How do I figure out whats overheating...

[fredgiblet]

Here's my problem, I am having issues with overheating. My current setup follows:

Athlon 64 AM2 3500
Abit KN9 mobo (AM2 nForce 570 SLI)
2x1GB Corsair DDR2-800 CAS 4
XFX Geforce 7900GT (fairly certain not factory over-clocked)
Antec 480 watt PSU

The issues I am having are somewhat random and as follows:

Mouse and keyboard refuse input then go crazy (mouse flits around the screen randomly etc.), when I am playing games they slow down, not framerates but the game itself slows down like bullet-time or something only these games don't have that. Also eventually the games crash.

I have determined that it is overheating through the highly scientific process of putting a big fan next to my computer with the side off the case.

My question is this, how do I determine which component is overheating? I know it's not the RAM (replaced it for other reasons), but I don't have any spare parts new enough to test it. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[The_Prophecy]

Go get Everest Home Edition and monitor your temps. Post all of them (udle and load) here, in BOTH C, and F.

 

[1Tanker]

Here's my problem, I am having issues with overheating. My current setup follows:

Athlon 64 AM2 3500
Abit KN9 mobo (AM2 nForce 570 SLI)
2x1GB Corsair DDR2-800 CAS 4
XFX Geforce 7900GT (fairly certain not factory over-clocked)
Antec 480 watt PSU

The issues I am having are somewhat random and as follows:

Mouse and keyboard refuse input then go crazy (mouse flits around the screen randomly etc.), when I am playing games they slow down, not framerates but the game itself slows down like bullet-time or something only these games don't have that. Also eventually the games crash.

I have determined that it is overheating through the highly scientific process of putting a big fan next to my computer with the side off the case.

My question is this, how do I determine which component is overheating? I know it's not the RAM (replaced it for other reasons), but I don't have any spare parts new enough to test it. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

You sure that video card isn't factory overclocked? XFX likes to O/C their cards.

 

[Sonic_Reducer]

those mouse flickers are weird, maybe it's your chipset overheating but i'm not shure about that.

 

[waylander]

Also tell us what case and how many case fans you have running.

 

[phreejak]

What kind of mouse and keyboard do you have?

 

[1Tanker]

What kind of mouse and keyboard do you have?

I was thinking that too. Are they USB, or PS/2?

 

[phreejak]

I was wondering whether or not they were wireless as well. If so, what type?

 

[fredgiblet]

Sorry I took so long to respond (I've been in Seattle on business)

Mouse and keyboard: I used both PS\2 and USB (my new ones and my old ones), neither are wireless.

Case: Antec Super LANboy, stock fans
EDIT: not counting the 36" fan outside the case

Video Card: When I was looking XFX had two 7900GT cards one was OC'ed the other was not (or at least was less OC'ed), I bought the slower one.

Temps coming soon

Post all of them (udle and load) here, in BOTH C, and F.

I was thinking about that but I have seen some people get chewed out for posting in more than one forum. I figured that the OC'ers would have the most experience in figuring out what was overheating.

Thanks for your responses

 

[fredgiblet]

EDIT: posted my idle temps...forgot to turn off my case-sized fan (wow someone's a dumbass). New (correct) idle temps coming soon.

Correct temps (all farenheit, all with side of case off):

Load

CPU: 100-102
With Super Pi running for about 20 minutes

GPU: 150
Aux: 115
CPU: 90
Mobo: 106
HD2: 106
After about 10 minutes running around in Oblivion at slightly choppy framerates (i.e. full videocard load).

More to come...

Idle
CPU: 80
Mobo: 104
Aux: 111
GPU: 127
HD1: 84
HD2: 102

 

[1Tanker]

EDIT: posted my idle temps...forgot to turn off my case-sized fan (wow someone's a dumbass). New (correct) idle temps coming soon.

Correct temps (all farenheit, all with side of case off):

Load

CPU: 100-102
With Super Pi running for about 20 minutes

GPU: 150
Aux: 115
CPU: 90
Mobo: 106
HD2: 106
After about 10 minutes running around in Oblivion at slightly choppy framerates (i.e. full videocard load).

More to come...

Idle
CPU: 80
Mobo: 104
Aux: 111
GPU: 127
HD1: 84
HD2: 102

Temps are great. By C and F the poster meant Celsius and Fahrenheit. Repost temps with side of case back on.

