CPU temp jumps 16degs during the night?

[moonshinemadness]

My Athlon XP 2400 cpu has run solidly at 50C for the 6 months i have had it, last night i shut the system down installed a new modem in the bottom pci slot and booted it back up, the cpu temp has gone up ~16 degrees during the night, ive got an 80mm fan with copper heatsink rated for 2800 3 exhaust fans (One blowhole in the roof of the case, One in case side and one in line with the cpu fan exhausting through the back) and one intake blowing over the northbridge.

I cant think what caused the heat change, the cpu fan is still turning at the ususal speed and ambient temp hasnt gone up any. Oh and temps were so high before as i run seti 24/7.

 

[dnuggett]

My first thought is that the PCI card is obstructing the natural airflow in your system.

 

[moonshinemadness]

Before i put the card in it had teh firewire port card in from my motherboard so i dont think that would effect it

 

[Nohr]

Perhaps you jostled your heatsink off balance when you installed the modem? Try reseating the heatsink.

 

[NokiaDude]

Yeah, I agree with Nohr. Take off that heatsink and give it a good cleaning with canned air. Remove the old thermal paste with 70% and better isopropyl alcohol and apply a paper thin layer of thermal paste only to the CPU core. Thermal paste is only meant to fill in the microscopic pits on the CPU core and heatsink, the excess actually hurts thermal conduction between the CPU and the heatsink.

 

[Ness]

Originally posted by: NokiaDude
Yeah, I agree with Nohr. Take off that heatsink and give it a good cleaning with canned air. Remove the old thermal paste with 70% and better isopropyl alcohol and apply a paper thin layer of thermal paste only to the CPU core. Thermal paste is only meant to fill in the microscopic pits on the CPU core and heatsink, the excess actually hurts thermal conduction between the CPU and the heatsink.

I second this idea, and say that it's possible that you were (unintentially) a little rough with something here or there, and perhaps you jostled one of your fans so that it isn't running right... I know it sounds a bit farfetched, but it is something to think about.
Besides, most everyone's PC could use a good cleaning about now anyway

I wouldn't think that a modem gives off enough heat to make that sort of change.