Why does the computer overheat and turn off? Insufficient cooling system capacity. Video: What to do if your computer gets hot

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The central processor is perhaps the most important part on a computer. It is responsible for almost all processes that you perform on the device. Without its correct operation, stable functioning of the PC as a whole is impossible, so it must always be in good condition. But sometimes we may notice that all programs that measure the temperature in the system show that the processor on the computer is very hot.

Because of this, your PC can become very slow and unstable.

Moreover, we may encounter a complete failure of this part, and its repair or replacement will be expensive. Today we’ll talk about why the processor on a PC gets hot and what to do in such a situation.

The simplest options

If you notice that the processor on your PC is overheating, the reasons can be very different, even the most basic. First of all, let's figure out what protective devices are installed on the chip and prevent it from being damaged in the event of a critical temperature increase. There are two of them:

• A radiator that is mounted on the fan;
• Special sensor-relay.

The first device can significantly improve the cooling of the chip, and the second is necessary to instantly turn it off when it reaches extreme temperatures. If the processor is heating up and the heatsink can no longer cope with the load, then something is wrong with your system. First of all, we need to understand the most basic reasons. There are three of them:

1. Dustiness of the system unit;
2. Lack of cooling due to poor cooler performance;
3. Thermal paste drying out.

In general, what to do in both cases is clear. Treatment methods include cleaning the PC, replacing thermal paste, as well as cleaning the fan and checking its operation (you may need to install a new one).

If none of this helps, then you need to look for the cause elsewhere.

Cleaning the socket

Is your processor heating up even after cleaning the main internals of your computer? In this case, we can assume that the problem lies directly in the overheating of the chip due to dust getting into the slot. Motherboards have special sockets for the CPU, which are called “sockets”.

And if dust gets into the space between the processor and the socket, the user experiences overheating.

First of all, it is important to know that without experience in dismantling the processor, it is better not to carry out this procedure yourself. The motherboard is a very fragile device that contains several vital components that are also very easy to damage. If you haven't done this before, it's better to contact a professional. An experienced specialist will be able to carry out the procedure without the risk of damaging parts.

Before resorting to this method, it is recommended to test the processor again. This is done by measuring the temperature at its maximum unloading.

If it gets very hot even at less than 50% load, then most likely the reason lies in the dustiness of the socket. In this case, there is only one way out - dismantling the processor and then cleaning the slot to accommodate it. Step by step it looks like this.

Fixing the problem when the processor heats up

• Turning off the PC. You need to shut down the device, disconnect all power cables, peripherals, and the Internet. Then the system unit must be laid on its side.
• Elimination of static charge. Please note right away that you do not need to work in silk or woolen clothing, which accumulates electricity. It is best to wear shoes with rubber soles on your feet. The charge is removed by touching the computer with one hand and any metal object with the other.
• Opening the lid. You need to unscrew the system unit and remove the cover from it, and then carefully examine the inside of the PC.



• Removing the cooling system. In order to access the processor, you first need to remove the heatsink and fan. As soon as this is done, a socket with a chip will immediately appear in the field of view.



• Removing the processor. The most difficult task in the course of work, which is not recommended for beginners without the appropriate knowledge. The processor is a very fragile device; it has several contacts that are easily damaged and legs that are also very easy to break. The chip is fixed in the socket using special fasteners - clamps or a lever. If they are broken, it will not fit tightly into the socket, which means the computer will not work. To remove the processor, you must very carefully lift up these fasteners and very carefully remove the CPU from the slot.



• Cleaning the socket. Once you remove the chip, you will immediately be able to notice dust inside. This is probably the cause of all the problems with your PC. Dust prevents effective cooling of the system or its individual elements, which is why experts recommend regularly cleaning your PC from dust. You can remove it from the socket using a brush. This is also done extremely carefully.

If the computer gets very hot, then you need to try to quickly identify the cause of this kind of phenomenon. And eliminate it if possible.

Problems of this type may require the purchase of new equipment. Accordingly, this is an extra waste of money. However, you should be extremely careful, as excessive heat can be a symptom of a serious problem.

Signs

To detect the presence of excessive heating of the hardware on a personal computer, it is not necessary to install special additional software that receives information from sensors.

Sometimes just indirect signs are enough. They are:

Started to work slower

Sometimes it happens that even after cleaning the PC functions quite slowly. Neither disk defragmentation nor various other manipulations help. The reason for this phenomenon may be excessively high heating of the CPU and other components of the computer. A significant slowdown in task performance for no apparent reason is a serious sign of a malfunction.

