# Computer runs very hot



## Nollix (Aug 31, 2007)

I have standard fan cooling. Even without liquid cooling, is it normal to have an 8800GTS that idles at 61C and a processor that idles at around 70C?


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## Ron Overdrive (Aug 31, 2007)

Yes thats pretty normal.


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## Kommodore (Sep 1, 2007)

Not ideal, but nothing to fret about.


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## net-cat (Sep 1, 2007)

If you're concerned about it, pop the lid open and make sure it's properly dusted.


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## BlackWolfie (Sep 1, 2007)

i'd say 70C on the CPU is hot in my opinion....for AMD's 70C won't be far off the temps where it'll fry (at least with slightly older ones) for an Intel chip well their fail-safe temp is somewhere over 100C IIRC but i'd never take one above 80C if its still running by then.

as for GFX cards they are apparently very hardy to high temperatures, the old Radeon 9800's used to still be running with core temps of about 110C but anyway a 61C idle temp on a 8800 i wouldnt be toooo worried about but i'd still check to see if there was any obvious problems with its cooling.

EDIT: corrected spelling


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## Zero_Point (Sep 1, 2007)

My 7950GTs usually run at about 55C idle, my CPU (dual-core Athlon FX-62) at about 40C, adn that's with a relatively high ambient temp. in my room.


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## Nollix (Sep 1, 2007)

Thanks guys. I think the card is fine, but when I open a game and just sit in the menu, the CPU temps shoot up to 80 or higher  What the hell? Also, these extremely high temps cause my computer to shut off after 2-3 minutes of gaming.


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## yak (Sep 1, 2007)

70C for a CPU is extremely high, 40~50C on idle is normal.
I would advise you to get a better cooler, or at least to take the current one off, clean it up of all the thermal paste and re-apply it again, as it seems to have burned out.

60C for a video card on idle is pretty normal, seeing as my Radeon 1950PRO idles at 51C, and it is considered to have a very decent cooling.


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## BlackWolfie (Sep 1, 2007)

yak said:
			
		

> 60C for a video card on idle is pretty normal, seeing as my Radeon 1950PRO idles at 51C, and it is considered to have a very decent cooling.



51C @ idle ....what cooling have you got on it? an Arctic Silencer would keep that way cooler


as a side note...make sure you use decent thermal paste like Antec Silver or Arctic Silver Ceramique those are pretty much the best thermal compounds you can lay your paws/hands/appendages capeable of grasping such objects on


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## themocaw (Sep 1, 2007)

I usually find that my computer runs at decent temperatures most of the year, but in the summertime, I usually have to pop open the case and run a house fan into it in order to keep the temps down during the day.  The latter is really important: I've found that my temps are actually higher if I just take the case off, because even though it lets the heat dissipate, it also screws up the airflow within your case.  (yeah, yeah, yeah well, duh.)


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## Muse (Sep 2, 2007)

Just imagine it as Mariah Carey.  Studies show imagining anything as Mariah Carey reduces "hotness" by a significant degree, sometimes as much as 91%!*




[size=xx-small]*With a margin of error of +/- 3%.  Not to be taken seriously, or internally, void where prohibited or in the case of Mariah Fan(atic)s[/size]


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## yak (Sep 2, 2007)

BlackWolfie said:
			
		

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Well, i couldn't find HIS or at least Sapphire edition of this card, so i had to settle with Asus. And they don't have the best cooling out there. The good thing is, however, that it dosn't go over 60C no matter what, so i'm content.

Still, and that is especially related to Gforce cards, 51C on idle is still pretty much decent.


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## BlackWolfie (Sep 2, 2007)

yak said:
			
		

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The Asus ones use the ATi reference cooler if i'm remember right so what you get is pretty typical for a reference cooler design

51C would be not too bad for an 8800 but thats only cause the G84 or G86 (can't remember which one they use in the 8800's) has a pretty bad TDP


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## Dragoneer (Sep 2, 2007)

I had a modified version of an x850, and the cooler I used reduced the heat dramatically. The CPU is still a bigger issue. 

