graphcs card

[Guest_imported]

I think my graphics card may be overheating. When I turn my pc on, I hear a loud whirring noise (think it may be a fan) and after 15 mins of using the pc, the screen freezes. No matter what I`m doing on the pc (playing games or just in notepad), it still freezes.

I read another post on here ages ago suggesting an overheating system and to instal motherboard monitor, but does that say if your graphics card is overheating? The temp reading I got was 35oC.

If it is my graphics card, how do I cool it down? Can I buy a new fan for the card and how do I know that that is the problem?

cheers guys

 

[butchrecon]

I tmay also be a conflict with some thing else or a bad video card. Go to device manager and see if any devices are having problems. Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.


James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

 

[Guest_imported]

There are no conflicts. Got the pc from a mate who has bought a new powerful one, the card was fine until a month ago.

 

[hotfusion]

Motherboard monitor won't tell you about the graphics card temp., but you could feel it for yourself (this is probably bad advice-don't open your PC unless you you know exactly what you're doing). Feel the heatsink with your fingers but don't touch any other part of the card or you may be saying goodbye to it. Does it feel very hot? Nicely warm is acceptable. Are the cooling fins clogged with dust? Indeed, is the fan working at all? Finally switch off, take out the card observing normal anti-static procedures and re-insert it. Failing that........Any other ideas?

 

[edfair]

Unplug the power and touch the metal frame before you go into the components. That should equalize any potential static problems. Your processor can also be overheating if the fan is hanging up. And the loud whirring at startup is one symptom of a fan trying to hang. A processor freeze will also look like a video problem. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Guest_imported]

Sorry to sound like an idiot but what should I do now?

Should I turn the pc on with the cover off? Should I watch to see if the fan goes round and feel around the card for too much heat? thanks for the help

 

[hotfusion]

Now, I would go in with the PC on, but I recommend you open the case with it on and without touching anything, observe the graphics fan or feel for a breeze from it. Shut down, unplug then immediately feel the heatsink. Examine further for clogging up, easier if you remove the card.l My suggestions are what I would try myself. If incorrect, I welcome corrections to my knowledge. Andy.

 

[chpicker]

Honestly, the "loud whirring sound" when you turn on your PC is most likely your CPU fan. If your processor starts overheating, that would definitely cause a lockup. I've also had the fan in the power supply fail on me which caused lockups as well. Luckily, fans are cheap as far as computer parts go )

 

[Guest_imported]

It crashed again and took me to the blue screen on boot up (is it CMOS?)

anyway, looking in the section: Hardware Monitor Setup I found the following data, not sure if it`s relevant?!?!

CPU frequency 100Mhz
CPU voltage 1.60v
CPU temp 36oC/96oF
System temp 31oC/89oF
CPU fan speed 0 rpm
Power fan speed 5578 rpm
System fan speed 0 rpm
CPU Vid 2.00v
VCore 1.648v
Vsram 3.392v
3.3v 3.376v
+5.000v 5.223v
+12.000v 12.061v
-12.000v -12.012v
-5.000v -5.102v
Battery 3.069v

I haven`t looked at the fan yet with the pc on, I`ll do it tomorrow after work and let you know what I see. Thanks

ps. what`s a heatsink and what does it look like?

)

 

[edfair]

Hunk of metal with lots of exposed surface to the air and a flat surface to make contact with a chip. Ususally milled aluminum but can be extruded and cut to length and may have a fan attached to draw air past the fins. Transfers heat from the top of the chip to the air or airflow. May have thermal paste between the chip and the flat surface to aid in heat transfer.
BTW, cheap fans have powdered bronze bearings that are prone to gunk up after about a year of use. Fans start sqawking or hanging up when the gunk gets thick. If you find this pay extra and get a ball bearing fan. You can buy fan/heatsink combos for $7.00 to $10.00 and th ball bearing ones for less than $20.00. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[tahnval]

I notice that your motherboard monitoring is reporting a CPU fan speed of zero. If
that is a genuine reading, there's your problem. A 100MHz CPU might well take
15 minutes to overheat. The 36C might be a misreading caused by the thermosensor
not being close enough to the CPU.

Personally, I'd check by running my PC with the case off and looking at the CPU fan
and the fan on the graphics card if it has one. If you do touch the heatsink as
suggested, take precautions against electrostatic discharge into the CPU. It's best
to make sure you are earthed when you touch the heatsink. You can get a strap
which wraps around your wrist (or anywhere else) with a cable that connects to earth.
Holding on to an unpainted part of a radiator will do the job. Touching the case is a second-rate solution to the problem, since the case will probably have rubber or plastic feet, or be on a desk.

