Info Dusting of an old i5-2400

[biostud]

My parents old computer was a bit sluggish, and I found out it was running ~1Ghz @99C so I did a bit a vacuuming and now it breaks 3Ghz but still @ 99C, so I will need to bring some new thermal paste next time I visit.

 

[mikeymikec]

My parents old computer was a bit sluggish, and I found out it was running ~1Ghz @99C so I did a bit a vacuuming and now it breaks 3Ghz but still @ 99C, so I will need to bring some new thermal paste next time I visit.

Did it used to run at a normal temp? I'm just wondering if the HSF isn't completely secured.

This business of repasting because of suboptimal temps is somewhat outside of my experience (ie. I've repasted many times in many scenarios but never found it to make much difference) and I wonder if it's because of air conditioning (not common in the UK). Is it a potential factor where this PC is?

 

[coercitiv]

now it breaks 3Ghz but still @ 99C, so I will need to bring some new thermal paste next time I visit.

You could have used tooth paste.

 

[biostud]

Did it used to run at a normal temp? I'm just wondering if the HSF isn't completely secured.

This business of repasting because of suboptimal temps is somewhat outside of my experience (ie. I've repasted many times in many scenarios but never found it to make much difference) and I wonder if it's because of air conditioning (not common in the UK). Is it a potential factor where this PC is?

It's a box cooler, it might be a thermal pad, so it shouldn't be the normal temp @ 35% load.

@coercitiv nah I'll wait

 

[igor_kavinski]

My parents old computer was a bit sluggish

Surely you can get a cheap 120mm AIO for YOUR parents, yes?

Let their PC enjoy its almost retired life!

 

[biostud]

Surely you can get a cheap 120mm AIO for YOUR parents, yes?

Let their PC enjoy its almost retired life!

They're getting a 7840HS based mini PC as a replacement at some point this autumn, as they just want something that works, want windows and security updates. I might turn their old PC into a Linux box.

 

[biostud]

Did it used to run at a normal temp? I'm just wondering if the HSF isn't completely secured.

This business of repasting because of suboptimal temps is somewhat outside of my experience (ie. I've repasted many times in many scenarios but never found it to make much difference) and I wonder if it's because of air conditioning (not common in the UK). Is it a potential factor where this PC is?

My parents have no AC unit and it's placed here in Denmark. But it's a thermal pad (or whatever is on the stock Intel cooler) and it's 13-14 years old, and just letting Windows do I things, all the cores are 96-99C without doing anything, and the fan is spinning, so the CPU definitely has a problem offloading heat.

 

[mikeymikec]

My parents have no AC unit and it's placed here in Denmark. But it's a thermal pad (or whatever is on the stock Intel cooler) and it's 13-14 years old, and just letting Windows do I things, all the cores are 96-99C without doing anything, and the fan is spinning, so the CPU definitely has a problem offloading heat.

No doubt, but there's no way that HSF is properly secured right now, the temps would be way better even with no paste and a secured HSF.

If so, it will absolutely need repasting, but I would be curious to know if you feel that the HSF is at all loose before you remove it.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Did it used to run at a normal temp? I'm just wondering if the HSF isn't completely secured.

My suspicion too. The Intel provided heatsinks of that era were pretty flimsy. Could have gotten a bit loose while moving the PC around.

I actually had that issue when I upgraded my i3-2100 to i7-3770. Didn't change the heatsink. The guy selling the i7 installed it and didn't secure the heatsink properly. I ran some workload and Speedfan was showing flames on all cores and the mouse got extremely laggy. Told him that this wasn't acceptable. He took off the heatsink and then secured it properly. Max temps then did not exceed 65C.

 

[mikeymikec]

My suspicion too. The Intel provided heatsinks of that era were pretty flimsy. Could have gotten a bit loose while moving the PC around.

I had this recently when a computer (10 series Intel, stock heatsink) I built was sitting in an office minding its own business when decorators decided that the best way to move a desk with a PC under it and all the cabling was to just shove the desk out of the way.

 

[biostud]

The heatsink is firmly secured, so that's not the problem.

 

[mikeymikec]

The heatsink is firmly secured, so that's not the problem.

