CPU Overheating help
CPU Overheating help
My CPU has been getting hot recently after the latest Windows 10 and NVIDIA updates. I started experiencing issues this weekend while gaming on one monitor and streaming on another, which I’ve handled before without problems. I’m seeking advice to resolve this.
It seems the issue isn’t tied to Windows. When I power on, the BIOS temperature reads start at 60°C and rise quickly to 80°C. I purchased the CPUID Hardware Monitor PRO and found that with just a browser, task manager, and hwmonitor running, my idle temperature is around 80°C, increasing to about 100°C when opening new tabs. My H60 pump is connected to the main CPU fan header as per the ASUS manual, showing roughly 4300 RPM—this suggests it’s functioning properly. The radiator fan spins at approximately 2000 RPM. The pump housing and tubing feel hot to the touch, but there are no unusual noises from the unit. During reboots, I occasionally see CPU Temperature errors, and yesterday my computer slowed down significantly before shutting down automatically when I opened Task Manager.
Previous troubleshooting steps that didn’t resolve the problem:
- The pump assembly bolts became loose, so I removed it, cleaned it, re-applied Arctic5, and retightened—still no improvement.
- I cleaned the radiator grill exterior to clear dust.
I’m uncertain whether the problem lies in software/drivers, the cooling pump, power supply, or possibly a failing CPU. I’m new to HWMonitor and would appreciate a thorough guide to understand my system better and interpret its readings accurately.
Here are my system details:
- BIOS: not overclocking; no firmware updates since purchase
- Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition
- CPU: i7-3820
- Cooling solution: Corsair H60 liquid
- Graphics card: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 960
- Power supply: Corsair TX 750W
I’ve attached screenshots of hwmonitor for reference:
http://imgur.com/r066fR7
http://imgur.com/9SAmEIq
Thank you very much, and please let me know if you need more details.
I bought a Cooler Master 212 EVO and added a Noctua NF-F12, both linked to the CPU header.
Idle temperatures are now 30°C and during gameplay and streaming, 56°C at 900RPM and whisper quiet.
It seems the issue might be with the pump, possibly due to coolant blockage, though I can't confirm without seeing the parts.
These retail water coolers are a waste of money; an air cooler or custom setup would be better.
Thanks for your assistance—feel free to close the thread.
The pump running at 4k is typical. The fan operating at 2k is at its maximum capacity. I'm wondering about the most recent time you removed the fan from the radiator and cleared all the debris from the fins.
Pump at 4k is normal. Fan at 2k is maxed out. I'm wondering when the last time you took the fan off the radiator and cleared all the dust from the fins? I haven't removed the radiator from the fans yet, but I did use compressed air yesterday to blow away the visible dust, which didn't help much since it's only been about three months ago. I also cleaned the retinted parts and reapplied my Arctic 5 last night, but my temperatures stayed unchanged. It seems like there might be another issue. I plan to take it out for cleaning tomorrow to check if that will fix the problem.
The fan is positioned to the case and the radiator is placed atop it, which is attached to the fan in a pull setup. Or the space between the fan and the case can trap dust, forming a dense ring in the fins. If the fan is pulled between the radiator and the case, this tends to be less of a problem since dust enters more broadly, covering a larger area. Removing the radiator to clear it is somewhat more difficult. The most convenient approach I usually take is using a brush dusting head connected to a vacuum hose to gently brush the radiator, which is much more effective than blowing dust everywhere around the case.
Karadjgne :
You have the fan mounted to the case and radiator on top mounted to the fan in a pull configuration? Or rad between fan and case? If the rad is between the fan and case, often it's susceptible to the 'dust donut' where dust is crammed thick into the fins in a donut. If the fan is mounted pull in between the rad and case, this isn't as much an issue as dust is drawn in in a wider area, covering more of the rad fins. But removal of the rad to blow it out is a little more cumbersome. Usually the easiest method I use is the brush dusting head on a vacuum cleaner hose and give the rad a good tickle. Much cleaner than blowing dust all around the case.
Make sure those screws are tight. Pumps work much more effectively if tight to the cpu, tighter than air cleaners are usually. Many times this means using 4 Teflon/nylon washers under the back brace so that the screw nuts don't reach the stops on the bolts before the pump is tight. Corsair is bad for this.
Fan is mounted between case and radiator, and is pulling air in towards the radiator and the case internal.
I performed a more thorough clean half an hour ago and it didn't help the temperatures.
I reach these temperatures quickly in BIOS so I think that rules out my OS being an issue.
So right now these are the possible culprits but I'll need help identifying what it is:
- even though pump is running at ~4000rpms maybe the sensor is malfunctioning or the coolant is not properly flowing through the radiator
- bad CPU; a possibility since I did notice the pump assembly on the looser side when I first checked and it may have been damaged at high temperatures over the course of a few months
- power issues between my PSU and CPU; how do i check this?
- something wrong with my motherboard; updating my BIOS next
Can't think of anything else atm
You could try getting a corsair, it seems your pump might not be working properly. Do you have any other cooler available for testing?
I bought a Cooler Master 212 EVO and added a Noctua NF-F12, both linked to the CPU header.
Idle temperatures are now 30°C and during gameplay and streaming, 56°C at 900RPM and whisper quiet.
It seems the issue might be with the pump, possibly due to coolant blockage, though I can't confirm without seeing the parts.
These retail water coolers are a waste of money; an air cooler or custom setup would be better.
Thanks for your assistance—feel free to close the thread.