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Hello,

About two years ago, I built a machine using an ASUS P5GPL motherboard with
an Intel Pentium 4 540 Prescott CPU. It always ran warm but lately is
getting very hot.

During normal computing it is at about 55 Celsius (which I think is pretty
warm) and if I do some heavy computing it quickly jumps up to 80C.

When I first installed the CPU I applied the Artic Silver stuff and that
made a difference, but since then it has been slowly getting warmer. I am
using Intel's heat sink/fan that came with it. I also recently added a fan
to the entire machine but that didn't help.

Should I replace the heat sink (any recommendations) ? If I do, can I just
pull it off even though the Artic Silver thermal conductor has already been
applied? Should I try just reapplying the Artic Silver? I do have the
cleaning stuff before I reapply it.

I was also thinking of getting a new cpu. Are there any guides out there
that you can select your motherboard and it shows the CPUs that fit. I've
seen similair drop-downs on Corsair and Kingston for memory selectors.

Thanks for the help.

-Gumbatman

On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:52:53 -0400, Gumbatman Has Frothed:

> Hello,
>
> About two years ago, I built a machine using an ASUS P5GPL motherboard
> with an Intel Pentium 4 540 Prescott CPU. It always ran warm but lately is
> getting very hot.
>
> During normal computing it is at about 55 Celsius (which I think is pretty
> warm) and if I do some heavy computing it quickly jumps up to 80C.
>
> When I first installed the CPU I applied the Artic Silver stuff and that
> made a difference, but since then it has been slowly getting warmer. I am
> using Intel's heat sink/fan that came with it. I also recently added a fan
> to the entire machine but that didn't help.

Make sure the fan is spinning and the heat sink fins are clear of dust.

--
Pierre Salinger Memorial Hook, Line & Sinker, June 2004

COOSN-266-06-25794

Gumbatman schrieb:
> About two years ago, I built a machine using an ASUS P5GPL motherboard with
> an Intel Pentium 4 540 Prescott CPU. It always ran warm but lately is
> getting very hot.

> Should I replace the heat sink (any recommendations) ? If I do, can I just
> pull it off even though the Artic Silver thermal conductor has already been
> applied? Should I try just reapplying the Artic Silver? I do have the
> cleaning stuff before I reapply it.

The heat sink can't get worse, after all, it's just a piece of metal. If
it has a fan, that can; if it's noisy, replace it.
Oh wait, sometimes it plugs up with dust; blowing that out of the ribs
or fins might help.

The heat conducting paste (Arctic Silver) gets stiff with age (and
warmth) and may not conduct as much heat as it used to, especially if
the heat sink moves from its installed place ever so slightly, due to
vibrations. I'd try cleaning that off and reapplying it first (but then
I have some of that stuff lying around anyway, so that course of action
costs me next to nothing).

> I was also thinking of getting a new cpu. Are there any guides out there
> that you can select your motherboard and it shows the CPUs that fit. I've
> seen similair drop-downs on Corsair and Kingston for memory selectors.

Many online PC sellers have a "configurator" that lets you do this (i.e.
select a mainbord, and when you select the CPU, only models that fit
will be available). I am using a German supplier (www.alternate.de), but
maybe someone else can make a good suggestion.

Cheers
mendel
--
Isn't it amazing how you don't know how to do something and then you do?
-- Bubbly blonde, Overheard in New York, February 04, 2005