AMD Athlon overheat

[dogus2000]

I have an AMD Athlon 2100+ (1.73ghz) running on a Biostar M7VIP (VIA KT333) board, with one 512MB ddr ram module. Not that it matters, but in case it helps, I'm running with a GeForce 4 Ti4200. Windows XP. blah blah.

ANYHOW, I'm trying to determine if the shutdown problems I'm having are overheat related. The computer is liable to just shut off -- not crash or freeze, but just literally restart -- when I've been playing 3d intense games for a while. I don't think it's software or otherwise hardware related ...like I said, there is no crash or error, and it never happens right away and never happens with any application but intense 3d games -- it usually always happens right on time, after about an hour of playing. I feel my case near where the processor is and obviously it is hot -- but it feels intensly hot, much hotter than any other computer I've had -- the bios reads the temp at 70 celcius, which I know is hot -- but I read that these processors should function all the way up to 90 -- but, doesthat 90 degree limit just define the amount of temp the processor can take before being damaged, or before losing performance?

I guess what I'm asking is can a CPU shutdown from overheat at 70 Celcius!?

How normal is such a tempture -- is anyone else running this hot, or am I messed up somehow? I am not overclocking anything. I have what I thought was a good heatsink/fan, and I'm using that Artic Silver thermal goo (whatever), and I'm pretty darn sure I put both of them on right. Is this processor known to run hot, and if so, is there some kind of super duper fancy heatsink I should be using?

This isn't desperate -- if anything, it keeps my gaming to respectable time limits, but it is quite upsetting, and I'm afraid I'll eventually damage my CPU. Can anyone help me out here, and if it isn't a CPU heat issue, any other ideas as to why this is spontaneous restart happens to me?

Also, I have a small fan at the front of my case -- now, should that case be blowing INTO the case (pushing outside air in), or should it be blowing AWAY from the case, thus sucking air out of the case?

 

[JimmyDean]

When it says the limit is 90c for the processor I think they mean thats the point at which the contacts begin to melt. 70c is really hot for your processor... It certainly cannot operate effeciently at that temperature. I would say thats the cause of your restarts


<b><font color=red>Remember kids, if you see a downed power line, suck on the end, candy comes out!</font color=red></b>

 

[Auburn9698]

It may be time to look into a new heatsink/fan. There was a review recently on Tom's, if you want numbers. Of course, check to see that it's on correctly first, and don't use too much AS3. Just a real thin layer. JimmyDean's right, you don't want it getting anywhere near 90. Mid 40's to mid-to-low 50's is more what you're shooting for.

Fans in the front should be sucking cool air into the case and sending it through, where the rear fans spit it out.

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<font color=blue>War</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Eagle</font color=orange><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Auburn9698 on 05/07/03 03:28 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Teq]

70c is VERY hot. I suggest you look into a better cooler and perhaps see what you can do about improving case airflow.

The chip's absolute maximum temperature is 90c ... but that doesn't mean you can run it there for more than a couple of seconds without frying it. Anything over 80c is risking a burnout, 70c is pretty much the maximum allowable for safe use... The obvious rule is "the cooler the better" but in practical use anything in the low 40s when idle, low 50s under load should be OK.





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[ubergeek122]

I was at a friends house fixing his computer in his basement. When I was finished, he had another upstairs that wouldn't boot up so when I looked at it, I saw that the heatsink had MELTED off. I said to myself, better not be an AMD, better not be an AMD, I looked, it was an Amd athlon processor and it was dripping down the mobo. 2 days later, WHILE IT WAS UNPLUGGED it caught on fire. It proved my theory that Amds overheat. My old laptop died the same way. If you have an intel compatible socket i suggest that you get an intel processor. You also could try an aluminum case for better heat absorbtion and a water cooling rig. Or, you could underclock it.