Core i5 2500K running hot, causing BSOD 124?

Okay, lets try re-seating the heat-sink fan. First, follow these guidelines before any work;
1. It is a good idea to buy an anti-static wristband, and follow the instructions for use.(They are sold at most electronics stores.) If you are going to do quite a lot of bench work, you might do well to invest in an anti-static mat.
2. If you don't have a wristband, you are not necessarily out of luck. Assuming that your PC is grounded, you can ground yourself by just keeping one hand in contact with the bare metal frame (not a painted or coated surface) of the computer case. Keep the PC power cord plugged in to a (3-prong) grounded outlet and turn off the rocker switch on the back of the power supply. If the power supply does not have a switch on the back, this won't work, however. Never work on a PC with the power on. In that case, you should buy an anti-static band or try another method of grounding.
3. As an alternative, alter a standard 3-conductor power cord by snipping off the two flat blades, leaving only the grounding portion of the plug. Or simply purchase a cord like this from an electronics supply house. This accomplishes the same thing as turning off the rocker switch.
4. You can employ an LCD Static Discharger. As a simple measure, you can hang it on your key ring and just dangle it. This is less reliable, but when it touches a ground, it should discharge the static electricity. Procedure：①Lightly touch the oval button with a finger. ②Make sure that the end of the conductive material touches a grounded conductor. (such as vehicle, human body, computer, metal or other) to release static electricity, and observe the LCD display.
5. Some people claim that damage can be reduced by wearing little or no clothing, it is said that the less cloth that is in contact with your body, the less static is produced, though these claims remain unproven.

The average person can carry up to 25,000 volts of static energy at any given time. This sounds like a lot, but because the current level is low, you usually won't notice it. Follow safe ESD procedures any time you open a computer.

If the equipment is cold, wait until it has reached room temperature. ESD builds up much faster when it's cold and dry (low humidity).

If you don't take steps to prevent ESD, you may regret it. Your computer can sustain serious damage without you knowing it. CPUs and memory chips of any kind are highly vulnerable to ESD. If you fry your PC with static electricity, you may soon start to notice random memory errors, blue screens, and lock-ups. Normally, you can't see (or even feel) ESD, but it is almost always there, so be sure to do the right thing. Your PC will thank you!

Try not to open up computers while on thick carpets, petting long-haired pets, dressing, emptying the dryer, etc. Use common sense; don't do anything that would cause you to get a shock from touching something made of metal.

Okay, now, the locking pins on the factory h.s.f. can be tricky. If they are not locked in all the way the heat-sink may not be making proper contact, thus allowing thermal overload. Test each pin and ensure that they are indeed locked in correctly, if your case has a cpu base access in the MoBo tray, you can also see if they are protruding through the back and locked properly. If you find that they are not locked correctly, ensure that they become locked. If you find that the h.s.f. is mounted securely, or if it is not and you lock it down properly and the heat is still an issue, then you will need to remove the h.s.f. and clean the base of it off and the top of the cpu off and reapply the thermal paste. Use Isopropyl Alcohol and a coffee filter to clean the surfaces. Once they are dry, you can the apply a small amount of thermal paste(most recommend Artic Silver 5), about the size of a pea, onto the top center of the cpu. Then, reinstall the h.s.f. assy, keep a small amount of pressure on it until you are sure that all of the pins are locked in properly. If you feel any lift when you are installing the h.s.f., then you will need to re-clean and start over. When you lift, it is possible for an air pocket to form in the paste and this will cause thermal issues. If you need further advice on installing your h.s.f. then here are a couple of links.

Arctic Silver, Inc. - Instructions
Maximum PC | How-To: Properly Apply Thermal Paste and Install a CPU
Thermal Paste and How To Use It

playXray said:

Ok guys well the hot CPU *seems* to have been resolved. It turns out that the "optimised" mode was enabled in the BIOS. I disabled this, and now temps are running at an average of about 70C, peaking at 76C briefly, and I've been recoding files for about an hour. Certainly nowhere near the 90C I was getting this morning after 20 minutes.

I've got a few more files to go through tonight so I'll leave it on again and if it's not crashed by the morning I guess it's safe to say the problem has been resolved.

Thanks for all the help guys.

NOPE! STILL NOT GOOD! 75 degrees is about the max you ever want to hit. My 2500k, well, look at my specs...

playXray said:

Well I'll leave it on overnight to see what it gets up to. If I still get problems then I'll come back, otherwise I think it'll be ok. The cores are still averaging 71/72/69/67 and the "package" is 70C. I have no idea what a "package" is. These temps are all from HWMonitor again.

Sure thing. Here is the specs for you. Please note, under the package specifications, the TCase temp, is your max temp.

Good luck.

James