CPU extremely overheating and 100% load at idle + wildly varying temperatures

sasquatchlegend · Jul 30, 2018

Hey all,

Last night before bed, my PC was making an awful whirring noise - it seemed that there was a fan or something grinding pretty hard against an edge of my system. Eventually, I just found out that there was a fan believe what I believe to be the water cooling system - it was at an angle, but there is only one screw holding the bottom end in place while there was nothing up top, so there's nothing really that would reliably keep it in "place" from top to bottom.

I cleaned the rig - I took a low-power vacuum around the perimeter of the thing, and swapped away at the under parts of the fans with multiple napkins. While the computer "runs" in the most technical sense that I can browse and stuff, there is a heavy input delay, at times videos stop completely and even what I type now has intense input lag.

My CPU while idle reaches 100% load, and other times wildly fluctuates with absolutely no rhyme or reason between 0 ~ 100%. There are no processes running that would cause this.

In BIOS, it is overheating upon startup to 70-80 C.

Important to mention that the first time I plugged it in after cleaning, it blue screened a minute or so after startup, where things at first seemed to be running extremely smoothly.

Since then, it has been able to perform very basic tasks with the aforementioned stuttering/input lag. I don't know if something happened to any drivers, or if a setting in BIOS changed.

I'm essentially out of a fully functioning PC which I need for class. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Eximo · Jul 30, 2018

A complete list of the system specifications would be a good start. If you purchased this at a store, a link to that would be sufficient.

CPU:
CPU Cooler:
Memory:
Motherboard:
Power Supply:
Graphics Card:

If you do have a water cooler it does need a fan to actively cool the radiator. If the cooler itself does not have 4 screws holding it to the CPU, that would explain much of the symptoms. There is also the possibility that the pump inside the cooler is broken, and the CPU is throttling to below base clock to protect itself. You can verify this with task manager, see if the CPU is running at 800Mhz or something like that when it is under load. (It should idle at 800Mhz though)

Drivers or BIOS settings don't typically effect cooling performance that much. You would almost have to outright turn them off for that to happen.

sasquatchlegend · Jul 30, 2018

Eximo :

Hi, thanks for replying as quick as you have.

Just so I don't miss anything here is the straight copy/paste from dxdiag:

Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.151019-1254)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: System Product Name
BIOS: BIOS Date: 07/16/13 08:59:38 Ver: 11.03
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (8 CPUs), ~3.5GHz
Memory: 16384MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 16330MB RAM
Page File: 5548MB used, 27110MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: None
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode
DxDiag Previously: Crashed in system information (stage 4). Re-running DxDiag with "dontskip" command line parameter or choosing not to bypass information gathering when prompted might result in DxDiag successfully obtaining this information

The GPU are a pair of GTX 670's running in SLI.
Motherboard is ASUS P8Z77-V LK Z77
Power supply is 1000W Cooler Master Silent Pro.
The CPU cooler (I'm going off a 6 year old receipt I apologize) is I believe CyberPower 240 Water Cooler Kit.

Purchased from CyberPowerPC late 2012.

sasquatchlegend · Jul 30, 2018

Eximo :

A complete list of the system specifications would be a good start. If you purchased this at a store, a link to that would be sufficient.

CPU:
CPU Cooler:
Memory:
Motherboard:
Power Supply:
Graphics Card:

If you do have a water cooler it does need a fan to actively cool the radiator. If the cooler itself does not have 4 screws holding it to the CPU, that would explain much of the symptoms. There is also the possibility that the pump inside the cooler is broken, and the CPU is throttling to below base clock to protect itself. You can verify this with task manager, see if the CPU is running at 800Mhz or something like that when it is under load. (It should idle at 800Mhz though)

Drivers or BIOS settings don't typically effect cooling performance that much. You would almost have to outright turn them off for that to happen.

Apologies for not initially stating this - all cores are running at 802.3Mhz.