A beep sounds

Many desktop PC motherboards are equipped not only with dedicated sensors, but also with associated built-in speakers. If any malfunctions occur, they give a special sound signal. Moreover, many such devices are programmed to signal when specified values ​​are exceeded.

Video: Computer overheats

Shuts down or reboots itself

Sometimes the PC may start to shut down or restart itself. Quite often, motherboards and BIOSes are equipped with special automated systems that perform an emergency power shutdown when any critical situations occur. For example, excessively high temperature of the components.

Coolers spin and make more noise

Cooling devices, which are powerful fans, automatically regulate the rotation speed. Moreover, usually, the larger it is, the stronger the noise produced. If for quite a long time the coolers spin very quickly without stopping, this indicates a high and not decreasing temperature of the CPU, video card, and power supply. It's worth checking.

"Artifacts" in the image

Often, when the video processor is under heavy load, various foreign inclusions appear on the monitor screen.

They might look like this:

• squares and overlaying images on top of each other;
• bright color elements that should not be on the monitor.

Sometimes this occurs due to problems with drivers, but most often the problem is excessive heating of the hardware. This can happen due to a variety of factors.

Causes and solutions

There can be quite a large number of reasons for excessive heating of individual PC parts. Moreover, most of them are obvious and require a minimum amount of effort to eliminate.

The most common causes of hardware overheating are:

Insufficient or faulty cooling system

Many personal computers are extremely powerful and productive machines. They consume quite a lot of energy, which naturally leads to a lot of heat. Stationary PCs of this kind must be well cooled. If heat removal is not fast enough, overheating will occur.

To deal with this problem, you can simply:

• completely replace the heat removal device;
• Install more powerful coolers on the processor and video card.

If a specific configuration has extremely high performance and conventional cooling fans (even very powerful ones) cannot cope with heat removal for some reason, you can use a specialized cooling system - liquid. It has very high efficiency.

Installing an additional fan

Almost all system units designed for stationary personal computers are equipped with seats on which additional fans can be installed. Thus, you can very easily solve the problem with the presence of excessive heat inside the PC case. Moreover, the more powerful the fan, the better.

Dustiness

The presence of a very large amount of dust inside the system unit has a negative effect on heat dissipation. The fact is that it forms a kind of web on the cooler frame, exhaust vents and other hardware elements. Dust disrupts normal heat exchange.

Solving this problem is quite simple, you need to:

If, after a good cleaning, the operating mode of the PC has not changed, you need to look for the cause of overheating in something else.

Something with the radiator mount

Hot air is removed not only using special coolers-fans, but also radiators. This component is an aluminum or copper part that is attached directly to the heat-generating surface through thermal paste. For normal operation, this part must fit as tightly as possible to the surface of the processor.

If even a small gap appears, the heat removal process worsens significantly. Which leads to an increase in heating, and, as a result, to overheating. Most often, the radiator is secured with four screws. To solve the problem, you just need to tighten them well.

High output voltage in the power supply

If problems of this type appear on your PC, you must use a special device to check the output voltage at the contacts of the power supply. Sometimes, for various reasons, it can differ greatly from the nominal value.

Repairing the power supply yourself is not so easy; it requires special skills, as well as a soldering iron (hair dryer, infrared). It is much easier and sometimes even cheaper to purchase a new power supply and install it on your PC.

Video: What to do if your computer gets hot

Setting up the BIOS and system power plan

It often happens that when the processor is powerful, but is standing in a very hot room, it can overheat. This problem can be resolved not only by installing additional or more efficient cooling, but also by simply reconfiguring the power plan.

In the operating systemWindows7 this is done as follows:

It is worth setting the cooling mode to “active”. Before slowing down the processor, Windows will independently increase the rotation speed of the cooler, thereby removing heated air.

Similar actions can be carried out by going into the system BIOS. Most have the ability to set the rotation speed of the cooler, as well as the voltage supplied to the central processor. It is worth choosing such parameters that the temperature conditions return to normal, but the system performance does not decrease significantly.

Danger of overheating

Overheating of any PC components today is not as dangerous as it used to be. It happens that even after a complete failure of the cooling system, the OS continues to operate more or less stably.

But it is necessary to remember that the normal operating mode of the processor is no more than 60-70 0C, the video card is 70-80 0C. Accordingly, it is worth considering the intensity of resource use.

With a significant increase in temperature, the integrity of the computing core may be compromised. Which leads to failure of the electronic component. Typically, repairs as a result of such situations become impossible, so it is necessary to avoid their occurrence.

How to check if your computer is overheating

Any user who actively uses their PC must monitor its condition. And above all – the temperature.

This can be done in various ways:

• using special software;
• using BIOS.

The easiest and safest way to find out the heating level of your running PC is to use various programs from a third-party manufacturer.

