Is this a high normal temp?

[BCompDude]

I have a P4 2.26 and normal idle temp is ~50 C. Is that too high? I have it in a Shuttle SFF PC so I can *not* have my heatsink on wrong 🙂.

 

[Duvie]

That may be as those small form factor boxes likely have worse case flow and thus worse cooling capabilites...the real test is to look at the temps during a full load situation...The p4 will start to throttle around the 66-70c range so you should be fine. They may also have fans that are more temp controlled and when the heat builds up they may accelerate to keep heat down...usually noise is another consideration of SFF computers and the price you pay!!!

 

[BCompDude]

*Could* overheating cause my rig to lock up in a game or does the "throttling" prevent that with a P4? Not sure exactly how that works. Thanks for the info. I'm going to stick in a PCI cooling card for the hell of it and put some Arctic Silver Compound on instead of the generic stuff. Couldn't hurt?

 

[Duvie]

You could still be overheating ut it may be also related to other items as well in the case....I have had my cpu throttle back when I had a ThermalTake hsf and it didn't freeze but got lethargic...

I would try the AS2 or 3 and the pci cooler and try to get the idle in the 40's and then you should be fine...

Are you freezing up now!!!

 

[BCompDude]

Not very often and mostly in one specific game. I want to find out if heat is the cause and wanted to know if my temps are inline. It doesn't look like they are so I will double check to see if heat is indeed the cause of my lockups.

 

[Duvie]

Run an app like prime95 or sandra burn in and see what temps you hit and see if you get it to overheat or throttle...

Freezes and games often are software related and especially if it is only occuring in one game and the others are equally taxing on the vid card and system...

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

run 3dmark2k1se
if it freezes in that, vid card probaly overheatin

you havent oced it right?

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: ChampionAtTufshop
run 3dmark2k1se
if it freezes in that, vid card probaly overheatin

you havent oced it right?

how much of options do they give to do this in SFF systems??? With the SFF factor many things could be overheating be it the vid card or even the HDD or the chipsets on the mobos....

 

[BCompDude]

I have *not* overclocked anything in the system, all stock. I have run 3dMark2k3 many many times and have not locked up a single time. I'll try those other tests.

 

[Jgtdragon]

It does seem high. Is it warm in your room? What is the room, and system temps?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Since the temp being reported isn't necessarily accurate and it seems to be an issue which is almost entirely isolated to a single game I'd have to agree with Duvie that it sounds like it's software related, and as he pointed out it's highly unlikely the CPU is causing the lock-ups, so what game is it? Have you installed any/all patches/updates for it? using the latest graphics card drivers? BTW, does it only happen after playing the game for awhile (making heat issues more likely) or does it happen randomly, sometimes shortly after starting play? Did you ever apply AS to the CPU and/or GPU?

System lock-ups, reboots, and general instability are of course the most difficult to troubleshoot so it could be any of the things suggested until you systematically eliminate all the usual suspects.