Need help or advice with extreme overheating

[jasvin]

Hi, new to the forum, hello everyone.

ok, i just bought a cpu which have a spec like this
Gigabyte S series GA-MA69GM-S2H
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+
2gb kington ram
(i think) coolermaster average casing.

The temperature when the com is idle or doing some surfing is about 40 to 50+
which is fine, but the problem starts when i open programs like games.. The temperature then will shoot up to about 100 degree and then shut down.. It originally have a fan as an exhuast at the back, the psu fan and the stock heat sink and stock heat sink fan.

I thought more fans would lower down the temperature of the cpu so i went to drill holes on the side window, i add a blowing in fan slightly below the cpu, a blowing in fan from in front and change the fan blowing out to a stronger fan(old one was 1000rpm, i changed 1500rpm) and thinking it will work, i open the game and guess wat.. the temperature didn't even have a noticable change in the speed where by it gain its temperature.. I didn't change the heatsink and heat sink fan(3200rpm).

Can anyone advice me on wat is the problem here?

Many many thanks in advance..

 

[raybay]

Case fans rarely help. There are many studies that show only 1 to 3 degrees difference in the temperature at the CPU.
Your problem likely relates to either too much or too little thermal paste, combined with a lousy stock CPU fan. I would immediately replace it with a Zalman or better CPU fan, being careful of the huge ones. Many will not fit in cases not designed for them. Replace the heat sink and the fan by getting a combo unit. Then remember that you need just barely enough thermal paste to ensure full contact between the heatsink and the CPU. More than the minimum can actually have the effect of an insulator.
Your Athlon 64 X2 4600+ runs very hot normally, so extra precautions are in order.
You might also want to purchase a thermal temperature gun to double-check the temperature reading devices on your computer. Of course the shutdown tells you the problem is severe.

 

[jasvin]

i noticed that zalman's cpu fan all have fan speed quite low, how has it helped to dissipate the heat? Can anyone recommend a heat sink suitable for both my processor and motherboard?

 

[raybay]

We find the Zalman to be superb. They use a specially engineered blade to move a lot of air quietly... But it is still best, methinks, to get the heatsink and cpu cooling fan as a kit or set.

 

[CMH]

Actually, it doesn't matter if the fan comes with the heatsink or not. Some people (ie: me) prefer heatsinks that don't come with their own fan, or at least come with a replaceable fan, so I can use my own fan to suit their own purposes (high cfm for overclocking freaks, or low cfm for silent freaks).

Also, I'd repeat raybay's suggestion, replace the heatsink. However, before you do that, you might want to check if your current heatsink is on properly. I know of coolermaster cases: they aren't the best around, but they are pretty well built. if you haven't taken out any fans, they should be adequate.

If you don't want to buy a new heatsink (or would want to try to save some money), try this: reinstall the current heatsink. REMEMBER to clean the bottom surface of the heatsink, as well as the top of your CPU, preferably with isopropyl alcohol (wipe with it, not pour it on). After that, apply a bb size blob of your favourite thermalpaste (our fav is Arctic Silver, but might be overkill if you don't need the absolute lowest temp). From there, follow the instructions on how to screw/clamp/etc your heatsink onto your CPU. Remember, it has to be on tight.


Some suggestions for a heatsink is as below. I prefer heatsinks of these designs, as it allows hot air to immediately blow out. The only heatsink in the list that doesn't conform to this design is the Thermaltake Big Typhoon, since it still performs well. Either way, you can't go wrong with any of these (if installed properly)
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_23_313&products_id=2634
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_23_313&products_id=2146
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_23_313&products_id=5031
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_23_313&products_id=4715

The last on the list might be a little pricey. There should be an alternative zalman cooler that will fit, thats the same design and all....

Its not an exhaustive list, other people might have their own suggestions.