[TODDNH1971]

Hello gang,

Got a perplexing problem here. I have a PC that appears to be freezing due to a heat problem, but I can't find it.

CPU temp 49C Main Board Temp 38C

has video chip fan and 3 case fans in exhaust position case has side air intake vents.

AMD Athlon XP 3200+ Retail
Asus A7V880 MB
Asys N7000 video card
Geil 512MB DDR400 w/ heat spreader

Machine runs fine with the side off. Leaving the side off is not an option though.

This machine doesnt shut down like it would when a CPU overheats. It just stops dead in its tracks. Lock up is not a software specific or time specific. This machine did run for 1 week however with a very high heat problem.

My question is this. Any idea where and why it is freezing? I am thinking that thje video card is damaged by heat. The graphics fan I put on yesterday to try and fix the problem. Is it possible that it was already damaged and would the video card cause this problem?

Thank You,
Todd

[Advertisements]

When the machine 'ran for 1 week with very high heat problem', what did you do to rectify that problem & what temp was it reaching then?

Also, the current cpu temp of 49C (I assume thats with the side of the case ON)- is that the highest it now goes to or just the average?

And have you always had this problem or was the system running perfectly for a long while before this?

[Samm]

When the machine 'ran for 1 week with very high heat problem', what did you do to rectify that problem & what temp was it reaching then?

Also, the current cpu temp of 49C (I assume thats with the side of the case ON)- is that the highest it now goes to or just the average?

And have you always had this problem or was the system running perfectly for a long while before this?

[TODDNH1971]

the 49C is with the case on. The highest I have seen it is 52C

The original heat problem came from the location the machine was setting. Its an office machine and was under a huge wooden desk with no ventilation and a secretary who liked to run a heater to keep her feet warm. Ambient temperature where it was setting was 115. I moved the machine out and ontop of a desk where it is coolk and getting better air flow.

The machine is only 2 weeks old.

[Samm]

Did you buy the system prebuilt?

[TODDNH1971]

No I built it. I have been doing this for 10 yrs and I am truly stumped on this one.

To add more trouble to the story, I have replaced the video card and power supply with known good pieces and same thing.

[Samm]

The current cpu temps aren't that high, why do you think the problem is caused by overheating?

[TODDNH1971]

I never thought it was the CPU I was thinking video card becuase the card originally had an undersized heat sink. another thing that led me to think heat was that when it first started locking up, if I pulled it out and took the side off so it could breath it was fine.

Now that I have eliminated that problem though, I am at a total loss.

[Samm]

The only other component that could be overheating in that case, would be the hard drive. As you know, the new drives on the market nowadays run much faster than they use to in terms of rpm & data transfer speeds etc, & therefore generate more heat. Especially if the drive is positioned where it doesn't receive much air flow - a lot of drives are located close to other 3.5 inch or 5.25in devices, with cabling everywhere. Also most case/system fans are at the rear of the case away from the drives.
You could try a hard drive cooler & see if that makes a difference.

[TODDNH1971]

I found the problem. It was the mother board. I changed it out and it ran fine. Did a burn in test at 100% CPU for 36 hrs without a hiccup. That is with the case buttoned up.

All I can figure is that a circuit was heating up and breaking connection.

Thanks for all the help!

[Samm]

You're welcome. Remember to keep the new mobo away from secretarys with cold feet!