If the computer has a 120mm fan, I'd also recommend swapping it out for a high CFM Scythe S-Flex fan - lots of air, NO NOISE!


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## BlackWolfie (Sep 2, 2007)

it was probably one from Arctic cooling even if it didn't say it on the cooler (HIS have a deal with AC to put unbranded AC coolers on their IceQ versions of ATi cards and i think Sapphire may have done a similar thing around then but an AC cooler was really your only option for an X850 other than the reference one)

if you want decent 120mm's then i'd recomend the Vantec Stealth fans


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## Zero_Point (Sep 2, 2007)

BlackWolfie said:
			
		

> ure you use decent thermal paste like Antec Silver or Arctic Silver Ceramique those are pretty much the best thermal compounds you can lay your paws/hands/appendages capeable of grasping such objects on



Arctic Silver 5 is the way to go. Having tried both, I was severely disappointed with Ceramique.


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## BlackWolfie (Sep 2, 2007)

Zero_Point said:
			
		

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nice one, i knew there was one more but i couldn't for the life of me remember it other than just the abbreviation people use (AS 5) for it. but yeah the AS 5 is probably the best followed by Antec Silver in my opinion but you'll pay a premium for AS 5 over Antec silver


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## Janglur (Sep 2, 2007)

Anything beyond 60C is dangerous to the CPU/GPU and can cause damage, or at the very least, severely shorten life expectancy.

My CPU is 90F (32C) at maximum usage (Folding@Home) for >24 hours, and after ~2 hours of playing oblivion my videocard gets to 106F (41C) tops.


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## Zero_Point (Sep 2, 2007)

I've been told newer CPUs can handle 60C+, but anything 70C+ makes me worry, though thankfully I've not gone ANYWHERE near that. GPUs typically run hotter than that I'm told, it's not un-common for them to idle at 45C+ and reach 65c+ when loaded, even with moderate cooling.


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## BlackWolfie (Sep 3, 2007)

They'll probably handle 60C+ at full load but to be honest its not somewhere you really want to be. At 70C+ you into frying you chip territory but only really for CPU's as I've said before GPU's always have been alot more hardy when it comes to high temperatures and so the roof for a GPU I'd put at about 80C. 

But in reality of course you'd want to keep them way below those, for my rig the CPU idles at about 38C and full load (gaming for a few hours) puts it at about 45C...if the CPU hits 50C it'll usually just power down and reboot because the overclocks I've got have it running on the edge as it is and it just de-stablaises when it hits 50C and scrambles forcing the comp to reboot. As for my GPU with the overclocks it idles at around 33C and after the same gaming period will be at about 50C or just over and still running fine.


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## Nollix (Sep 3, 2007)

Holy shit, I opened Bioshock and minimized to check the core temps, and they were at 120C o_o Wtf?


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## HaTcH (Sep 3, 2007)

WHat may I ask are you checking your temps with? Because that is insanely hot.. Beyond boiling.

Yeah kiddies, beyond 212F ;;


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## Zero_Point (Sep 5, 2007)

Might've been a glitch. My friend's copy of Asus PC-Probe says it's in Celcius when he has it set to Fahrenheit. -v(o_0)v-


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## Nollix (Sep 5, 2007)

Apparently the guy who put my comp together didn't put in the heatsink all the way. I fixed it and now the temps are better, however when I play Bioshock it still jumps up to the mid 70's. Also, I'm using Coretemp to check the temps, if that means anything.


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## Zero_Point (Sep 5, 2007)

Normally when that happens though, the PC will restart itself over and over, or not boot at all. That's what happened to mine anyway, since pretty much EVERY new CPU comes with built-in thermal over-rides.


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## Ron Overdrive (Sep 5, 2007)

geez.. at those temps I surprised you didn't cook your CPU. Last time I had a fan go on my heat sink it cooked it to the point if it ever got to max load the system would lock up.


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