Windows 7: Computer shuts down (90 CPU temp)

Hello all.

Well, as the title says, my computer is shutting down periodically. This just started today, and it has happened twice now. What noticed when I rebooted was that the CPU temperature was at 90C. Now I know that isn't safe, so I am assuming that the overheating is causing the PC to shut down. Is that a correct assessment?

So I opened my case up and layed it on the hard floor. CPU temp according to two different utilities (Core Temp and Speccy) is fluctuating between 24C and 25C. Everything seems very stable now.



I ran Avast, but nothing came up. I also made sure that all of the fans are operating, and they are. PSU fan, CPU, etc are all running.

Any help would be very appreciated. I am quite concerned as this is my only PC.

Hello Frosst,

90C is definitely reaching the upper end of the range of your CPUs operating tempeatures.

Different architectures have different upper limits, but most of them top off at around 100 - 105C and critically shutdown.

Were you performing any CPU intensive tasks prior to the shutdowns?

Your case could be poorly ventilated, as evidenced by your temperatures going down when operating it barebacked; is it dusty?

We could glean more clues if you fill up the rest of your system specs by following this tutorial:-

System Info - See Your System Specs

1. get the dirt out of the box
2. renew the thermal paste
3. check all fans

Okay, I followed the tutorial and filled in the specs. It didn't fill in what my PSU is, but it's a Corsair CX600. I don't know whether that's relevant or not.

The first shutdown occurred while I was asleep. The second one was after about 45 minutes of use. I had Steam, Firefox, AIM, Peggle (browser type videogame), and a couple other programs running.

My case sits in the bottom shelf of my desk. The side panel has little holes in it for airflow (though the fan for it broke when I bought the case), and the front and back have fans (one on each side).

I inspected it for dust, and it is very dusty. I will get a can of compressed air tomorrow.

I hope my system specs help glean something from what is going on.

In that case, do what whs mentioned in the post below mine. (cleaning out dust from case and system fans), replacing thermal paste and checking that the fans work properly)

Okay. I cleaned the dust out. The fans seem to be running fine, though Speedfan says that one of them is at 12RPM.

It was fine for a couple of days, but today it shut off once more. This time my CPU temp was 43C (all others were normal too. Though I'm not certain if 66C is normal for GPU?). It's been consistently within normal range the entire time according to two different utilities, so it must be something else that is causing the shut downs?

You said earlier that one of the fans broke and now you have one running at 12RPMs, that is effectively broke too. It does not move any air at 12 RPMs. Replace those fans. Also while the PC is running look to see if the CPU fan is turning. Try opening the side of the case and get a house fan to blow directly into the side. See if that makes a difference. If it does, you have your answer. Make sure all of your fans are running and free of dust.

Thank you for the advice.

I checked and I see that the CPU fan is turning. As for the others, I will replace the bad fan and add another to make up for the one that broke when I bought the case. Although I wonder how this is the issue if my temps are normal? Right now my CPU is 32C, for example.

Also set fan speed to 100% from bios. You can also use SpeedFan. Its a free app which shows system temp, fan speed and many other important info
SpeedFan - Access temperature sensor in your computer