Racing fan(s)

[gogreen]

Just noticed this problem. Sometimes the CPU fan races when I'm running certain programs--mainly playback with a music notation program and VST samples. I opened the computer case and cleaned the chassis fan and processor fan. They didn't seem to have a lot of dust on them, but perhaps a little there means a lot. The computer is about 2.5 years old. Attached is Speccy's temperature reading and my CPU resource monitor when the music program is running. Any idea what's happening? Thanks.

 

[pbcopter]

Your CPU temperature is hot, especially when you are at idle.
Is the CPU heatsink/cooler still firmly attached?

 

[gogreen]

What should the CPU heatsink/cooler temperature be?

Yes, it's firmly attached. Dell uses what they call "fastner" caps--odd things, but after loosening them and changing my mind about removing the fan to clean it, I re-fastened it. Perhaps I should remove it and vacuum it?

 

[pbcopter]

What is a good CPU temperature at idle depends on a number of things but somewhere around 105 F (40 C). Yours is 172 F (77 C).

With that temperature, I am not surprised that the fan is running fast.

Did you loosened the cooler from the CPU or just the fan?

I would also check the CPU temperature in the BIOS. It is usually the most accurate.

 

[gogreen]

105 F? Yeah, I'm nowhere near that. I removed the fan and cooler to inspect it. It's a bear to get back on, but I think I put it back firmly. Is there supposed to be layer of grease between the CPU top and the bottom of the fan? I noticed a thin layer of hard, caked, almost powdery stuff there. Could this be affecting the sensing and regulation of the temperature?

When I restarted, the computer now runs for a minute or so and then crashes--totally, as if someone cut the power.

Just restarted after a rest and got into Speccy. It now reports the CPU temperature as 211 F!

Could this new going dead, high temperature, and the racing fan suggest that my hard drive is failing (has failed)?

 

[Layback Bear]

First off you are running hot. Please post all temp in (C) not (F).
Any time you remove a cpu cooler you need to remove all the old thermo past and install new thermo paste. Take a read through this.
http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appmeth/int/vl/intel_app_method_vertical_line_v1.1.pdf
Don't use your computer until your properly clean and install the proper thermo compound (paste) in the proper fashion and install the cooler properly.

 

[cmmtch]

105 F? Yeah, I'm nowhere near that. I removed the fan and cooler to inspect it. It's a bear to get back on, but I think I put it back firmly. Is there supposed to be layer of grease between the CPU top and the bottom of the fan? I noticed a thin layer of hard, caked, almost powdery stuff there. Could this be affecting the sensing and regulation of the temperature?

When I restarted, the computer now runs for a minute or so and then crashes--totally, as if someone cut the power.

Just restarted after a rest and got into Speccy. It now reports the CPU temperature as 211 F!

Could this new going dead, high temperature, and the racing fan suggest that my hard drive is failing (has failed)?

There is supposed to be a layer of "grease" as you called it. It's heat sink compound and it conducts heat from the cpu to the heatsink, without it you're burning up your cpu. Do not use the computer until you've put some between the cpu and the heatsink.

 

[gogreen]

Thanks for the heat sink compound warning! I will get some heat sink compound tomorrow and apply it, and then try again. I've been finding some pretty good instructions in Internet searches on heat sink compound and how to apply it.

 

[Layback Bear]

Use the link I gave you in post #6. In my opinion it will take care of your needs.

 

[cmmtch]

Thanks for the heat sink compound warning! I will get some heat sink compound tomorrow and apply it, and then try again. I've been finding some pretty good instructions in Internet searches on heat sink compound and how to apply it.

Use the link I gave you in post #6. In my opinion it will take care of your needs.

Layback Bear's link is what you need to do and that should fix your high cpu temp problems. For comparison right now my cpu temp is 31c and MB temp is 30c while I'm browsing the forum, that is essentially idle. I've never seen it go as high as 50c, high 40's when I'm watching a video full screen. You have a higher end processor than I do, mine is an AMD Athlon II 640x4 Propus 3G.

