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Post by 90GTVert on Jul 10, 2010 15:36:09 GMT -5
There's a fan inside that big heatsink. I can't see it, but I feel air moving through there even with no other fans on. I can probably rig that other fan up to blow across it. It's just sitting in the case right now because the mobo wants it plugged in.
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Post by 90GTVert on Jul 10, 2010 16:04:36 GMT -5
My computer has been running all day and I just restarted to check the temp in the BIOS. It's 47 degrees Celsius. The bigger case and extra case fans must be helping. Last time I looked in the old case it was 57 C.
I tried moving the fan around and I can't seem to make it any cooler with that fan. If I put it blowing on or pulling from the heat sink I can watch the temp go up pretty quick. It seems to like free space more than addition airflow right now. Makes sense why it likes the big case much better. I think the only way I'd be dipping down to 40 or below would be a different cpu cooler or maybe with additional case fans. I kinda think the otehr case fan wouldn't be good for more than a degree or two. The temp doesn't even drop when I pull the side cover off.
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Post by Goosey on Jul 10, 2010 17:26:44 GMT -5
Sounds good  . Do you keep it on a hard surface or carpet? A hard surface gives a bit more room under the tower to pull air in, usually air gets pulled in from the front, and bottom front ( where all the cat hair collects ). My tower is open in the bottom at the front, when it gets hot out, I'll hang that out of the desk for more air flow in. Even kept a small fan blowing towards the computer. Air is your friend. Too bad about the files lost, but you got your computer going  |
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Post by 90GTVert on Jul 10, 2010 17:31:22 GMT -5
I keep it on a board so it's not on the carpet.
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Post by redorchestra on Jul 11, 2010 8:08:07 GMT -5
Do you have some of that thermal paste between the heatsink and the cpu?
That stuff is important!
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Post by 90GTVert on Jul 11, 2010 11:06:25 GMT -5
No clue. Never pulled it apart. It has wahtever HP put there when I got it.
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Post by redorchestra on Jul 11, 2010 17:28:09 GMT -5
That paste dramatically increases the ability of the heat sink to transfer heat away from the cpu. Pick up a tube for $2 or something . Squirt it between the cpu and heat sink.
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Post by Goosey on Jul 11, 2010 18:07:25 GMT -5
If you do ad thermal paste, use Liquid Silver, I believe i actualy saw it at Staples last time I was there. You don't really need to put any in, if you havn't pulled the CPU or cleaned it off...
Too much thermal paste is just as bad as none. You use a very small drop, spread it out very thin with the edge of a card just to coat the parts that touch together. Like a thick layer of paint. Too much will eventually melt and run, getting into the curcuitry/pins on the cpu. Don't just squirt it in there.
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Post by 90GTVert on Jul 11, 2010 19:27:30 GMT -5
Is it really that bad to be running at 47 degrees Celsius? I was actually happy when I saw that it runs 10 degrees cooler now than it has for about 5 years. That puts me over 20 degrees Celsius below the max safe operating temperature that is quoted for this particular processor.
Thanks again for the suggestions. I'm learning something. At least I now have the confidence to build my own PC in the future. The only part that really worried me was the mobo. A friend told me some time ago that they are so easy to crack and ruin. Not saying it couldn't happen, but this was pretty darn simple. I'd think anyone competent enough to set up a PC should have enough sense not to crank the screws down that hold it in place. Maybe the older stuff was different or something?
