XP 3200+ Random Overheating?

[CLohre]

Hey Everyone

I am new to these forums and have a predicament for you. Okay here it goes...
I built computer about 8 months ago with the folowing specifications.

CASE: Antec Black Quiet Super Mid Tower
CPU: AMD Athlon XP 3200+
HD: WD80Gb & WD40GB
MB: ASUS A7N8X2.0 400FSB
RAM: 1Gb x2/256, x1/512
PS: MaxPower 400w
GC: PNY 6800GT AGP

It has been running excellent for the last 8 months or so and other than getting a new GFX card I havn't done anything to it.

My problem is all of a sudden it is the cpu is getting really hot in idle mode. If I start the computer from being off it starts at 47C and slowly climbs to about 58C/62C and all I am doing is browsing a web page. As I type this my case cover is off and I have a fan pointing at my cpu keeping it at around 42C. I am using a stock heatsink and thermal pads I got from Compusa.

The case has 2 120mm fans one in the front (intake) and 1 in the rear (exhaust). I can come to no conclusions on why it running so hot. The PC is used for gaming and its used almost everyday. I have not played anyg ames thinking if I do the temps are going to skyrocket and my cpu's gonna fry...

Any suggestions and help would be appreciated, thanks in advance. Chris

 

[josh609]

Check your taskmanager and see if anything is making your proc. run at 100%........

 

[CLohre]

I did, and for a time it was running from 0 to 50% load for just firefox... but closing it didn't change anything.

 

[josh609]

Originally posted by: CLohre
I did, and for a time it was running from 0 to 50% load for just firefox... but closing it didn't change anything.

145F is very hot for an athlon xp. Make sure your thermal pad and heatsink are properly mounted on the CPU all the way. By the way, what brand of thermal pad and heatsink did you buy? Was it specifically for athlon xp?

 

[CLohre]

Originally posted by: CLohre
I am using a stock heatsink and thermal pads I got from Compusa.
s

 

[Maximilian]

Welcome to the forums dude. If the heat problems pretty recent id say you need to clean yout heatsink out. My A64 3200+ was doing the exact same thing until i looked inside and peeled all the chunks of dust off the heatsink with a screwdriver. It was around 8 months after purchase too, so similar timeframe to yours.

 

[Powermoloch]

A can of air duster will do the job right.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Your thermal pad is probably either hard crusty stuff or messy goo by now.

Buy a $5 tube of Arctic Silver 5. Now, clean the stock pad off both your CPU and your heastink using some rubbing alcohol (99% is perfect but 70% is fine too). Let it dry then apply the Arctic Silver 5 as per their directions at www.arcticsilver.com .

You will get MUCH better temperatures and it should last longer too.

Cheers! :beer:

 

[CLohre]

Thanks for the replies, wish my CVS had cans of Compressed air left... I'll try cleaning it out the best I can might help. Know I need to find some artic silver near me.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024
Your thermal pad is probably either hard crusty stuff or messy goo by now.

Buy a $5 tube of Arctic Silver 5. Now, clean the stock pad off both your CPU and your heastink using some rubbing alcohol (99% is perfect but 70% is fine too). Let it dry then apply the Arctic Silver 5 as per their directions at www.arcticsilver.com .

You will get MUCH better temperatures and it should last longer too.

Cheers! :beer:

That's not entirely true. Arcitc Silver will not last longer than a stock thermal pad.