Eximo · Jul 30, 2018

Yeah, probably just need a new CPU cooler. 6 years is asking a lot of most CLCs. I'm sure it is just Asetek manufactured branded by CyberPower. For confirmation, just check your temperatures with Hardware Info 64. Anything above 80C is cause for concern.

Might also take the opportunity to replace your 670 SLI with a single GTX1060 6GB or a 1070. (Though you could hold out for 11xx which should be here in a few months)

A cheap 240mm replacement: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/hQ7CmG/lepa-cpu-cooler-lpwac240hf

A much cheaper replacement air cooler that should do the job: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/93Crxr/cryorig-cpu-cooler-h7

sasquatchlegend · Jul 30, 2018

Eximo :

Thank you - and yeah, I've looked into swapping out some parts or at least just going for an entirely new system what with how old it all is - I just need to get this rig running me the final stretch I need to then.

Would pictures of any part of the rig's working be helpful to look at at all to be 100% certain that it's one of those things?

dudio · Jul 30, 2018

Remove the heatsink from the CPU, clean off old thermal paste, re-apply fresh paste, and remount heatsink to rule that out. If you are still seeing insane temperatures, and the radiator fan(s) are working, then likely the pump has failed.
Eximo's suggestion of a replacement air cooled unit should be fine.

Eximo · Jul 31, 2018

Pictures would help with the overall status of the system, but really only way to detect pump failure is high temperature when the installation itself is verified. Often times the motor is still spinning which tricks the computer into thinking there is a working cooling system.

I've had CLCs last less then 6 years, twice.

Replacing the whole system is up to you, but I would then certainly pick up the air cooler and install it. Just to make sure everything still works. Then you have the option of selling it. It won't fetch much, but anything helps towards a new build.

One of those odd cases where the computer is still good enough to run most games with the right GPU, so it is worth keeping for another generation or two. Maybe hold out for Intel's 10nm process node to hit the consumer desktop market (2019)

sasquatchlegend · Jul 31, 2018

Eximo :

Thanks Eximo. Gonna go ahead and head out and see what I can get for a CPU cooler - sadly I'm almost certain the pump is at fault and that paste won't be enough. The liquid reservoir is totally stagnant now, and the night before I began having this problem, there was some ungodly whirring inside of the reservoir.

Will see how this works out - I've looked up videos all day on what to do with removing a liquid cooling system and just installing a new, non-liquid heatsink - concurrently, I think I'm going to follow through with this new build I've specced out.

Thanks again - will return later today to state how it went!

sasquatchlegend · Jul 31, 2018

Eximo :

After looking through the Cryorig installation videos, it seems the board needs to be outside of the case first before installation, and unless I really have to, I'd prefer not to but will end up doing it if I must.

Do you think there's another cooler that could work, or any other cooler that doesn't require board detachment?

Eximo · Jul 31, 2018

Not since you had an all-in-one. There will be a backplate you need to remove. Some very cheap coolers use the push-pins like the Intel stock cooler that would normally have come with your chip, plenty of similar aftermarket ones. But they aren't really enough for the CPU you have.

Nicer/newer cases have a cutout behind the CPU for access. Check yours first. https://www.corsair.com/corsairmedia/sys_master/productcontent/blog_installing-the-hydro-series-h100-in-the-obsidian-650d-Content-2.JPG

You will have something like that that has to come out.

No cutout, yes, the motherboard will have to come out. It will give you a chance to clean the system at least.

sasquatchlegend · Jul 31, 2018

Eximo :

Alright. Ordered the Cryotic you recommended - having a friend tomorrow to help with installation/has all the tools. Thanks for the time you took in bearing with me and in your recommendations - I really appreciate it. Hoping for the best.

sasquatchlegend · Aug 2, 2018

Eximo :

Hey Eximo - I just wanted to give you a huge thank you.

Turns out it was the pump that had indeed failed - swapped out for that Cryorig you recommended and it runs like a dream. Three and a half days, that was.

Thank you again.

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