If the heatsink is cool, it might not be because the processor is cool. If you have
poor thermal conductivity between the surface of the processor and the heatsink,
you can have a cool heatsink and an overheated processor.

Check the PSU fan first though - just stick your hand by the outlet at the back of your PC when it's on and see if you can feel anything.

CPU coolers (heatsink and fan) are pretty cheap and easy to buy. Just make sure you get the right kind for your CPU connector. Fans for graphics cards can be a little harder to get hold of, though you can often use an older CPU fan if you can fasten it to the GPU. Check the power connector(s) to your fan(s)s before buying a new fan though - it's possible that one is loose.

I wouldn't entirely rule out a software cause if you have installed anything recently, but it sounds like a hardware problem to me.

 

[Guest_imported]

The case is a bugger to get off, I have to lift it up and somehow get it off, it takes a while and serveral bruised fingers. Would you still suggest starting the pc first then taking the cover off or taking the cover off then starting the pc in this case?

Cheers

 

[hotfusion]

Take the case off first, then fire up the machine - just be careful what you touch. It's inadvisable to submit hard drives to mechanical shock whilst on although I know someone who bashes his case to shut the fan up and it's survived so far! (job creation?) :-9 My suggestions are what I would try myself. If incorrect, I welcome corrections to my knowledge. Andy.

 

[chpicker]

I personally always recommend removing the cover with the computer off. The reason for this is that the less you actually move the computer while it's running, the better, particularly for the hard drive. Once the cover is off, go ahead and turn the system on and watch the fan(s) in question to see if they work properly right away. Another sign of a failing fan is one that is slow at starting...it might work fine once it "warms up", but it won't last much longer. Get it replace ASAP. )

 

[bra1niac]

I agree, running with the case off in a potential overheating situation is the first step. If you are concerned about dust, etc, get a large pair of nylon stockings and stretch it over the exposed chasis. This will keep dust bunnies, etc from attaching themselves to the inside of your computer.

Ah, the humility of buying those things in public... ah well.

Anyway, that being said, make sure the computer isn't in a confined, air restricted space, with a general room temp around standard (72F) if not lower.

At any rate, whether you have a heat problem or not, I would add a few extra case fans just to be on the safe side. Check out

http://www.2cooltek.com

for some cooling goodness. 80mm is a good size for case fans.

Be sure to read up on placement. You can do more harm than good by trapping hot air over the cpu instead of maintaining a good flow, etc.

If this doesn't fix it, then it almost has got to be software. I have yet to have a lockup issue that wasn't heat related.

Good luck. "It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." - Rear Admiral Dr. Grace Hopper

 

[Guest_imported]

Ok guys, I took the cover off and watched the fans start up. I have one on the black AMD Athlon box (processor??), one on the power supply and one onmy graphics card. The graphics card fan made the loud noise when I turned the pc on but only for about a second.

All the fans spun around, placing my hand near to them all I could feel a good air flow. The pc crashed after about 15 minutes again, so I turned all the power off and touched around the graphics card and the processor, but neither were even warm. Not hot but not cold really.

Any ideas what to do now? I turned the pc back on, but turning it back on, it crashes after only 7-8 minutes.

 

[butchrecon]

I dont think its a heat issue. It is more likly a bad device. Take out all devices except video card and boot up again. If it crashes it could be a bad video card. Replace the card and try again. If it does not crash replace each item 1 at a time and boot up after each one is installed. Keep doing this until the PC crashes again. Whaen it crashes you will know which one is causing the problem. if you take it down to just the video card and you replace the video card and it still crashes it could be a BAD Mainboard or processor or RAM. Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.


James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

 

[hotfusion]

Yes, it's beginning to sound like an intermittent component fault, some sort of thermal failure such as a resistor going high or an open circuit capacitor. I wonder, is there any way he can find the fault without replacing each board in turn as this is going to get expensive! I suppose if he borrows a graphics card (but doesn't install the drivers) he will be able to boot into safe mode to see if the problem has been sorted, without disturbing his software. My suggestions are what I would try myself. If incorrect, I welcome corrections to my knowledge. Andy.

 

[butchrecon]

The only component he should replace at this point is graphics. Everything else he should just take out then put back in 1 at a time. Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.


James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

 

[Guest_imported]

when I take everything out (what do you exactly mean by this, my modem and sound card?)

Do I need to uninstall the drivers too and wipe them from the registry?