cpu overheating?

[ljtmax]

Can anyone help me? I have a machspeed n2pap lite motherboard and an athlon xp 2400 cpu, with two (2) 512mb pc 3200 ddr400 cards and my machine keeps shutting down during extended game play. i've had to go in to bios and roll back the dram clock speed so it thinks it's an 1800 and sett ddr speed at 200 just to keep it running lately... i'm not sure if it's just settings that i have wrong in cmos and bios or is the cpu fan not cooling enough and therefore the machine just shuts down? i've ordered a new cpu fan but i'm afraid my processor or motherboard is failing... it gives me the hig tone - low tone beep when it shuts off... i restart right away just to see what the temprature shows up as and it's typically 145-151 degrees... any suggestions? thoughts?

Thanks,

ljtmax  

[neb1211]

The good news is that I don't think your cpu or motherboard is dying.  The bad news is that your cpu is definatly overheating.  The tone that you are hearing is the overheat alarm and the computer shuts down to prevent the processor for burning up.  If I were you, I would use the computer at all until I got the problem fixed.  If you must use the computer, shut it down whenever you aren't going to be using it for awhile and if it does shut down on its own, let it sit for around 10 minutes before turning it back on to allow it to cool down.

How many case fans do you have and how are they configured (in terms of intake and exhust)?

If you are still running the stock cooler you will definatly want to get a new heat sink.  What heatsink did you order?

What kind of thermal compound are you using?  I would suggest you pick up some Artic Silver 5 as it is some of the best thermal compound around.  You only need to apply a paper thin layer of compound on the top of the heat spreader on the cpu itself.  The Artic Silver will take a few days to set or cure fully and after it is cured, you should notice your temperatures drop a few degrees.

200mhz is the correct speed for PC3200.  The speed displayed in the bios is before the speed is doubled (hence Double Data Rate).

[TheDisturbedOne]

Yea, and make sure your case has decent airflow. Don't want all the hot air just sitting in the case.    

[Merlin]

just do what i did, take some dryer ducting, to the blowhole to the side of my case... then run the other end to the air conditioner. works mighty well.
   

[neb1211]

The only problem with using dryer duct is that you might have to worry about condensation, but as long as you take the proper precautions that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

[tomalakborg]

What about that dryer duct thing - I might give it a go. I think I have a fine heatsink, my cpu peaks at 135 and idles at 105, but it's a little hot. No problems though. I'll betcha it has something t odo with the blazing hot temps in my basement. What type of precautions are needed to do this mod?

Yeah man, you're def overheating - take a look at your cooling situation. It may be as simple as some case fans are in wrong and the case is just cooking. Tell us what you have and have found.