what makes a computer overheat?

Question

i have 4 hard drives, 2 ram sticks, core 2 duo, and a pcie video card.

Answer 1

OK - much has been mentioned, so I'll try and tie everything together with a couple of extra points. By the way, why did you go with Intel for your CPU - AMD's have long been know to run much cooler (they also now have an even better dual-core out of their own). Also, am unclear on what video card you are using - what brand is it, as some brands (nVidia esp) come with software which allows the card to "power-down" when not needed, where as others do not.

Anyhow....
*Make sure you have sufficient fans/cooling devices (is not overly expensive to get extra installed
*Make sure vents are kept clean and ensure you have enough airflow around the box.
*Check the manufacturers' websites for both the CPU and GPU (graphics processor) to see if they have any software to reduce heat or to allow idling/powering down.
*Increase your paging file-size to give your RAM an extra hand

Also
-are you usually runnig multiple applications when over-heating occurs, as overdoing things this end can also contribute to the problem (more via the GPU than the CPU)

-You may also want to look into the hybrid drives which are hitting the market, as they are designed to cache most needed data to internal flash memory, saving your hard-drive from a lot

-Also, I'm guessing you are a gamer, no?? Give the box a rest from time to time, or try playing a session from time to time on a lower resolution (this will also reduced heat output).

AMD Sepron 3100+, geForce 6600, 2x120GB hard-discs, 1.5GB Ram (3 x 512mb (533ddr), dual booting btwn XP Pro & Vista RC1 (which runs a treat).

Answer 2

Hi,

Having 4 hard drives, 2 ram sticks, core 2 duo, and a pcie video card will get the temp up quick. Make sure you have at least 2 system case fans that are clean and a CPU fan.

Also, your PC should not be enclosed in a desk that has no ventalation!

Answer 3

You may have insufficient airflow for the cooling system.

HDs generate heat, as will your vid card, but the Core Duos run a lot cooler than other CPUs.

First check to make sure the fans are all functioning, and have adequate airflow and aren't blocked with dust, lint, etc.

If all that checks out but you still have overheating issues, you probably need additional fans and cooling measures. Make sure your CPU heatsinks are functioning properly, don't know if you need a different or additional ventilation scheme for your case.

Best to you.

Answer 4

Every component inside generate heat, especially the CPU, hard drives, power supply and video cards. That is why newer computers have multiple fans, or some even have water cooling.

Answer 5

Well what you have will make it overheat alone. But you need to maybe add another fan. Also if you have a heat sink that is insufficient to work properly with the hardware that you have

Answer 6

insufficient cooling such as lack of fans for your pc.....processors and video cards generate generous amounts of heat. Selecting a case or modding a case to support multiple fans should resolve your problem

Answer 7

Simply closing the doors of the computer hutch while the computer is on will knock our PC out.

Your computer needs good ventilation.

Answer 8

all of the those put off heat plus depends on where yuor pc is too. is it heat a heater vent? you might consider adding better case fans or a bigger case or might change cabling to thin ide cables .(round instead of flat)

Answer 9

insufficient cooling...

make sure you have good fans and heatsinks. if you want, you can also look into hard drive and ram coolers.

Answer 10

Keeping it on too long