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Motherboard temp irrational


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#1
anuvab1911

anuvab1911

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My motherboard has got a max temp of 89 degrees centigrade even after a cold boot.The make is Zebronics Socket 478.What should I do? Is replacing the motherboard the only option left.I didn't ever notice that it's that high.But recently my PC started giving booting problems and BSODs.So when I checked it was 89 degrees.Does running the PC at such high temperatures harm my PC? I mean what temp will be damaging to the components? Is this high temp the cause of my booting problems

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#2
Digerati

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I would try another HW monitor to see what it says because those temps are confusing. I am not sure CPUID HW Monitor is correctly identifying the sensors - a common problem with all monitors. For one, it is not likely your hardware has been sitting at 1° above freezing, right? So your 85 - 90° may be wrong too. TPMIN0 "appears" to be the motherboard sensor. That could be the chipset and it is high and could be part of your problem - if a true reading. Since that is a 486 socket, I might suggest trying Speedfan or Motherboard Monitor (see below).

Note if you boot into the BIOS Setup Menu, most have a "PC Health" screen where you can see the temps. Hopefully your menu does too. Do understand that running the BIOS Setup Menu is about the least demanding task we can ask of our computers, so temps should be low.

Is the case interior clean of heat trapping dust? This is critical and all PCs should be inspected monthly and cleaned as needed.

Another concern is your +12VDC reading. A minimum of 6.78V is bad - and I suspect totally wrong. The ATX Form Factor standard allows no more than 5% deviance from +12.0V so that would be +11.4V to +12.6V. But is it the HW Monitor, or the PSU? Don't know. So if the +12V is not stable and within tolerances, that IS a problem, and could be your problem here.

So you need to confirm your PSU is good. If it is not providing clean, solid power, your sensitive devices will be affected - typically by freezing, shutting down, or causing sudden reboots.

Below are two of my canned texts. The first is about HW monitors and the second is about testing PSUs.

*****

I would keep an eye on your temperatures, particularly, the CPU temps. Your motherboard utilities disk should have a monitoring program (or check for a more recent version on your motherboard or PC maker's website). If none, I recommend CoreTemp for newer Intel and AMD64 CPUs, or http://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>RealTemp for Intels. SpeedFan is a great and popular alternative, or you can try Motherboard Monitor. Unfortunately, I have found that these programs often have problems properly identifying and labeling the sensor they are reading. The temperatures shown are as accurate as the inexpensive, low-tech sensors will allow, but it may say System Fan instead of CPU Fan. Fortunately, the programs do allow you to edit the labels, so I use Everest to verify the temperatures (as it is able to match sensor with label correctly), then edit the label in the monitoring program. In Everest, look under Computer > Sensor, then wait a couple seconds for the readings to appear. Unfortunately, Everest does not minimize to the system tray to show real-time temperatures, otherwise, you could use Everest instead of the others. Check but do not rely on the temps shown in the BIOS Setup Menu. While they are likely correct, running the BIOS Setup Menu is probably the least demanding task you can ask of your computer so it does not show the temps when the system is being taxed. But if the BIOS Setup Menu temps are high, you have problem that needs to be corrected. HWMonitor, from the makers of CPUID is also very informative, but does not minimize to the system tray.


*****

To properly and conclusively test a power supply unit (PSU), it must be tested under various realistic "loads" then analyzed for excessive ripple and other anomalies. This is done by a qualified technician using an oscilloscope or power analyzer - sophisticated (and expensive) electronic test equipment requiring special training to operate, and a basic knowledge of electronics theory to understand the results. Therefore, conclusively testing a power supply is done in properly equipped electronic repair facilities.

Fortunately, there are other options that are almost as good. I keep a FrozenCPU Ultimate PSU Tester in my tool bag when I am "in the field" and don't have a good spare power supply to swap in. While not a certain test, they are better than nothing. The advantage of this model is that it has an LCD readout of the voltage. With an actual voltage readout, you have a better chance of detecting a "failing" PSU, or one barely within specified ATX Form Factor Standard tolerances. Lesser models use LEDs to indicate the voltage is just within some "range". These are less informative, considerably cheaper, but still useful for detecting PSUs that have already "failed". Newegg has several testers to choose from. All these testers contain a "dummy load" to fool the PSU into thinking it is connected to a motherboard, and therefore allows the PSU to power on, if able, without being attached to a motherboard - great for testing fans, but again, it is not a true load or suitable for conclusive testing.

Note the required voltage tolerance ranges:

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NOTE: Disregard the -5VDC reading. It is no longer used.


