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Occasionally when I restart my computer I get a prompt to go into my BIOS because Hardware Monitor has found an error- I go there and lo and behold the temperature readout for my CPU is reading red- just now it was at 72 degrees celsius ...

Is this a serious problem, or can I get away with it?

That is a problem. Answer me this and I can help:

1) Is the fan on top of the heatsink for the CPU still spinning?
2) What kind of CPU are you running?

According to http://www.cpuscorecard.com/cpuprices/aaxp.htm my CPU, an AMD Athlon XP 2100+, has a max operating temperature of 90 degrees Celsius- the fan is still spinning, as far as I know- isn't that what the RPM rating on the hardware monitor is for? (reluctant to open up the computer right now)

72C is not good. Check your CPU fan.

Just opened it up. CPU fan whirring along just fine. (accidentally touched it ... whoops ...)

Vympel wrote:According to http://www.cpuscorecard.com/cpuprices/aaxp.htm my CPU, an AMD Athlon XP 2100+, has a max operating temperature of 90 degrees Celsius- the fan is still spinning, as far as I know- isn't that what the RPM rating on the hardware monitor is for? (reluctant to open up the computer right now)

72C is bad, the 90C figure is the maximum before serious hardware damage. You don't need to shut the machine down, just pull the side of the case off. If it IS still spinning, then the problem you have is that the heatsink isn't getting contact with the CPU. Make sure the mounting is proper and the you have enough thermal greese sitting between the heatsink slug and the CPU die.

Also, the RPM monitors might be displaying your case fans that are plugged into the motherboard. Check anyways. Athlon XP's do not have thermal protection and your CPU could become seriously damaged if you continue to run at these temps.

Vympel wrote:Just opened it up. CPU fan whirring along just fine. (accidentally touched it ... whoops ...)

Pull the heatsink off, apply more thermal greese (if you have some extra) and remount it. Make sure the tabs on the side aren't broken or loose.

72C is bad, the 90C figure is the maximum before serious hardware damage. You don't need to shut the machine down, just pull the side of the case off. If it IS still spinning, then the problem you have is that the heatsink isn't getting contact with the CPU. Make sure the mounting is proper and the you have enough thermal greese sitting between the heatsink slug and the CPU die.

Also, the RPM monitors might be displaying your case fans that are plugged into the motherboard. Check anyways. Athlon XP's do not have thermal protection and your CPU could become seriously damaged if you continue to run at these temps.

Urk ... shit. How do I check the mounting is proper, and how much thermal grease is enough?

Vympel wrote: Urk ... shit. How do I check the mounting is proper, and how much thermal grease is enough?

Why don't you IM me and I'll talk you through it? I need to ask you some questions about how the thing is mounted. Under no circumstance try taking the heatsink off during operation btw!

I think it'll just be safer to call my friend up and have him come service it, or take it to him- he's the one who I bought it off, built it after all. And I don't have any extra thermal grease etc, so ....

I better shut down now

Vympel wrote:I think it'll just be safer to call my friend up and have him come service it, or take it to him- he's the one who I bought it off, built it after all. And I don't have any extra thermal grease etc, so ....

I better shut down now

Good idea. Athlon XP dies are easy to crush (I've done it before) during a heatsink remounting, so it is best to leave up to a professional.

Solution: heat sink clogged with dust and dead insects.

Vympel wrote:Solution: heat sink clogged with dust and dead insects.

That's nasty, and no wonder you couldn't get any cooling.

Vympel wrote:Solution: heat sink clogged with dust and dead insects.

Cleaned out the bugs then?

*ducks*

Dalton wrote:

Vympel wrote:Solution: heat sink clogged with dust and dead insects.

Cleaned out the bugs then?
*ducks*

Yeah, I guess he managed to debug his computer.

phongn wrote:

Vympel wrote:Solution: heat sink clogged with dust and dead insects.

That's nasty, and no wonder you couldn't get any cooling.

Thats just TAME compared to what I've had to service. Try cleaning off tar from where some old woman chain-smoked around her computer..... What made matters worse is that the heatsink had no fan on it! (p133) All it had was an 80mm fan pulling air out of the case. Thats it.

Vertigo1 wrote:Thats just TAME compared to what I've had to service. Try cleaning off tar from where some old woman chain-smoked around her computer..... What made matters worse is that the heatsink had no fan on it! (p133) All it had was an 80mm fan pulling air out of the case. Thats it.

Actually, the P55-era computers didn't really need a fan. A heatsink and a case fan were usually sufficient.

As for smoker's computer, ugh. I've heard plenty of horror stores on ArsTechnica about them. (Once someone tried cleaning out an old case in the tub ... the nicotine leached out into the water, and the poor guy didn't wear gloves)

Nasty. I figure cleaning out my heat sink will have to be a regular thing every 6 months or so, maybe less, though it *did* take 1.5 years for that much dust to build up. I just don't understand why an insect would possibly want to fly into a computer and get slaughtered in the heat sink. Blech.

Vympel wrote:Nasty. I figure cleaning out my heat sink will have to be a regular thing every 6 months or so, maybe less, though it *did* take 1.5 years for that much dust to build up. I just don't understand why an insect would possibly want to fly into a computer and get slaughtered in the heat sink. Blech.

Some cases have room for a filter at the intake, you may want to consider that.