DVD-ROM Drive
Optical Drive Two: Sony 16x DVD-RW Drive
Floppy Drive: 3.5" 1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
Sound Card: Intel High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with 7.1 surround sound
Network Connection: Integrated High Performance Gigabit Ethernet
Modem: US Robotics 56K V.92 Performance Pro

 

[dl77002]

Do you know what your CPU temp is? (Download SpeedFan to see. Depending on your CPU, it won't detect it and just give a general 'Temp' listing. Open a

Currently, Speedfan says "CPU" is at 145F with a flame icon next to it. I'm not experiencing any problems at the moment however.

I also have a fire icon next to "REMOTE" which is at 124F. Any idea what that is?

EDIT: Interesting. I went to BIOS and chose "Optimal settings" and saved and exited. I opened up Speedfan and tried to get the thing to overheat so that I could see what number caused the siren to go off. I opened up a few programs, Youtube, Winamp, WMP, Konfabulator, Objectdock, GTA San Andreas... and nothing. Where normally the siren would be blaring away; there was silence. Then, at about 162F, the screen shut off and reappeared with horizontal lines and I was forced to reset the computer. Did the 'optimal settings' fix it, and the computer just locked from so many tasks running? Or did the video card overheat or something of the sort?

 

[porterjw]

I don't see an option for EIST

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 Processor 550

That'll be why. 550's don't support EIST. it runs at 3.4 Ghz all the time.

I believe there is a fan in the case, a fan in the back, and a fan on the CPU itself

Are all Alienware cases the same? If so, this should be what the inside of your case looks like, right? http://www.alienware.com/product_de...PC-AURORA-7500-R4&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT#pdp-nav
If so, then look to the lower right of the case, just below the drive bays. That is a spot for a Front Intake Fan, 120mm by the looks of it. Make sure it's 120mm (or 80mm, or whatever), then it would be beneficial to buy a fan and put it there. You'll want it to facing in, so it sucks cool air into the case (and the warm air is pushed out the back).

Currently, Speedfan says "CPU" is at 145F with a flame icon next to it. I'm not experiencing any problems at the moment however.

Well, that's 63*C. High, yes, but based on CPU technology for P4's running at such a high speed, it's acceptable. This, though...

Then, at about 162F, the screen shut off and reappeared with horizontal lines and I was forced to reset the computer.

is cause for concern. That's a bit too high, even for a CPU that runs hot to start with.

All BIOS's will have an area for Hardware Monitoring, and it's probably called just that! Regardless of the name, however, enter BIOS and look for the screen that shows your CPU temp (and most likely System temp as well). Somewhere on that screen will be an option to raise or lower the auto-CPU shutdown settings. You may have to enter a sub-screen, but they'll be somewhere in that area.

Are you sure that is the CPU temp on SpeedFan? The best way to figure out what temp the CPU is if SpeedFan doesn't auto-detect it is to open SpeedFan and then let the system Idle for about 5 minutes. Then, with SpeedFan still running, open a large program and watch your SpeedFan temps. The one that changes the fastest is your CPU.

As far as video cards are concerned, I'm not too certain what safe temps are for them. I have a 7100GS and don't game. Mine Idles at 40*C, but I have a fan pointed at it. I know it's common for some to reach over 60*c when gaming, but again, I hesitant to give advice on them. Perhaps someone who games can lend a hand?

 

[porterjw]

Also, you mentioned dusting out the case, and making sure the Thermal Paste and HSF was correctly installed, but did you check to make sure the HSF itself was free of dust? It collects very easily between the fins on some units, even with the fans blowing directly on them.

 

[dl77002]

My case looks like that -sort of, but one big difference is that I don't have that slot for that fan. That's where my hard drives sit.

I did see the area to raise or lower the auto shutoff, but what would be the benefit of that? I'm not doubting you by any means, I just don't understand; is that what decides which temperature the siren goes off at? If 162F is too high, isn't that the real problem to fix, in which case the siren will fix itself?

I'm pretty sure that is my CPU temperature, as it fluctuates the most. Opening a game sent it from 138 to 151 in a matter of seconds.

 

[porterjw]

If 162F is too high, isn't that the real problem to fix

Touche Raising the shut-off temp in BIOS will enable higher-temp capable CPUs to run at that higher-temp. But yes, addressing the 162*F issue is top-of-mind here.

I'm pretty sure that is my CPU temperature, as it fluctuates the most. Opening a game sent it from 138 to 151 in a matter of seconds.

What kind of game? Something with flashy graphics at startup? That temp is probably your CPU, but just humor me and open Excel, Outlook, Word, Virus Scanner, or any combo/alternate-program of the above and see if it still spikes.

 

[dl77002]

What kind of game? Something with flashy graphics at startup? That temp is probably your CPU, but just humor me and open Excel, Outlook, Word, Virus Scanner, or any combo/alternate-program of the above and see if it still spikes.

I see what you're saying.

I opened up Wordpad, Ebay Turbo Lister, Adobe Audition, etc; and while nothing immediately spiked, the CPU still fluctuated up and down the most. It began at 134F and it's highest was around 142F.

Also, I'm not sure if this helps but here's what my configuration screen shows me:

Thanks so much for your patience and help so far.

 

[porterjw]

Ok, yeah I see it The first three items (Temp1-3) are nothing, Local and Remote I'm not sure of, HD0-2 are your Hard Drives (you have three? each one of their temps is fine), SYS is your chipset/MoBo (whichever you prefer-they're about the same temp-wise), the PWM's I'm not cure of either, the second Temp1 could be the other chipset (NB and SB), and the Core and Ambient are both on your Nvidia card (both seem to be in the safe temp range).

Honestly, things look good. A bit high by today's standards, but they were designed to deal with the heat, as were the components they are paired with. If you were seeing those temps on a 1.4 Ghz P4, then I'd worry, but for a 3.4 Ghz 90nm CPU, pretty nice.

That being said, I'd still look at your HSF and Thermal Paste, as that is still the most-likely culprit. I believe you when you mentioned it was applied correctly, but depending on the brand/formula applied and given the relatively high heat of the CPU, it could just need a reapplication - it happens a lot, compounds break down and lose effectiveness - kind of like engine oil. This link will show you the specifications for your CPU: http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SL7J8. See also: http://www.intel.com/products/processor/pentium4/specs.htm#. As you can see, the max suggested Operating Temp is 72.8*C = 163*F, the shutoff point for you.

Pull the HSF off and either spray with compressed air between the fins, or remove the fan, brackets, etc. from the unit and rinse the actual heatsink metal itself under water (no soap), wait for it to *completely* dry (air dry is best, put it over a heating vent or something), then reassemble. Take this time to remove all TP from the CPU, then reapply. Just a word of advice, take the 'how to apply TP' website instructions and throw them out the window. Yes, a dab in the center is nice, but most likely, your entire HS makes contact with your entire CPU heatshield. With my Pentium D (another 'oven'), I applied a thin layer over the entire CPU heatshild, THEN placed a small dab in the center. (I also tried both ways the website instructed as well beforehand, to test the entire range of options.) In the end, doing it the way I just described yielded the lowest Temps by a very considerable amount (6*C difference between the next closest) in the end (all three ways were given a break-in period).

Best bet is to get some Arctic Silver 5 (only a few more cents if you buy at Circuit City or Best Buy rather than paying shipping with Newegg). That stuff is awesome!