[Question] Keeping Your Rig Cool

[jwhouk]

The warm temps have done a number on my slightly-older XP computer. (Yeah, yeah, I know. I don't game on it and all I do is use it to net-surf.) I originally had said CPU down in the basement of my old condo for many a year, and I wonder if that may have affected it.

Regardless, I've discovered that if it hits the 80-degree Fahrenheit/60% relative humidity mark, my graphics card will start acting funny - in other words, give me the "pixellated screen of lose".

As a semi-redneck thing, I've come to using an old freezer brick, wrapped in a dish towel, on top of the CPU to keep it cool. I also have a small desk fan blowing on the back of the machine (the main fan is in the front) to try to keep temps cool.

Any other suggestions as to how to keep this thing from overheating? (Other than the "go out and buy a new #### computer, cheapskate" suggestion.)

 

[Bubble181]

I'd think it'd be more effective to havethe fan blow along/over the freezer brick, so that it blows in cold air, rather than room-temperature air.

I assume you've already cleaned the fan and the inside of your computer completely (dust will heat up the place by clogging air holes and such), and that you do'nt want to run out to buy a new motherboard and processor fan?

Anyway, if you're really only using it for surfing, you probably don't need to use all of its power. There's quite a few programs out there to tweak the energy usage and heat generation of CPU/GPU; setting them to never use more than X% of their power will obviously keep them cooler.

 

[jwhouk]

Would one of those happen to be Speed Fan?

 

[Bubble181]

SpeedFan allows you to monitor temperatures and adjust fan speeds based on temperatures; could be useful (if you're not already using it). It doesn't allow you to throttle your GPU/CPU to work slower, as far as I know.
I'm sure the people who are more up to date will know better than me which are good or bad... But I mean like a laptop, being able to go into "power saving mode" when you're not connected to the power grid. Less power usage -> less computing power but lower temperatures.

 

[PatrThom]

First priority: Clean out any dust and wash filters.
Second: Make sure all your fans (even the ones on your PSU/GPU, etc) are working properly.
Third: Make sure cables/wires inside the case are not impeding airflow.
After these steps, evaluate to see if this has resolved your issues. If not...
-Consider underclocking/undervolting your CPU/GPU. Not only will it save energy, it will generate a lot less heat.
-Make sure your fans are optimally placed. For instance, rear fans usually are exhaust. If you have an exterior fan blowing icy air towards the back of the computer, you may be preventing the exhaust from working. Quick test: If your computer runs significantly cooler with the side panel removed, that's a sign you need to adjust your fan strategy.
-Isolate the hot spots. Use an infrared thermometer (or a system monitor program) to find the hottest components and show you where more cooling is needed.
-Consider changing a component or two. A different CPU or GPU can make a noticeable difference, moving all your components into a different case can mean a world of difference.

--Patrick

 

[GasBandit]

If your graphics card is the culprit, you can do what I did and get, fairly cheaply, a special fan that fits in a PCI slot and blows air directly on the card next to it. I removed the plastic shroud from my geforce 8800 GTX, and have the fan blowing directly on it. It helped a lot with overheating.

 

[jwhouk]

Did some cleaning out of the inside of the machine - Dust bunnies EVERYWHERE. Sometimes you don't realize how much dust can collect on/in things over a relatively short period of time.

Anyways - I have the fan on the back-side of the machine, pointed down towards the back - mostly to keep air cool as it sits under my desk. The main fan is a shroud that draws heat away from the heatsink, so putting the fan in front was definitely not a good idea.

CPU is still reading hot at 61C, and the core has been bouncing between 41-46C. However, I was smart and turned the AC back on after I realized it was getting close to 70% humidity here.

Aside: this morning, I came home from work and it was in the 60's (Fahrenheit); this afternoon, it's back in the 80's and humid as all get out.

 

[Bubble181]

I came home from work and it was in the 60's (Fahrenheit); this afternoon, it's back in the 80's and humid as all get out.