 

[fredgiblet]

Temps are great. By C and F the poster meant Celsius and Fahrenheit. Repost temps with side of case back on.

Oh, see my previous post about me being a dumbass

 

[The_Prophecy]

EDIT: posted my idle temps...forgot to turn off my case-sized fan (wow someone's a dumbass). New (correct) idle temps coming soon.

Correct temps (all farenheit, all with side of case off):

Load

CPU: 100-102
With Super Pi running for about 20 minutes

GPU: 150
Aux: 115
CPU: 90
Mobo: 106
HD2: 106
After about 10 minutes running around in Oblivion at slightly choppy framerates (i.e. full videocard load).

More to come...

Idle
CPU: 80
Mobo: 104
Aux: 111
GPU: 127
HD1: 84
HD2: 102

Everything looks alright except your GPU load temp. Pick up a Zalman VF900 and you should see your video temps drop by quite a bit.

Edit: Next time, please post your temps in both Fahrenheit and Celsius.

 

[holcar]

oh crap I ran everest and I idle at 76 CELCIUS 169 FARENHEIT O.O

time to de-clock?

 

[phreejak]

two words- water cool

 

[holcar]

you mean pour a bucket of iced water on it?

I thinks that what it needs =/

 

[phreejak]

Your computer is screaming for watercooling - especially if you overclock

 

[weilin]

whats idling at 76? im hoping its your GPU becuase a cpu would be roasting by now. Either or, time for artic silver + hs/f reseat.

If that doesnt work, its time for a new cooler.

 

[phreejak]

Weilin has a point.

You could *watercooling* take off the heatsink/fan *watercooling* and clean the heatsink and *watercooling* reapply some artic silver OR *watercooling* get a better heatsink/fan *watercooling* combo.

This subliminal message was brought to you as a public service announcement....

 

[The_Prophecy]

oh crap I ran everest and I idle at 76 CELCIUS 169 FARENHEIT O.O

time to de-clock?

I hope that's the video card..... if it is, pick up that VF900 ASAP. If it's the CPU, get a Zalman CNPS9500. I don't think water cooling is worth the price, but if you can afford it, it wouldn't be a bad idea. No matter what component you are talking about, definitly get some Arctic Silver 5

 

[4Aces]

Sorry I took so long to respond (I've been in Seattle on business)

Mouse and keyboard: I used both PS\2 and USB (my new ones and my old ones), neither are wireless.

Case: Antec Super LANboy, stock fans
EDIT: not counting the 36" fan outside the case

Video Card: When I was looking XFX had two 7900GT cards one was OC'ed the other was not (or at least was less OC'ed), I bought the slower one.

Temps coming soon

Post all of them (udle and load) here, in BOTH C, and F.

I was thinking about that but I have seen some people get chewed out for posting in more than one forum. I figured that the OC'ers would have the most experience in figuring out what was overheating.

Thanks for your responses

It's the case. Bought one for the wife and it's always run hot. They didn't allow enough airflow in the front. The drive bay is turned 90 deg, which is cool but the fan is blocked by the case, lots of folks do this but usually there's more fans or a different arrangement.
I finally put a 90mm fan in the side window positioned 1/2 one the video card and 1/2 on the cpu fan blowing in. If I'd have a led 120mm I would have used that instead.
Take the case partially apart and look at the holes behind the front 120mm fan, it would appear that 40%-50% of the metal is still there, thus restricting the airflow, then the HDD bay is 1/4" - 3/8" away from the interior grill with very little open area. Basically in my opinion shutting down the flow almost completely. The plastic grill on the outside of the case is just as bad for open area and causes alot of noise because of it. Take that front grill off and see how much quieter it gets right away.
It's a nice looking case but other than that I see no positive points about it at all. Other than cutting a hole in the window and installing a fan the only other option that would work from what I've seen is an external water cooler for the cpu. That should eliminate enough heat from the case to allow the airflow that is available to handle the graphics and motherboard. Putting a radiator in the case or even attached to the back of the case would still suffer from airflow. Zalman, Thermaltake, Corsair, Koolance all make external coolers. I'm going to have to get one for hers when I upgrade the cpu to a 4200 soon.
Or you could get a different case ofcourse.