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Is my computer running to hot?
unclet:
Ok, I cleaned out the heatsink with some Compressed Gas .... the guy at Office Max said it was for computers. It blows "very" cold air out and I cleaned out the heatsink with it.
I then moved all the cables out of the way.
I made the back fan blow air OUT and the side fan blow air IN.
It turns out there are some grill holes in the front of the case (you can see them from the inside directly in front of the harddrives), I just can not figure out how to remove the front of the case.
My computer is now running at a constant temperature of 48Celcius. Seems like the termperature might get cooler if I can figure out how to add a front fan.
RayB
I have no idea whether the heatsink is on correctly, but I would assume it is since I got this computer assembled from a guy at work who makes computers for people as a side job. He even hada company name. Who knows though.
Here are a couple of pictures of the cleaned up wiring job as well as the cleaner heatsink.
Hoopz:
--- Quote from: unclet on January 08, 2007, 08:55:04 pm ---Ok, I cleaned out the heatsink with some Compressed Gas .... the guy at Office Max said it was for computers. It blows "very" cold air out and I cleaned out the heatsink with it.
I then moved all the cables out of the way.
I made the back fan blow air OUT and the side fan blow air IN.
It turns out there are some grill holes in the front of the case (you can see them from the inside directly in front of the harddrives), I just can not figure out how to remove the front of the case.
My computer is now running at a constant temperature of 48Celcius. Seems like the termperature might get cooler if I can figure out how to add a front fan.
RayB
I have no idea whether the heatsink is on correctly, but I would assume it is since I got this computer assembled from a guy at work who makes computers for people as a side job. He even hada company name. Who knows though.
Here are a couple of pictures of the cleaned up wiring job as well as the cleaner heatsink.
--- End quote ---
:cheers: Sound like you are making progress.
To take the front off, try grabbing the bottom of the panel and pulling out/up. It may take some force but should work that way.
Kremmit:
--- Quote from: NoOne=NBA= on January 08, 2007, 08:32:15 pm ---
--- Quote from: leapinlew on January 07, 2007, 12:26:06 pm ---Anyone ever see the computer actually get warmer when opening the case?
--- End quote ---
Some of the early Pentiums had "routed" air that was pulled from outside the case, through a trough, and onto the CPU heatsink.
If you removed the side of the case, and the trough with it, the temp would go up on some designs.
I think the "runs hotter with the case open" warnings may be a throwback to that.
--- End quote ---
Not just old computers; I was just working on my Sister-In-Law's P4 Dell Optiplex today, and it used that arrangement. One single system fan, pushing air in through a duct, over a fanless heatsink, and then exhausted through the PSU. Worked great, and it was one of the quietest computers I've had since the pre-Pentium days.
UncleT- :cheers: 48 degrees! Tha's a 14 degree drop! :cheers:
Also sounds like the heatsink is mounted more or less fine, it was just the dust clog killing you.
You may find that the front is held on with some little plastic protrusions that poke throught the metal front of the case; if that's the method being used, you may have to pry them back a little bit and push them through, one at a time. Or it might what Hoopz said. Or some other, third thing- there's a lot of different arrangements out there. Spend a lot of time looking around on the bottom and on the inside of the front of the case, especially near the outter edges, look for any plastic that pokes through the metal- that's likely at least part of what's holding the front on.
Hockeyboy:
I had a very similar problem just a few months ago and I ended up doing just about everything mentioned here on this thread...
...to repeat what others said, you have got to keep those fans cleaned out. Any can of compressed air should work fine - just DO NOT shake the can before you get started. And, the reason it gets cold or is 'blowing very cold air' is because it's basically pressurized nitrogen (or similar gas) that gets cold when it is released from the can. Keep the can as UPRIGHT as possible and use your other hand to direct the little straw nozzle around to blow away all the lint. If you 'see' the spray hitting the cards and case you're tilting the can too much. Do this outside or someplace you don't care where lint will fly because it will blow around. You should be doing this about every 2 months, more or less (you'll notice if you're seeing more or less build-up).
If you carefully observe the heatsink clamps and carefully remove them, you will not break them. One of mine broke and it turned out it was defective when installed so I got a new one and installed it easily. They should only be a few dollars at a local computer parts store (not Best Buy, try Circuit City or your local shop). Installing a good brand of thermal grease is a great idea and helped me drop my temps by 10-15 degrees Celsius. I have a P4 3.0GHz HT Prescott and it runs a little higher than average - according to specs it normally hangs out anywhere between 40-55 degrees Celsius.
If you can afford it, get rid of as many ribbon cables as you can and replace them with the new rounded IDE cables (SATA drive cables are already small and flat) and like the other guys said, tie-wrap those cables and wires out of the airflow path. I use little tiny zip-ties and keep my cable/wire management neat and tidy.
I did go out and buy a bigger power supply and have not heard an alarm since I replaced it. I was hanging around 65-70 degrees Celsius and now I rarely if ever get over 55, even when running games.
unclet:
Although I am running at a constant 49Celsius, when I compile a VB project I am working on I notice the temperature goes up to 55Celsius. When this occurs, the top of my computer case still gets hot (not as hot as it use to though, but still hot).
Anyway, is true that a more efficient power supply will reduce the heat in the computer as well?
Also, does each power supply plug into the motherboard with a standardized molex plug? I mean, do I have to worry about which type of power supply I purchase in case it can not be plugged into my specific motherboard?
I guess I would need to make sure the power supply I get is an ATX power supply ... correct?
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