Abit Ate My Pc

CreepieCreepie Join Date: 2003-02-19 Member: 13734Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">Question to hardware gurus</div> Recently, my motherboard was heating the CPU up to 70C. This caused the BIOS to trip and turn the PC off. So, on advice from the local PC chap, I replaced it with the same model. I also installed a case fan, a VGA Silencer and reseated the heatsink and fan on the CPU.

Now the CPU idles at 50C and peaks at 60C. Relevant specs are:

Athlon 2500+
Stock AMD heatsink/fan.
Abit NF7 (vanilla - not NF7-S or NF7-M. The old one was an NF7-S)
ATI 9800 Pro
Generic 300W PSU
1 hard disk, 1 CD-RW.

Nothing is overclocked.

I'm thinking that 60C is still too hot; a non-overclocked system should not be running this hot. So, before I go out and spend more money, I need some advice here. Is this 60C really too hot for an Athlon 2500+ ? If so, do I need a better CPU heatsink/fan ? Do I need to upgrade the PSU ? Is the CPU faulty ? Is the motherboard make reknowned for frying CPUs ? Anything else ?

Ta in advance.
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Comments

  • EvenFlowEvenFlow Join Date: 2002-12-18 Member: 11046Members
    edited September 2004
    60C is a bit hot but wont damage the CPU, my guess is that your mobo is reporting the incorrect temp. Is the heatsink physically hot when you touch it ?
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  • EvenFlowEvenFlow Join Date: 2002-12-18 Member: 11046Members
    I've checked Abit's website and saw this :

    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><b>NF7/NF7-S V2.0 BIOS 14</b>

    Fixed CPU temperature too high issue. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Have you updated your BIOS ?
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  • CreepieCreepie Join Date: 2003-02-19 Member: 13734Members
    Ah. I wonder if Abit mean that the motherboard does indeed report the wrong temperature as you suggest, or that it really is trying to incorrectly fry ther poor CPU. I'll check ABit's site now to see if it solves the problem. Thanks for the information.
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  • SandrockSandrock Join Date: 2002-12-16 Member: 10905Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    The board is notorious for reporting innaccurate temperatures. I have the -S version, sometimes it says my full load is 45C, sometimes it says 35C. So it does jump quite a bit.

    The stock heatsink/fan should be good enough if you aren't overclocked, provided it is mounted properly and you are using some decent thermal paste. I highly suggest Arctic Silver products, I've been using them for quite some time and am very happy.
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  • SupernornSupernorn Best. Picture. Ever. Made. Ever. Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7608Members, Constellation
    edited September 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin-_Creep_+Sep 2 2004, 01:45 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (_Creep_ @ Sep 2 2004, 01:45 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Recently, my motherboard was heating the CPU up to 70C.  This caused the BIOS to trip and turn the PC off.  So, on advice from the local PC chap, I replaced it with the same model.  I also installed a case fan, a VGA Silencer and reseated the heatsink and fan on the CPU. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    My brand new ABIT motherboard did exactly the same thing recently. I think it was an issue with the fan. It completely Destroyed itself, killed my Radeon 9000 pro, and wiped my Hard-drive clean.

    I got a replacement, the fan does seem to be better but it makes a huge sound when starting up the PC, something my previous one did not do.

    Oh, and its the NF7 Model too.....
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  • SpetsnazSpetsnaz Join Date: 2003-12-26 Member: 24761Members, Constellation
    im on NF7-S amazing mobo.

    ul for having problems
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  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    edited September 2004
    Ice is helpful. You just pour some ice right in that machine and it is cooled off fast! Worked for me. For some reason though, smoke kept bellowing out of my computer when I did that. Hmm..

    Then the fire department came and tried to put out the flames, but the flames were too high. And when the whole block got engulfed by the raging flames fueled by the fast winds, the state fire department was dispatched.

    The flames spread fast to the bridge, and the bridge caught fire. Before you know it, the entire city was in flames, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Thousands died.

    I guess it didn't really occur to me what I had done until I was in the hospital, trying to regain consciousness. After the therapy to get my brain fully functioning again due to the brain damage, then I remembered putting the ice in the computer and how it had worked. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Go ahead. Try it. Works for me.
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  • taboofirestaboofires Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9853Members
    edited September 2004
    I think <a href='http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/?t=archives&date=2004-06-11' target='_blank'>this</a> says it all.

    edit: Oops forgot to mention that CAD sometimes has some course language. So shield your eyes children.
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  • BobTheJanitorBobTheJanitor Join Date: 2003-12-10 Member: 24228Members, NS1 Playtester
    edited September 2004
    New fan. The stock AMD fan is cute, but I wouldn't use. But HANG ON TO IT. You can't get your CPU replaced under warranty without the original fan. (and don't mention to them that you used a non-AMD fan, either, they can't prove it if you don't tell them)

    I'd suggest a heatsink/fan from thermaltake, they make good models that will keep the heat down. Also, if you've only got one case fan, you might consider a couple more. You at least need one in the front sucking in and one in the back exhausting the heat out, but with AMDs more fans are better. They're good chips, but they get hot hot hot.
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  • Jim_has_SkillzJim_has_Skillz Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12475Members, Constellation
    Uh oh, I am on the NF7 Model and I was having the same problem, my computer would turn off because the mobo though everything was too hot. I just gave in and underclocked by cpu because I really didn't need that much power and it worked fine. But it seems like I can fix this by updating the bios yay!
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  • TykjenTykjen Join Date: 2003-01-21 Member: 12552Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    For all ABit owners:
    u can now also update the bios from windows instead of going thru the floppy based hell of flashing! called Flashmenu. worked perfektly for me.

    <a href='http://www.abit-usa.com/downloads/bios/flashmenu.php' target='_blank'>http://www.abit-usa.com/downloads/bios/flashmenu.php</a>
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  • CreepieCreepie Join Date: 2003-02-19 Member: 13734Members
    edited September 2004
    I visited the ABit site. Now I need to go through the nightmare of finding out which version of the NF7 I have, what version of the BIOS it has, what version I want to flash it to and how to flash it. I also want to put my old board back in and see if flashing its BIOS works, cos then I can take the new one back.

    Has anyone noticed that annoying little thing under the CPU that stops it from seating properly. Is that the external temperature sensor ?
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  • CreepieCreepie Join Date: 2003-02-19 Member: 13734Members
    Final update (I hope). I re-installed my old board to check which version of the BIOS it was running. Turned out it was v11 - very old. I flashed up to the latest BIOS and it now reports the CPU temperature that same as the new NF7 replacement. I returned the new board and overclockers were kind enough to take it back. Thanks chaps !

    I still ended buying an Aero7 Coolermaster for the CPU just in case, since the CPU is still running "hot" according to Abit. I still think 60C is far too hot, but that may just be the board simply not getting the temperature right. We'll see what the Coolermaster does for it.

    Thanks for all the input.
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  • SwiftspearSwiftspear Custim tital Join Date: 2003-10-29 Member: 22097Members
    On a pentium chip 60 isn't too hot for a max running temp. I was able to drive my chip up to nearly 80 with no perceiveable ill effects. That being said, I still swapped out my crappy stock cooler for a full copper heatsink and a new fan, got a little bit of artic paste on there and now my chip maxes out at 56 fully worked.
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