My custom build getting too hot

mazuk

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Aug 13, 2007
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i have upgraded my pc from a sempron 2800+ to a pentium 4 3.06ghz

from this change i added another fan for the power hungry p4, only thing is i use it for games or anything near demanding within 10 mins it starts getting hot as hell and my performance is notibly poor. there are 3 things im asking myself

-not enough ventilation (base unit is under my desk which is pretty cramped)
-too many fans not enough power therefore reaping havoc on my psu (1 gpu fan, 1 psu fan, 1 cpu fan, 1 case fan)

if you read this and think it is to do with ventilation please state on how i could improve circulation of air or ventilation in general

many thanks.
 
Is the case fan an exhaust? You want more exhaust than intake in order to suck cool air into the case. Are case vents clogged with dust or carpet fuzz?
What is getting hot? The CPU? PSU? If CPU, maybe you need to remove the HSF, clean it off, apply new paste, and re-attach it. Make sure it seats well and isn't blocked by nearby parts.
What PSU do you have?
What case do you have?
 

mike99

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Sep 9, 2006
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Install Speedfan, it will give CPU and case/motherboard temp and core temp. Usual fan setup is front fans into case, rear fans blow out of case. Make sure cables are not obstructing air flow. What video card? You can get software to monitor temp of GPU on card. If you start your system and go into BIOS, monitor CPU temp and leave it showing for 10-15min. If it keeps rising, your heatsink is NOT correctly attached. Standard INTEL cooler can be difficult to install. Often, when you push down on last lock pin, the one opposite pops out, keep pushing until all 4 are tight. If you have Nvidia card, Nvidia Monitor is very good, shows CPU and GPU temp on graph and log file, so you can see how hot it got during the game.

Mike
 

mike99

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Sep 9, 2006
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What make/model PSU! It makes a difference. If you want advice on suitable PSU, need full system spec. Either your PSU fan is faulty/not spinning correct speed, or you are overloading your PSU and causing it to run hot! It may well fail and damage other components, especially if it is a cheap no name jobby.

Mike.