I7 3820 Overheating - Details Provided

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Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
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10,510
Hi,

Earlier today my computer froze and I had to restart it using the power button. I figured it was the CPU's fault because I've experienced this before with other builds, and it's always been the CPU. So I got pretty worried. I restarted the computer and launched Core Temp and as suspected the temps were through the roof. I was at 71c for each core... IDLE!!! "Jesus Christ", I thought to myself.

So I re-mounted the heatsink, checked for any hardware flaws and loose connections.... everything seemed perfectly fine (I have done this before and always encountered some problem after the freeze). But no, there were no problems. Everything looked, sounded and felt as it always has when the temps were around 30c idle. I tried different connections for the fans and heatsink, replaced some stuff here and there a lot of times. The temps dropped a little, now I'm on about 45c completely idle. But whenever I fire up, for instance, Windows Movie Maker and save a movie, the CPU's total load is around 45% and the temp slowly but surely rises to temperatures as high as 91c. It most often stays around 80c but after about 20 minutes of video editing and saving, it's able to jump to, yes, 91c.

Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the hardware. All fans are running and the tubes to my cooler (Corosair Hydro H60) are intact and vibrate with heat as they always have. I've really tried everything in terms of placements of both the fan and heatsink. I believe I've re-attached them around 10 times since the problem first occured.

Following is some hardware information:

Corosair Hydro H60 - Cooler
Radeon HD6870 1GB - GPU
Radeon HD4870 1GB - GPU
Asus P9X79 - Motherboard
Intel Core i7-3820 - CPU
Corsair Force 3 180GB 2.5" SATA3 SSD - HDD
1TB Drive of unremembered manufacturer and model - HDD
1TB Drive of unremembered manufacturer and model - HDD
Corsair XMS3 Vengeance 4GB DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz - RAM
Corsair XMS3 Vengeance 4GB DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz - RAM
Corsair XMS3 Vengeance 4GB DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz - RAM
Corsair XMS3 Vengeance 4GB DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz - RAM

It is my belief that this problem occured out of nowhere. I looked at the idle temps about 2 weeks before this problem occured and they were around 30c then. I use this computer for really heavy CPU loads every single day and it has never frozen like this. Today it's frozen about 6 times during my testing after the crash.

I've done a lot of research and followed every bit of advice I've found throughout the internet except for re-applying thermal paste which I don't have at the moment. But it would seem very strange for thermal paste to be the cause considering how this just happened in an instant. Thermal paste doesn't go old over night does it? I'm not sure but it doesn't sound very logical.

I built the computer around 2 months ago and to my surprise I had no problems... though I did follow strict & detailed instructions and was extremely careful (it took me around 12 hours, it was my first build). Haven't had any problems whatsoever before today, been playing high-end games and done cpu demanding video editing every day. It's pretty much all I do.

I really need this computer to function, and especially right now for financial reasons which I've never had before (the timing is really as bad as it can get, really really).

I'm not sure about warranty, I would like to see if I can solve this myself before sending the hardware which I need functional away. I've done what I can and this thread is my final plea.

I remember a small thump from my neighbours in the upstairs apartment just a few seconds before the computer froze. It was a minor thump, though I've never heard any thumps from there before. Might have something to do with this, I simply do not know.

Sending the cooler back would mean wait time. I'm not sure if I can (literally) afford that. I don't want to start selling my belongings which are few and all electronics which I more or less require.

I will order thermal paste right after posting this thread, but the delivery will take a few days as I live isolated way north. And driving isn't an option as I don't have a car nor the money for a cab (if they even go here, I don't know) to the trainstation or even the tickets back and forth to the nearest town/city with an electronics store.

I cannot stress the extent of the awfulness of the timing of this problem to occur at this time enough.

Any help is greatly appreciated

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Need more data? Please let me know what I can do!

Thank you in advance!
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510
Still, for the thermal paste to become such a severe problem over night without having touched the computer hardware seems illogical.

I didn't re-apply thermal paste because I didn't have any, but the temperatures were the same (high) after all the heatsink re-placements and the paste looked just fine.

To me that pretty much eliminates thermal paste as the cause. Perhaps you see it differently?
 
jay_nar2012

jay_nar2012

Distinguished
Jun 15, 2012
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0
21,160
When you put on fresh paste and put the heatsink on and turn on the computer, the thermal paste will melt alittle and create a seal with no air bubbles in it, when you take off the heatsink and put it back on without reapplying thermal paste, air bubbles get in between the heatsink and CPU, as air is a bad thermal conductor, your temps will go up.

I would recommend getting some thermal paste, its dirt cheap, clean all the old stuff off with some cleaning alcohol, and put a pea size amount on the middle of the CPU and put the heatsink on and secure it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arctic-Silver-Paste-Articlean-Cleaner/dp/B003VRBPAI/ref=dp_cp_ob_computers_title_1
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510
Thanks, didn't know that.

But as I said in the original post, I have ordered thermal paste. And I still do not believe it's the cause considering the fact that the problem occured out of nowhere and before I had touched the heatsink. The thermal paste that I had applied was new when I bought it and applied only about 2 months ago.

Doesn't seem right at all.
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510


The heatsink? No, I bought the thermal paste on the side and applied at first attachment when I first built the computer. I used a "pea size" amount as recommended by everyone.
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510


Yes I followed the instructions provided very carefully. And that can't be the problem because it has worked fine for 2 months with good temps and the problem occured without having touched the hardware.
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510


Seems like things I've already gone through. Thanks though.
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510


Yeah I'm going to do that unless I can solve the problem without having to.
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510


Yeah I've suspected that too. From what I've understood the only sign of water flowing is vibration and the feeling of heat upon touching the tubes, and mine do that. If there was no water flow though, wouldn't the temperatures be waaay up there, even idle? I'm talking 80-90c idle. Because the tubes are what cools the CPU. Maybe there's a blockage though, I've tried repositioning the heatsink from different angles so the tubes align differently to no avail. Pretty much tested all possible positions, that goes with the fan + heatsink combinations too.
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510


I haven't dared removing it from the fan with the computer on. To be completely without cooling (which I presume the fan makes the radiator able to do) seems very risky. I guess it's worth a shot. Just have to finish my dinner, havent eaten in 9 hours because of this.
 
G

Guest

Guest


Those tempratures are really high, it idles at 28c to 32c in stock. At 4.7 Ghz vid 1.352 volt idles arround 41c to the cores
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510
Yeah... I used to have great temperatures with this cooling method. I guess what you're trying to say is get one on warranty or buy a new cooler?
 
G

Gfxilla

Honorable
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
10,510
The thermal paste will be here in a few days. But I guess it's the fan or CPU that's failing on me. Would make a lot more sense, too.

Do we have any more ideas?

Also, I remember more posts before I went for a jog and now they seem to be gone. Did mod delete them or have I gone mad?
 
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