Over-heating CPU!

[StarThorn]

My computer is restarting on me. It did it twice today. Here are my specs

680i Mobo
2GB DDR2 RAM
X1600 Pro
q6600 CPU

I set the fan switch on the back of my pc to high. I downloaded this program called speedfan. Here are my results from when I have nothing running

System: 18C
CPU: 43C
AUX: 29C (whats AUX?)
HD0: 33c
Core0: 32c
Core1: 32c
Core2: 32c
Core3: 32c

Here are the results when im running a game demo(unreal Tournament 3)
System: 32c
CPU:52C (flame Icon beside this)
AUX: 29C
HD0: 34c
Core0: 46Cc
Core1: 46c
Core2: 47c
Core3: 47c

What should I do? My pc is new. I just put it together a few weeks ago!

 

[ArchAngel777]

The flame icon is meaningless. The temperature that really matters in this case is Core 0,1,2 and 3. You ideally want to keep them below 65c, though some run as high as 75c depending on their personal preference. Speefan reports the temperature of the Quad Cores 15c cooler than they really are. You are running 61c on core 0 and 1, and 62c on core 2 and 3 under load (UT3). That isn't a big deal at all.

You left out a lot of important details, though... The temps you are reporting are very average for running at stock speed with the Intel stock HSF.

 

[StarThorn]

eh... ok! that doesn't sound bad.

that does not solve my problem with my PC restarting. I thought this was caused by my temperatures going so high that the PC would shut its self off to protect its self.

what do you think? Would it be the PSU? its a 600 watt OCZ silentXstream.

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: StarThorn
eh... ok! that doesn't sound bad.

that does not solve my problem with my PC restarting. I thought this was caused by my temperatures going so high that the PC would shut its self off to protect its self.

what do you think? Would it be the PSU? its a 600 watt OCZ silentXstream.

Could be a lot of things, honestly... PSU, Ram... But I am certain it is not a result of your temperature. You can try to lower ram timings, try another PSU... It gets tedius, but you need to narrow down on the issue.

 

[StarThorn]

I've been told to try memtest86. Ever here of this? Im not sure how to use it. I think I might have to put it on cd and try to boot from it.

here are my results from core temp. I think this is a better program

core 0:54
Core 1:54
Core 2:59
Core 3:57

 

[StarThorn]

I do not remember ever putting thermal paste on. Would this have already been stuck to the metal heat sink? In my mind thermal paste looks like gel. I don't know what it really is.

I looked at my bios and here are my results

CPU CORE: 1.24 V (AUTO)
CPU FSB: 1.2V
Memory:1.850V

Memory timing

tCL 5
tRCD 5
tRP 5
tRAS 18
CMD 2T

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 2GB 2X1GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12 240PIN Dual Channel Memory is my ram

any other information you want me to post I will

 

[wittangamo]

Your temps are acceptable for a stock cooler, and the Intel unit does have a thermal pad on it to start. There's also nothing wrong with that PSU, it's the same one I use for a fully loaded and overclocked system.

Reboots are most often memory related.

Start by bumping your memory voltage to 2.1, which is the spec for those Corsair sticks. They are supposed to boot at 1.8, but increasing the vdimm to 2.1 will give them enough headroom to prevent the reboots you're seeing. At that point you can manually set the memory timings to 4,4,4,12 (instead of 5,5,5,18,) for better performance.

 

[StarThorn]

I ran memtest. I did 2 passes and I had no errors. Do I still need to put the voltage up?

What are the down sides of lowering my RAM timing?

 

[wittangamo]

Yes.

1.8v is the lowest common denominator for ram to boot in the bios, but the memory you are using is not designed to run 24/7 at a voltage that low.

Your memory is rated by Corsair at 2.1 volts. I suspect that's the cause of your reboots. You have nothing to lose by setting the voltage to where the manufacturer says it ought to be.

There isn't a huge performance boost from tighter memory timings, but there is some and there's no reason not to get what you paid for.

Set the voltage to 2.1 and leave the timings at 5 for now. If the reboots stop, lower the timings to the manufacturer's spec of 4,4,4,12.

 

[BATCH71]

Check the rev level on your 680i motherboard. I installed a quad core after I had been running my duallie for months rock solid. The quad core was stable at stock speeds only and it did give me occasional large file transfer/unzip lockups that I NEVER EVER saw with the dual core. After doing some reading I found I was not the only one with these issues and my rev level was the culprit. I have since switched back to a dual core with zero problems and I will not be installing a quad core in this rig ever again. Good Luck!

Dave

 

[StarThorn]

I changed my voltage to the RAM. No restarts as of yet.

Are you guys sure these temperatures are fine? Everyone on tomshardware seem to think they are high

my Tjunction is always on 100c.

 

[wittangamo]

Well, to start with, we're smarter than the guys at TomsHardware.

If CoreTemp reports your cpu idling in the 40s and in the 60s when loaded, that's pretty much what a Q6600 with a stock cooler is supposed to do.

That's safe, and as long as the system is stable you'll be fine. You could remove the cooler, clean off the stock goop with nail polish remover, apply a paper-thin layer of ArticSilver5 and reseat it. That might knock off a couple of degrees. You could install an aftermarket cooler for $20-60 and get rid of even more heat, but that's probably overkill if you're not overclocking.

 

[StarThorn]

thanks wittangamo, that puts my mind at ease

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: wittangamo
That's safe, and as long as the system is stable you'll be fine. You could remove the cooler, clean off the stock goop with nail polish remover, apply a paper-thin layer of ArticSilver5 and reseat it.

Nail polish remover? isn't that acetone? I think you are supposed to use isopropyl alcohol.

 

[bryanW1995]

don't reseat the hsf, it will be a waste of time. your temps are great. your restarting problem could be caused by a program, too. I've had trouble in the past with speedfan on some of my systems. no rhyme or reason, just some systems worked great with it and some had problems after I used it until I uninstalled it.

 

[wittangamo]

Nail polish remover? isn't that acetone? I think you are supposed to use isopropyl alcohol.

Yes, it's acetone. But it cuts the grease better and removes it with less scraping and hassle. Afterwards, wiping with a damp sponge and drying with a clean cloth removes any residue. Been raiding the wife's medicine cabinet for years. No grief from the chips, only a little from her.

 

[wittangamo]

Originally posted by: bryanW1995
don't reseat the hsf, it will be a waste of time. your temps are great. your restarting problem could be caused by a program, too. I've had trouble in the past with speedfan on some of my systems. no rhyme or reason, just some systems worked great with it and some had problems after I used it until I uninstalled it.

One way to cut down on restarts caused by application errors in Windows XP is to go into the system control panel, click on the advanced tab, then select startup and recovery settings. Uncheck automatically restart.

Based on the low voltage setting, I'm still guessing memory is the culprit in this case.

 

[StarThorn]

hasn't restarted since i changed my voltage