The most popular and functional are the following:

Moreover, some utilities (for example, SpeedFan) allow you not only to obtain information from special multi-sensors that monitor the operation of the PC, but also to control the fan speed in real time. What is very convenient is that you can independently regulate the cooling system and, as a result, the operating temperature.

Another sure way to check for overheating is to view the relevant information in the BIOS.

You can do this as follows:

It should be remembered that the operating mode for each processor and motherboard is purely individual. That is why you should first read the technical documentation on the Internet, which will indicate the value of the normal operating temperature.

It is best to simply prevent any PC components from overheating.

To do this, it is necessary to perform preventive work:

It is best to simply prevent any emergency situations from occurring. This is much easier than eliminating their consequences.

The computer is heating up - what to do? It is necessary to find the cause of this phenomenon as quickly as possible and eliminate it. Since exposure to extremely high temperatures can simply lead to overheating, which can kill the hardware.

If such a phenomenon does occur, you will need to purchase new parts for your PC.

That is why, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses, it is worth diagnosing your PC as often as possible and promptly eliminating various problems that could cause damage to it at the hardware level.

I processed a lot of information with this search query, probably a thousand pages.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor

Motherboard: MSI K9N Ultra (MS-7250 v2), socket AM2, DDR2 memory.

With the onset of summer, it began to warm up and at 70 degrees the protection was triggered and the computer turned off, first during heavy games, and finally even when surfing the Internet. No matter how many times I ask why this happens, there are basically three answers:

1) install a more powerful cooler

2) vacuumed

3) replace the thermal paste, and apply a layer that is neither too thin nor too thick

To my objections that the computer was several years old and this cooler was always enough, there was practically no answer, there was not a speck of dust inside, I blamed the thermal paste 10 times. They advised me to buy a serious cooler, for example Ice Hammer, it really impresses, prices start from 1000 rubles.

There were also these versions:

4) overheats due to virus activity (I tried to scan with an antivirus, but during the scan the processor got hot and the computer turned off);

5) the temperature sensor on the processor has failed, the only solution is to improve cooling or replace the processor;

6) the motherboard has bent, which is why the cooler radiator does not press tightly against the processor and receives heat;

7) the processor starts to heat up if its pins-contacts bend (yes, it happened);

8) “the south bridge can’t cope” (I touched the south bridge and was shocked - it was hot, it was burning my finger. I screwed a fan from an old processor cooler to it, the south bridge heatsink became cold, but the computer still turned off due to the processor overheating);

9) while reading a forum about some motherboard and overheating of the AMD processor on it, I discovered this solution to overheating - put cardboard under the processor along the edges, so it will rise and press closer to the radiator, i.e. over time, the motherboard could sag under the processor and the cooler would not press tightly (I did this on my computer, it did not help);

10) I read the overlocker forum on MSI boards, it turns out that my motherboard may have problems with copying large files and when connecting hard drives to the IDE connector - the computer turns off (I must say I didn’t notice this on my computer, but I followed the recommendations for bug fix - changed the BIOS settings and wanted to re-solder the C565 condenser, but couldn’t find it);

11) a gap has formed between the processor cover and the crystal, you need to remove the processor cover and put the cooler radiator directly on the crystal (tin, of course)

I bought a special POST card for diagnosing motherboards, the POST card showed no errors.

After many other ways to fix the problem, I decided to open the processor, especially since I had doubts about its condition and I was not afraid of breaking it completely. The processor cover is glued very tightly with rubber sealant; when opening it, two elements under the cover were crushed by me... I had to look for a new used processor (such processors are no longer produced)...

I found out that you can insert an AM3 socket processor (next generation) into the AM2 socket and in most cases it should work, although not at full capacity, I was of course happy because this is an opportunity to do a step-by-step upgrade, but as it turned out, MSI did not write a BIOS with AM3 support and all its clients fail (I don’t want MSI anymore, why can other boards do this, but the MSI board can’t?).

Well, with the purchase of the A3 processor it was a bummer, I had to buy a used AM2, I bought a more powerful one.

I installed it and was sad - it also gets hot and the computer turns off, took it out....

It's all in vain, mate. The board probably needs to be changed, or maybe buy a powerful cooler first? It’s hard to believe that it will help because... The processor is heating up like an iron... I’ll take it to a service center for diagnostics and see what they say.

And then I remembered about programs for optimizing the operation of the cores of the dual-core Athlone processor, supposedly they improve its performance. I found 2 similar programs on the Internet: “AMDcpuv1.3.2.6.exe” and “AMD Dual - Core Optimizer v 9.0.333.0.exe”.

