Help! My PC is getting hotter and lower performance

[ssabripo]

My personal opinion is that my PSU is not able to handle the power and tweaking, thus it is creating lots of problems....I've ordered a new OCZ PowerStream 420W ( ---OCZ 420W PSU at newegg--- ) in the meantime.

Ever since I put the DVD burner a week or so ago, the overall temperatures have risen 5-10C degrees, and the it is running much hotter (50C no load, 60+ doom3). Also, now, when Playing Doom3, the beeping sound from the Motherboard (indicating temp faults or overload) is sounding more often. In addition, when I ran the timedemo1, I had 52 FPS and running very smooth, and now, it has 41.7 fps and somewhat choppy at times.

ALso, a couple of times, I would come back to the computer just to see it rebooted by itself (XP would say there was an error, etc). And just today, the Computer screen fizzled erratically (as if Video Card was going bad); also, a couple of times the computer would act jerky (mouse movements very jerky) with the sound device cutting on an off (as if it was sampling).

I personally think it may be the PSU not being able to handle the extra load...I have an Austin 450W PSU, with 18A@12V, but I don't think is stable enough. I have disconnected the DVD burner, but it still remains high.

could be a combination PSU and not good airflow? I noticed a lot of dust and crap on the heatsink, so I am planning on taking it apart, and clean it out, put some new artic Silver, and see how it goes.

here are my specs:
P4 2.6C @ 3.4
ABIT IS7 mobo
9800pro OC'd
1 GB of Geil DDR400 PC3200
1 cd-rw, 1 floppy, 1 dvd burner, 1 HD, 4 fans, chieftec aluminum case.

 

[Lunas]

Ya the dust may be some of your temp issues. And remove or lower some of the overclocks you have on the system.

 

[Tigerbiten]

The other thing to try is running with the case open.
The extra cable cutting air flow + heat from the drive may be just to much for your CPU + HSF combo to cope with.

Luck.....

 

[CraftyOtter]

I had a serious temperature issue last week. The case and CPU temps were running almost 10C hotter than normal. Cleaning out my CPU heatsink/fan and case fans instantly solved my heat and related performance issue. My system, which is similar to your, is only about 7 months old but it collected a fair amount of dust in that time.

 

[ssabripo]

I had a serious temperature issue last week. The case and CPU temps were running almost 10C hotter than normal. Cleaning out my CPU heatsink/fan and case fans instantly solved my heat and related performance issue. My system, which is similar to your, is only about 7 months old but it collected a fair amount of dust in that time.

Wow...you really do have a similar setup like mine (except mobo). What are you running temperature wise? I'm running:

50C under no load
60-65C under doom3

 

[CraftyOtter]

Wow...you really do have a similar setup like mine (except mobo). What are you running temperature wise? I'm running:

50C under no load
60-65C under doom3

My CPU reports (via MBM) in at 38-40C idle and 50C load. BTW, I'm using a Vantec Aeroflow CPU cooler, I should add this to my sig.

I started to worry last week when I was running some fresh benches and the CPU was up to 58C. Not that 58C is all that bad in itself but it was an indication that something was out of the ordinary based on past temps of this system.

 

[HRslammR]

what's your ambient air temps? i know i fought that beast until i started realizing that no matter what i did, if my room i was 83 degrees fahrenehti (as it is now) my cpu will IDLE at 53 degrees celsius

 

[ssabripo]

what's your ambient air temps? i know i fought that beast until i started realizing that no matter what i did, if my room i was 83 degrees fahrenehti (as it is now) my cpu will IDLE at 53 degrees celsius

I usually keep the room at 78-79F....I do notice when the room is cooler (say 75 or so) that the PC runs better.

It may be that there isn't stable airflow and that the heatsink is messed up...I will chek on that.