Follow the instructions at the Layback Bears link and you'll be fine, the fact your pc shut down maybe saved your cpu, lets hope so.

 

[braddersz]

Just whilst were on the subject of CPU temps:

Everything looks ok here right?.

 

[gogreen]

I removed the old thermal paste--it was dry and a bit caked on both the CPU and the heat sink. I cleaned both, and reapplied heat sink compound. So I think I'm back to where I started before I opened the box and dusted and cleaned. The problem is that the fan(s) races unexpectedly. My CPU starts at about 68 C, and often rises from there to wholly unacceptable levels when the fan races again. Before anything else happens, I shut down. I've posted my recent startup temps. They seem high to me.

Since I replaced the heat sink compound and restarted, I've gotten two blue screen messages. The first was a bad pooler caller message, and the second was an IRQL not less or equal message. Both of these occured after a few minutes of seemingly normal operation. The fan speed started to increase, the messages appeared, and the fan started really racing. Then I shut everything down.

I ran CCleaner's registry cleaner AND Glary Utilities registry cleaner. Both found a few things, which I purged. I checked Windows Update--all is up to date, including MSE and Malwarebytes Anti-malware. An MSE quick scan showed everything OK. I also downloaded and ran Kaspersky's TDSSKiller.exe. All was OK there, too.

I just tried to run a full MSE scan, but after a minute or so, Speccy reported the temperature rising into the upper 80s C, the fan started racing, and I shut down. I seem to get a few minutes of seemingly normal operation before the temp rises fast and fan starts racing.

So something still is amiss. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Layback Bear]

First off did you clean and install your thermo compound as per the instruction link I posted before? It's very important that it is done correctly and the cup cooler is installed correctly. If you do it wrong you could be making a toaster out of your cpu and motherboard. Next I noticed your cpu and video card temps are high at the same time. This can be caused by poor circulation of cool air through the tower (case). Remove the side panel of the case and point a window fan or the like blowing inside your case when in use and see if the temps go down and by how much.

 

[gogreen]

Thanks, Layback Bear.

Everything seems to be working OK except the temps seem a bit warm. I removed the case side panel and within 15 seconds, the CPU temp settled about 5 degrees lower--to around 66-67 C or so. The graphics card is still at about 71 C. I haven't tried a fan yet, but I might.

I haven't gotten any more blue screen messages.

I ran the Dell diagnostics, and all seems to be OK except I'm getting MPcache "auxiliary processor has failed" reports, including failing Dirty Cache Reads Test, Alternating CPU Write Test, Random Access Thrash test, and APIC MP Test. Apparently these are all L1, L2, and L3 multiprocessor failures. Error codes include 5800:301C and 5800:021C.

What do you think these results mean?

I also ran the complete RAM test, and it was OK.

Thanks.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Totally off topic but what music notation program you were using?

 

[gogreen]

Finale with Garritan Concert & Marching Band 2 sounds and Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 sounds.

 

[Layback Bear]

So far it indicated poor air flow through the case. Find a fan and use it. Get back with results.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Finale with Garritan Concert & Marching Band 2 sounds and Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 sounds.

I last used Allegro. I got Finale 2010 but never installed it. I've been away from the music scene for a while.

 

[Layback Bear]

On subject. Did you use the external fan or not? If you did what was the effect on cooling?

 

[gogreen]

No fan, so far. I left the case open and it's been running a bit cooler. Started this morning in the upper 50s C. I did some pretty intensive work. It slowly went up to about 81-82 C, but when I finished, it went back to the upper 60s C. I had the computer on for several hours.

This afternoon, I did the same, but when I went back to the computer just now (I shouldn't have left it alone!), the fan was going pretty strong again and a blue screen reported that something went wrong and the computer shut down to protect itself. Very unpredictable behavior.

Do you think the CPU is failing? I can't understand why it seemed OK for a while, and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, the fan races and, I guess, something overheats. When I shut it down, I accidentally restarted it, and the fan was back down to normal--seemed like a normal startup was taking place, but I didn't let it reboot--I unplugged it for now.