I installed both at once and a MIRACLE happened!!! The processor temperature began to drop, dropping by 20 degrees at once. NO REPLACEMENT OF COOLER!!! Now the temperature is 30-40 degrees, during games - 53!!!

This is how it happens, software, not hard, helped eliminate the overheating problem.

PS: the processor cover turned out to be a good-quality copper plate, it was pressed well to the crystal, there was thermal paste. I don’t see the point in opening the processor and I don’t recommend doing it. Now you can make a keychain from the lid.

This is what the processor looks like disassembled:

In most cases, overheating of computers and laptops is manifested by the following symptoms:

• Programs freeze, games crash some time after launch,


• unexpected device shutdown,


• The computer freezes or turns off almost immediately after starting.

1. Diagnosis of the causes of overheating of a computer and laptop

Diagnosis of computer overheating

The most important components are the processor, hard drive, video card, power supply, motherboard

1.1. CPU overheating

Signs of a problem: programs freeze, unexpected reboots or computer shutdowns, blue screen. The consequences of this condition are degradation of the chip; the processor may work, but with errors. If the processor has undergone degradation, it cannot be repaired, only thrown away.

1.2. Video card overheating

Computer freezes while watching a video, after a few minutes of playing, the computer restarts, a blue screen appears, graphic artifacts appear on the screen, the image disappears during operation, and a notification may appear.

As a result of this condition, the video card components are at risk of degradation.

1.3. Hard drive overheats

If the hard drive overheats, the computer suddenly freezes, clicking sounds are heard from the system unit, and the system does not boot. Typically, these signs appear when overheating has caused irreparable damage. If you want to restore data that was recorded on your hard drive, this can only be done through a service center. The hard drive itself cannot be repaired, but the information can be copied to another medium.

1.4.The power supply is overheating

Dangerous symptoms appear: a burning smell is felt during operation, it turns off immediately after startup, an unexpected reboot occurs, games or videos freeze. The consequence may be failure of the components of the power supply, but repairs to a service center will cost you little.

1.5. The chipset on the motherboard is overheating

If the chipset on the motherboard overheats, it manifests itself as follows: the keyboard and mouse turn off, USB refuses to work, there is no connection to the drives and hard drive, the computer freezes, unexpected reboots occur. As a result, the chipset may degrade. If you do not monitor the temperature of the motherboard, you will subsequently have to buy a new one, since repairs are very expensive.

1.6. Overheating of other computer components

In addition to the above, various batteries on the motherboard heat up. For effective cooling, radiators must be installed on them. But some manufacturers, in order to save money, do not do this, expecting that the motherboard will work exclusively in normal mode. Therefore, at least one fan must be running to cool the components through natural air movement.

1.7. Reasons for computer slowdown due to overheating:

Most often, overheating of a computer is manifested by its braking during operation. Usually this symptom is not visible immediately, but after some time after turning on the computer. At very high temperatures, the processor does not work efficiently as it tries to lower the temperature. This process is called throttling. Depending on the model, the permissible processor temperature ranges from 65 to 80 degrees.

Throttling works on both modern processors and video cards. So if games freeze or slow down, it’s most likely overheating.

1.8. Reasons for computer restart due to overheating

Windows is a complex system. If one day the processor produces an error during calculations, then everything is disrupted. As a result, a BSOD failure will occur, or, more understandably, a “Blue Screen of Death.”

BSOD is a serious error that cannot be ignored. By default, the system is configured in such a way that when a BSOD is detected, the PC itself reboots. Thus, if overheating occurs, a blue screen appears and the computer restarts. However, it may simply be a “blue screen of death”. The reboot process after the BSOD appears is disabled as follows: through the Control Panel, go to the System, then to Advanced system settings. In them, open Boot and Recovery - Settings, from the item Perform automatic reboot, you need to uncheck the box and confirm your decision.

In fact, there are many reasons for BSOD - malfunctioning drivers and programs, errors on the hard drive.

1.9.Over time, your computer gets hotter - why?

One of the reasons is depreciation of cooling components and dust. To clean radiators and other computer components, it is advisable to use fans that suck up settling dust. Overheating occurs also due to large accumulations of dust.

Over time, fans wear out and as a result they may constantly make noise, spin at a lower speed, or stop altogether. The thermal conductivity of the thermal interface deteriorates. Thermal pastes and thermal pads, which ensure high-quality heat transfer from the processor to the heatsink, require cleaning and replacement.

2. We measure the temperature

There are many sensors inside the computer. They measure component temperature, voltage, and fan speed. Their exact number varies depending on the components and their connection options. For example, a cooler with a rotation speed meter can be connected to both the motherboard and the power supply unit (PSU). Otherwise, the speed cannot be measured.

