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nerdlinger2k6

Join Date 02/2006

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Alarm in my computer, overheating, and possible solutions

Hi folks,
I know the topic of graphics cards overheating and such has been covered before, and was supposedly fixed with patching, the "throttle frame rate" function, and the like. But I continue to have problems and I'm interested to see if there's anything I can do, or if it's something I just kind of have to deal with. I'm not even sure this is a graphics card issue.

So, basically, every time I play GalCiv 2, I am able to play for a short while before an alarm starts going off inside my computer - this is coming from the case, not the speakers. I assume this is an overheating issue of some sort. But I'm using the "throttle frame rate" function and have turned down some of the graphics options, and I'm still having the same problem with pretty much the exact same frequency as before. I've opened up the case and don't feel a great deal of heat in there, and I have three fans running - one for the processor, one for the graphics card and one general case fan. I've tried playing with the case open in order to get more ventilation going, but the alarm still goes off with pretty much the same frequency as it always has.

If this is an overheating problem, then, I have no idea what to do. If it's not, and there's some other reason my PC is going all schizoid on me, I still have no idea what to do. It's a testament to this game's greatness that I'm willing to pretty much play it in 20-minute spurts before having to quit and restart it, but if any sort of solution existed, well, I'd love to hear it.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks!

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Is your card overclocked? Either manually or at the factory?

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Not that I'm aware of. I built this computer myself, so unless I overclocked it by accident, I don't think that's the case.

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OK. The reason I asked is because I had a very similar problem with Elder Scrolls: Oblivion...hard locks within 30-40 minutes even though the temperature logs showed my graphics card wasn't getting hot enough to trigger that effect. My card was factory overclocked. Adjusting it before playing the game back to stock stopped the crashes. One of those solutions tech experts tell me makes no sense, but it works, so what do they know?

If you have a card which can be underclocked by software, it might be worth a go. I use AtiTool, which works fine even though I have an nVidia card.

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First find out if it's coming from your video card or motherboard (most likely motherboard--I don't know of any GPUs with temp alarms on them).

Since it's most likely the motherboard, it's generally going to be your CPU that's overheating (or possibly the chipset, but not likely). You can get Motherboard Monitor (MBM), which *should* be able to report to you your CPU's temperature and fan speed in real time (you may need to manually configure it which can take some research). Check what it says the temperature is when the alarm starts to sound--average temperature for an alarm is usually around 60-70C. If your CPU is not getting that hot, the alarm temperature may just be set too low in BIOS, which is an easy change. If your CPU is indeed getting that hot, you should be looking into better cooling options (may only need to clean the HSF and check the thermal grease, or you may need a better one altogether).

Just as an example, my Athlon64 only runs around 45C at full constant load. Intel chips and older Athlons will run much hotter (I recall my AthlonXP running in excess of 60C, as does the P4 in my laptop). Anything around 70C and beyond, and you may be looking at potential damage to the chip or board.

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If it is the CPU.. I suggest taking off the heat-sink and cleaning it. I try to clean mine at least twice a year. (probably should clean it more)

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You have not told us your system specs yet. That might help.
The Pentium D's, especially the older ones using the larger die size, were prone to overheating. They generate some massive heat. Replacing the CPU heatsink/fan combo with a better unit might be needed.
I use the Zalman CNPS9500 in my system. It is the top rated fan on the market, runs about $90, and keeps my Pentium D running about 10-15 degrees C cooler than the Intel fan that came on it. It very seldom goes above 60C, even with GalCiv 2 running.

You also have a fan in your power supply, don't forget. So don't forget to blow out the power supply while you are using that compressed air.

And most cases have a space for a fan at the front of the case. If that fan is not installed you might want to add it. Have it set to pull air into the case, and all other fans blowing out of the case.

(This site has a very good price on that fan - http://www.xpcgear.com/zalmancpu.html)

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I think that kryo nailed it. I checked my BIOS and it looks like my CPU is running, on average, in the high 70 degrees, Celsius - and this is without actually running the game. My CPU alarm is set to go off at 85 degrees, so it doesn't surprise me that GalCiv II might push things up into that territory. It looks like maybe I'm looking at finding some new cooling options, as well as some routine maintenance (which, I'll admit, I've been lax in doing).

Thanks for the help, all.

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I added a 3" fan to the front of my case to help with my old system and this game

Then to make sure the heat actually left the case i cut a hole in the top of my case at the rear (just in front of the power unit), added some mesh and reversed a 4" fan on the inside. Now i have a nice clear thoroughfare of air inside the [c and this has lead to a 10 degree reduction in CPU temperature.

Make sure you keep it clean with your compressed air and don't forget to clean the fan blades too! A little bit of modding goes a long, long way

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Do be aware that just chopping holes in your case willy-nilly can actually decrease aitflow in parts of the case where it's needed most. So don't go crazy with the dremel unless you know what you're doing...

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This is very true, luckily for me i remembered that heat rises so bringing in cold air at the base of the tower and expelling the hot air at the top seemed a logical thing to do

However Kryo is totally correct in saying that cutting holes all over the place could increase the heat in certain areas if you ruin the intended air flow circulation round the case.

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