So your problem is, in fact, that you're just too hot and sweaty for your pc?

 

[jwhouk]

Like I said - for about the first five years of this thing's life, it spent down in a cool, dry basement. After that, it spent it in a room where there was central air.

And now, it's up here in the Great North Woods of Wisconsin - where average high temperatures in July are supposed to be around 78 degrees F.

 

[jwhouk]

All-righty, my computer has managed to stay cool as of late, as the weather has finally decided to turn into typical Northern Wisconsin late summer (as I type this, it is 46 degrees F outside and relatively cool and dry compared to when I started this thread).

Another issue, however, has emerged - the computer doesn't want to restart. No, not that it doesn't want to start up at all - I wouldn't be typing this if that would be the case. It's just when I shutdown and opt for "restart" instead of "shut down", it doesn't complete the restart. Here's the play-by-play:

• Start > Turn Off Computer
• Click "Restart".
• Windows goes through the shutdown procedure.
• HD clicks off, power light stays on.
• And... nothing.

NORMALLY, after the HD clicks off:

• The fan stops, then re-starts.
• The power light clicks off then on.
• The HD spins back up, then
• The BIOS screen for Gateway comes up.

I have a feeling that the mobo might be having issues, but I can't diagnose anything through normal channels.

I d/l'ed and ran Performance Test 6.1, and aside from the graphics card test (I can't run it because I have a higher version of DirectX than the test allows), I can't tell anything different about the machine (besides, of course, that it's slower than whale molasses).

Any ideas?

 

[PatrThom]

Try unplugging all USB devices and other peripherals (except for mouse/kbd) and seeing if it still happens.

--Patrick

 

[jwhouk]

And that did it.... to kill the thing.

Now it won't start up or anything. I'm typing this on my wife's 'puter and I am VERY frustrated. *sigh*

Think I'm gonna have to bring it in to the local computer shop.

 

[jwhouk]

That thing is the most schizoid computer in the world. Apparently it has decided to start working again, despite my earlier prognosis of DOA.

It has, since I did the unplugging of the USB devices, not only restarted every time, but it has also become rather snappy with its old monitor.

The HDD is still intact and operable; it's something with the mobo/power/something that's causing it to get flaky.

 

[PatrThom]

Could be the +5V standby lead is not working right, or one of the other leads. If you have access to a PSU tester, I'd check that angle. One of my computers got really stubborn with random shutdowns and difficulty starting, found out later that the 5V lead was only putting out about 4.65V.

--Patrick

 

[jwhouk]

I wouldn't have the foggiest idea where that is on my machine.

 

[GasBandit]

I wouldn't have the foggiest idea where that is on my machine.

They layperson translation is, before you go replacing motherboards, try another power supply.

 

[jwhouk]

The answer to the question is most likely going to be a new rig. I've been living in the land of XP too long now, and the major barrier to me switching has just been handed to me at a radical discount. (One of the perks of being in the employ of the state is the Microsoft HUP, which means I get one copy of Office 10 for use on a home computer. Guess which computer is gonna get that copy.)

 

[jwhouk]

The old computer is now basically paperweight, but I have made a discovery that is going to make any attempt at salvage a bit difficult: the hard drive is in a location at the bottom of the CPU that makes it very difficult to remove it from the drive bay without basically removing the whole freakin' motherboard first.

 

[PatrThom]

Might check to see if it comes out through the front instead. Many commercial cases have a secret door that allows you to remove the HDD without having to disassemble the rest.

--Patrick

 

[Bowielee]

I'm definitely the person who would usually recommend fixing individual parts before upgrading the whole, but really from the sounds of it, it might be a good idea to spend a couple hundred on a new tower (or even less if you build it yourself with legacy parts).

 

[jwhouk]

The old Gateway was brought in to the local shop. Two words: Graphics Card.

I'm now waiting for the old HD to be put in an enclosure so that I can use it as an external drive.