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"Why is my CPU overheating?"

Athlon XP 2600+ (2.08GHz) running with standard heatsink & fans on NF7-S board.

Recently, this thing has started overheating (to the point the alarm kicks in) if I leave it on for more than a couple of hours. I think the alarm is set at 70 celcius, so that's one hell of a lot hotter than this setup should ever reach.

Currently, I've just taken the precautions of having my window wide open next to the comp with the side of the case removed. This is helping a bit.

Currently, the board temp is 36 and the CPU temp is a steady 53. Safe enough to run, but still far hotter than it should be. I don't know why?

Both fans appear to be working fine, and I've never had any problems till the start of this week. Prior to that, the board would run at room temp (say 23-25 celcius) and the CPU at around 30 or so.

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

They probably took between £50-£100.

I should start up my own business. Anyone know how to fix computers? I can supervise and take the money.

GasMask wrote:
> I'd rather fix it myself than give it to PC World. Bunch of penis'

Agreed.
You don't even want to know how much it cost.
Trust me.

WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> I find that placing a scoop of vanilla ice cream over the fan works.
> Use a hairdryer to melt it, and as it runs off, it takes the dirt and
> other crap with it, due to its lovely thick consistency.

Are you serious???

I'd rather fix it myself than give it to PC World. Bunch of penis'

<<>> wrote:
> umm...

The point of that was...?
*****

And it's funny (well, not really) - our other computer, the one my parents use, had been overheating like hell all of a sudden for some reason. They took it to PC World and got it sorted out, and they collected it yesterday. It was crap though, they never told us what they thought was wrong or anything.
Ach well.

umm...

Most likely the dust and stuff. It can slow down the fan, and dust on the heatsink reduces its ability to let heat out.

Also, unlikely, but make sure you haven't accidentally upped the voltage in the BIOS. More volts = more heat.

Get a big soft kiddies paint brush and have a go at the heatsink and fan with that. Works on my system to get rid of the dust.

I find that placing a scoop of vanilla ice cream over the fan works. Use a hairdryer to melt it, and as it runs off, it takes the dirt and other crap with it, due to its lovely thick consistency.

Failing that, an air can and some cotton buds will probably do the trick.

Probable cause located... CPU fan is almost entirely clogged up with dust and crap.

So.... am I right to assume this is causing the problem, and what's the best way of cleaning it out? Air can or something?