2.1. Open Hardware Monitor

The most convenient utility for determining the temperature of computer components is Open Hardware Monitor. It is capable of identifying many sensors and can show the temperature of the computer hardware, voltage and frequencies.

You can download the program for free from its home page.

2.2. Temperature measurement errors

The sensors that the computer is equipped with are not calibrated. Accordingly, the error between temperatures can be several degrees. For example, a video card heats up to sixty degrees, but the maximum for it is seventy. Games start to slow down only after a while. Consequently, the sensor does not display the actual temperature, and there is overheating.

2.3. How to check CPU temperature

Temperature sensors can be located in different ways. Their location is related to the processor model. For example, the Intel Core i7-2600K processor has four physical cores, so there are five temperature meters: one for each core and motherboard.

To find out the processor temperature, look at the CPU Core item, if available. To detect overheating, you should load the processor with a serious task and check the temperature under the load. New games are ideal for this. Play for half an hour and then look at the Max column in the program. To determine the maximum temperature of your processor, look for information in Yandex or another search engine. If you don't know what processor you have, the program shows the model next to the processor icon.

2.4. How to check the temperature of a video card

The temperature of the video card elements can be different, depending on the load. Measuring the maximum temperature will help determine overheating. Therefore, the video card must be loaded. An easy way is to launch the game and the Open Hardware Monitor program at the same time. In the Max column you can see the maximum temperature.

Typically, a video card temperature of up to sixty degrees is considered normal. In some cases, it can reach ninety degrees, but specific indicators need to be clarified. The reason for overheating of the video card may be braking and unexpected reboots of the computer.

2.5. How to check motherboard temperature

Temperature sensors can be found in the section dedicated to the motherboard. All computers have different boards, and the number and names of sensors also differ. But none should exceed fifty degrees.

And in some cases this is a lot. In the motherboard manual you can find information about the maximum permissible temperature for the chipset.

2.6.How to check the temperature of the power supply

The power supply may only have sensors to check the fan speed so that it does not make noise without load. Therefore, it is impossible to measure the temperature of the power supply programmatically. You should touch the body of the system unit with your hands. If it is hot or smells of burning or burning plastic, it is overheating.

3. What to do if you overheat

If it overheats, you need to change the thermal paste and clean the computer from dust. This needs to be done correctly. If you do not have relevant experience, it is recommended to use the services of a service center. Under warranty, the laptop will be cleaned of dust at an authorized center for free. If there is no service center, you can return it back to the store with a complaint about overheating. In this case, they will do the cleaning themselves. It is advisable to copy all data from the laptop, since the service center can format the hard drive. In addition, document the transfer of the laptop for diagnostics.

It's the same with a desktop computer. The problem of overheating should be dealt with by the store where the system unit was sold to you. Whether there is dust or not, overheating must be eliminated to avoid damage. In addition, you can clean the computer yourself, but without the appropriate knowledge and care, there is a high probability of breaking something.

3.1.Cleaning your computer yourself

If you have little understanding of the layout of computer parts, you should not disassemble it yourself. If a fault is detected, you will still have to take it to a service center.

If you remove the cooler, you must apply thermal paste between the processor and the radiator. You can use cheap KPT-8, which is sold in any specialized store. You should not collect and reuse the paste that was there, firstly, over time it loses its ability to effectively conduct heat, and secondly, when you remove the cooler, dust falls on the paste. Therefore, you will have to smear a new one. The layer should be thin and not flow beyond the surface of the lid and processor. A lack of paste will not allow for high-quality heat removal.

Instead of thermal paste, developers can use thermal rubber bands. In some cases, they are much more effective, for example, if the distance between two elements is more than a millimeter, the parts cannot press tightly against each other. This is especially common in laptops.

To cool the hard drive, you can place a fan on the front panel of the system unit; there are usually mounts for this. Vacuuming computers and laptops is not advisable. One reason is inefficiency. Also, due to the strong air flow, dust gets into hard-to-reach places and it will be impossible to get it out.

4. About fans and coolers

A cooler is a symbiosis of a radiator and a fan. This device removes heat more efficiently. Its location is video cards, processors, motherboard chipset. Conventional fans (without a radiator) are located in the case and power supply. Since certain components for cooling are simply enough air flow.

Cooling can also be passive - only the radiator works, the heat from which is lost due to the movement of air inside the system unit. This is often used on low-power video cards. Modern motherboards also only have passive cooling. But it is useless if there is no air movement inside the computer case. Therefore, with passive cooling, at least two fans must be installed in the case - one for exhaust, the other for injection.