Just saying:

Info - (anecdote) How to make a Pentium G620 hit 90C

This is a customer's computer, not one I built thankfully (who doesn't check the processor temps in a computer they just built? weird). As everyone here can probably guess, the heatsink wasn't making proper contact with the processor. Well, in this case, it wasn't making any contact with the...

forums.anandtech.com

 

[biostud]

Just saying:

Info - (anecdote) How to make a Pentium G620 hit 90C

This is a customer's computer, not one I built thankfully (who doesn't check the processor temps in a computer they just built? weird). As everyone here can probably guess, the heatsink wasn't making proper contact with the processor. Well, in this case, it wasn't making any contact with the...

forums.anandtech.com

Well, it wouldn't budge anywhere when I tried to push it. And I'm not going to do more about it until we have their new computer up and running safely.

 

[crashtech]

I don't know if I have a touch of OCD, but I wouldn't be able to rest until repasting that poor CPU. For me it's like a 15 minute job.

 

[biostud]

I don't know if I have a touch of OCD, but I wouldn't be able to rest until repasting that poor CPU. For me it's like a 15 minute job.

Yeah, except the 4 hours drive each way, and even though I consider me into tech, I don't travel with TIM when I go on holiday.

But I did setup my parents wifi mesh, while I was visiting them.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

They're getting a 7840HS based mini PC as a replacement at some point this autumn, as they just want something that works, want windows and security updates. I might turn their old PC into a Linux box.

Same situation with my mom in law. She is getting a cheap mini PC, and it's still overkill for what she uses a PC for. I built her a system in the Legendary Alienware/Antec case from around 2002, and I want it. Going to do a sleeper build in it. The internals I evidently don't remember for beans. My kid was over there and said the parts were circa 2008 or so.

Me: No way!
Kid: Way!

I thought I gave her a FM1-2 era upgrade back when they were newish; guess not? I'll find out when he swaps PCs out and brings it home.

 

[mikeymikec]

Re mini PCs - I have a customer with a HP mini PC that's about 2-3 years old, the power button broke, and HP want to charge about £160 for the front bezel (just plastic), which I would guess is about 25% of the cost of the original PC.

The assembly for the button looks so cheap that it could easily happen again with a new one.

 

[biostud]

My parents originally had 4GB memory and 1TB of spinning platter, so a couple of years ago I upgraded it to 16GB and 1TB Sata SSD.

They only use it of mail and light office, as most is done on their phones anyways.

So the only reason to upgrade is the loss of support for win10 security.

 

[mikeymikec]

I'd just upgrade that PC to Win11.

 

[biostud]

I'd just upgrade that PC to Win11.

No TPM2.0 support.

 

[BurnItDwn]

You dont have to downgrade to windows 11.
If you want to stick with microsoft, look to windows 10 ltsc.

That said, there are better options, my old uncle does ok with Mint though I personally dont care for the cinnamon ui and much prefer anything KDE based.
Of course on a i5-2400, i'd likely stick with something lighter Mate or Xfce for example.

And now I will allow myself out the door before the one person who likes windows 11 tells about how great it is because of all the stuff that doesnt work and all the missing features and how its worse in every way compared to windows 7 which was the last decent microsoft product.

 

[igor_kavinski]

windows 7 which was the last decent microsoft product.

Yup. My 2nd office PC is i5-2400 running Win7. It really was perfect. They just needed to iterate on it, much like MacOS. Not re-invent the frickin' wheel three times in a row and their latest wheel has millions of microdents in it so the ride is never going to be smooth.

 

[biostud]

You dont have to downgrade to windows 11.
If you want to stick with microsoft, look to windows 10 ltsc.

That said, there are better options, my old uncle does ok with Mint though I personally dont care for the cinnamon ui and much prefer anything KDE based.
Of course on a i5-2400, i'd likely stick with something lighter Mate or Xfce for example.

And now I will allow myself out the door before the one person who likes windows 11 tells about how great it is because of all the stuff that doesnt work and all the missing features and how its worse in every way compared to windows 7 which was the last decent microsoft product.

Yeah, obviously we would all have liked to stay with win7. I did suggest Linux, but my dad prefers just to stay with Windows, so in the end they are the ones using it.

I've switched to Linux Mint as my main OS, as I was never a fan of the direction Ms was going, and the Copilot AI and surveillance was the final straw.

 

[mikeymikec]

No TPM2.0 support.

It's easy to install it anyway, I've done it on Sandy Bridge. One command and the job is done.

 

[511]

Yeah, obviously we would all have liked to stay with win7. I did suggest Linux, but my dad prefers just to stay with Windows, so in the end they are the ones using it.

I've switched to Linux Mint as my main OS, as I was never a fan of the direction Ms was going, and the Copilot AI and surveillance was the final straw.

what about win 10? 11 is a mess