Swapping in a known good supply is a tried and true method of troubleshooting used for years, even by pros. If you have access to a suitably sized, spare power supply, carefully remove the suspect supply and replace it with the known good one, and see if the problem goes away.

I do not recommend using a multimeter to test power supplies. To do it properly, that is, under a realistic load, the voltages on all the pins must be measured while the PSU is attached to the motherboard and the computer powered on. This requires poking (with some considerable force) two hard and sharp, highly conductive meter probes into the main power connector, deep in the heart of the computer. One tiny slip can destroy the motherboard, and everything plugged into it. It is not worth the risk considering most multimeters, like plug-in testers, do not measure, or reveal any unwanted and potentially disruptive AC components to the DC voltages.

Note the ATX Form Factor standard does not "require" specific color coding for power supply connector wiring. It has recommendations but manufacturers often do not follow them. Sadly, many testing guides or tutorials will refer to wire color only and that can lead to improper testing.

The voltages can be checked in the BIOS Setup Menus of most motherboards but they do not reveal ripple or other anomalies either. And of course, booting into the BIOS Setup Menu requires a working PSU.

As always, before working in the interior of the computer case, take necessary ESD precautions to ensure static buildup in your body does not discharge through and destroy any sensitive devices. Unplug from the wall and touch bare metal of the case before reaching in. And remember, anything that plugs into the wall can kill. Do not open the power supply's case unless you are a qualified electronics technician. There are NO user-serviceable parts inside a power supply. If you do not have a tester or a suitable spare to swap in, take the PSU to a qualified technician for testing.


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#3
anuvab1911

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Then will replacing my SMPS/PSU solve the problem?

I have checked all fans and all are working fine.

It's time to take my Cabinet to the hospital

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#4
Digerati

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I don't know if it will fix your problem, but as it appears right now, that PSU is having problems. Note Speedfan is reporting the +12V is 10.5V. That is too low. But, the problem is, we don't know if the PSU is having problems, or is something connected to it is dragging it down. I would hate for you to buy a new PSU and find it does not fix the problem.

Also, that 89°C is HOT! But, because Speedfan did not say what Temp1 is, we cannot be sure what it is.

If me, I am back to my original advice. Check the temps BIOS Setup Menu, make sure interior is clean of heat trapping dust, and confirm you have good power.
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#5
anuvab1911

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The worst part of my problem is that we have highly fluctuating voltage supply here.So I guess that might have damaged the PSU.I do suspect that the RAM is also problematic as I ran Memtest86 and it halted due to some errors.Could that be due to the fluctuating voltage supply?

And yes,I heard that high temperatures could damage my MoBo and the processor.Taking that seriously,I have decided to run my PC only at night.

Another thing,I don't have any Temp. option in the BIOS menu.I had that in my previous ASUS P5PE-VM Motherboard.
So I can't check the temp when performing a boot.I checked the fan over the processor for dust but it's not enough dusty to cause water almost boil.

The attachment shows the status of the test at 4%. The process halted at 11% showing some wired results(Unfortunately I couldn't take a snap)

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#6
Digerati

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The worst part of my problem is that we have highly fluctuating voltage supply here.

All computers should be on a "good" UPS with AVR. The AVR is the key part because it compensates for those abnormal high and low voltage events. Note surge and spike protectors are totally useless against abnormal low voltage events. These include dips - opposite of spikes, and sags - opposite of surges, extended surges or extended sags (brownouts). A good UPS with AVR can deal with all of that. PSUs, if it meets ATX Form Factor standards as it should, can compensate for "expected" anomalies and are required to "hold output" for 19ms to compensate for most "anomalies" or "events". But any longer than 19ms (19/1000th of 1 second) will result in system stability, reboot, freeze, and shutdown problems.

Power during a full blackout is only the icing on the cake with a "good" UPS with AVR. It's really all about the voltage regulation.

At this point, you need to take care of your PSU issue. Either get a new one, have yours properly tested, or swap yours with a trusted neighbor or relative so you can test. Just make sure the power capacity is enough to support your computer.

Once you have a known good PSU, then test your RAM again. Hopefully, with good power, you will get NO errors. Oh, you might try MemTest86+. It is the newer version of MemTest86.

Running your computer only at night/early morning when it is cool will help, if heat is your problem. Certainly, if the ambient (room) temperatures during the day are hot (say above 80°F/27°C), that would put a strain on the system cooling. It would be critical to keep the interior clean of heat trapping dust, and that you have good air flow through the case, or a big desk fan blasting in to the open side. But regardless, blasting hot air into a computer does not help cool the computer.
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