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Post by Reign on Jul 11, 2010 21:11:04 GMT -5
Is it really that bad to be running at 47 degrees Celsius? I was actually happy when I saw that it runs 10 degrees cooler now than it has for about 5 years. That puts me over 20 degrees Celsius below the max safe operating temperature that is quoted for this particular processor. Thanks again for the suggestions. I'm learning something. At least I now have the confidence to build my own PC in the future. The only part that really worried me was the mobo. A friend told me some time ago that they are so easy to crack and ruin. Not saying it couldn't happen, but this was pretty darn simple. I'd think anyone competent enough to set up a PC should have enough sense not to crank the screws down that hold it in place. Maybe the older stuff was different or something? I wouldn't worry about the thermal paste. The temps you're getting now seem more than decent. Alot better than that 57C you were seeing before. I wouldnt be too worried about cracking a motherboard either. I have a giant box full of dead motherboards that I keep around for spare parts (capacitors, connectors, etc) and one time I took a board and TRIED to break a motherboard in half by slamming it on the edge of the board. I don't know what they make those circuitboards out of, but they're tough! |
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Post by Goosey on Jul 11, 2010 21:17:05 GMT -5
What Reign said and, If you can do what you do with an engine, you can def build yourself a computer. Parts is parts. You just have to start with the motherboard and proccesor you can afford, then ad to it from there. I have never "cracked a motherboard" LOL. Handle it and any electronic boards like you would a CD and you'll be fine. Hold by the edges, never force a part, and yea, you don't need to crank the screws in. Also that electrical discharge thing. Just touch the case, or other metal in case you have any little zaps in you. I would not buy a board on ebay, bought enough dead electronics there. Tigerdirect has some nice bundles, Newegg's been around a long time. The mainboard/motherboard is the important starting point, read buyers reviews, there are lemons out there. I start reading reviews at the end of the list first. That way you get the comments from the people who've used a part for awhile. I've built many for family and friends, but not in 4 years or so, so can't help you on the good stuff, my knowledge is obsolete as far as the parts go.  Need to rebuild one this winter though. Gotta have my tinkering fix over the long winter months. |
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Post by 90GTVert on Jul 12, 2010 0:30:21 GMT -5
I want to build a setup for SLI so bad. Not sure why or what I'd do with it though? I think it's just the hot rodder in me. lol I've seen what different graphics cards can do over the years, and my newest is pretty good alone. I can only imagine 2 of them. Unless something blows up, that's a long way away though... if it ever happens. Good parts aren't cheap.
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Post by Goosey on Jul 12, 2010 9:07:36 GMT -5
Good parts arn't cheap, but you can upgrade one part at a time. I know my son ran with one graphic card, till he could ad the second, etc... My first computer had 156k of memory, LOL, and booted from a floppy disk. It was really cool when I upgraded to a computer with a 1 Gig hard drive, WOW. Now you can build more than you ever need just for fun. When my son was old enough for his own computer I bought him the parts and tought him how to build it, he hasn't stopped yet : ) I learned it by messing around and wreckin stuff, and reading everything I could find at the library.
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Post by 90GTVert on Jul 12, 2010 10:45:22 GMT -5
My first computer was an IMB PS/1 with a 25MHz 386 processor and 2MB of RAM. We upgraded to a whopping 400MB hard drive after a drive failure (forget what the first was) and we couldn't imagine what you'd do with all that space! lol It ran Windows 3.1. I used to play Doom and Doom 2 on it with the resolution set so the screen was about 2" wide and grainy so it didn't lag. Wolfenstein 3D and Gorillas (I think that's what it was called, 2 monkeys standing on buildings and you entered speed and trajectory info to launch bananas at each other) were my other favs. lol I started messing with programming in DOS for a little while and programming on some old Apple computers at school. Now I can barely remember what DOS commands I need to do anything.
I remember getting my first Sound Blaster combo. It was a CD ROM drive, card, and 2 speakers about 8" tall. I though that was hot stuff. lol Now I have a surround sound system with a 12" powered sub that sounds so good I moved my old surround sound receiver and speakers to the garage. Used to have a 15" CRT monitor. Now I have the PC hooked to a 19" LCD and a 60" DLP. It's cool to me to have seen how computers evolved at know life without them at one point. In kindergarten we played number munchers and typing games on old Apples and that was amazing. Now kindergarteners are on gaming rigs and on the internet.
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Post by 90GTVert on Jul 12, 2010 14:21:54 GMT -5
Will it ever end with this thing? I never turn on my speakers unless I'm doing soemthing that requires sound. I went to get on YouTube last night and the sound was not working. I messed around for a while checking levels and settings. Nothing. I updated the driver from Creative's site. Nothing. I turned the computer off, took the sound card out, and stuck it back in. It worked. Now today I realize it's not working again. I tried the levels again. Tried removing the device in device manager and reinstalling. Tried unplugging and replugging that worked yesterday. Nothing. I did notice that for some reason it told me my copy of Windows wasn't genuine until I manually activated it when I did the install on this new disk. At the same time, it wouldn't recognize my sound card. Once it was activated it recognized my card, but I never checked to see if it had sound till when I mentioned yesterday. Now I'm wondering if something is screwy with the windows install this time around. I've done way too many installs lately and never had this issue or the activation issue except this last time. Just when I am happy with my PC again... it gives me a big middle finger and laughs. lol :doh:
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Need to rebuild one this winter though. Gotta have my tinkering fix over the long winter months.