High CPU with problem-please help

[ryan8795]

Hi, i have an issue with my cpu usage.

cpu is normally fine, until for instance browsing the web (in particular facebook) when my cpu will just decide to spike for internet explorer. Sounds like a fan is kicking in and then gets progressively louder until it's painful to even carry on using it.

I've noticed that if i close the webpage..it dies back down and returns to normal, minimising the page, or even hitting ctrl+alt+delete (and just opening the box - not actually doing anything) seems to have the same effect.

 

It doesnt't happen all of the time and has no particular pattern. I've also experienced this when opening a series of large avi. files with media player, but not nearly common.

 

Does anyone have any ideas as to what's causing this?or what it might be related to? I've cleaned all the dust out so fans should be fine. A lot of other threads mention faulty fans, but i'm not convinced.

 

I'm debating formatting the drive and starting again in case it's a corrupt file or something...but i really don't want to have to do so if i can help it.

 

Any help would be very much appreciated,

 

Thanks.

[Tootech]

Is it your CPU usage that concerns you, or the noise of the fans?

 

Has it always been like this?

 

Can you give us the spec of the machine, ie make, CPU type, speed, memory, Operating System.

[ryan8795]

hi, thanks for your reply.

 

It hasn't always been like this, had the pc for about 2 years now, and maybe it's been doing it the last couple of months or so.

I guess the fan noise and the high cpu go hand in hand as it's just frustrating when pretty much all the memory i used to and it just puts a big lag on everything.

 

It's a Fujitsu Siemens - model P5GD1-FM.

Running XP home with service pack 3 (could've been around the time i installed this but not 100% sure).

Memory upgraded from 1gb to 2gb in an attempt to fix.

Intel pentium 4 650 3.4GHz

 

Is there any other info that might help?

 

Also, i remember it used to do exactly the same thing when windows udate started running or when my anti virus was updating patches. Doesn't do that anymore for either though.

[BeeCeeBee]

Just one question to complete the package for others, When you cleaned the dust out did you remove the heatsink for cleaning?

[Dalo Harkin]

BeeCeeBee is along the right lines, you need to have a look in the BIOS and check the CPU temps as I am guessing they are sky high or your fan may be set to kick in lower than needed.

Either way you really need to upgrade the fan and heatsink IMHO as you can then also put some new thermal compound on.

[ryan8795]

When i cleaned the dust i just blasted it with a can of compressed air. Didn't remove anything. the fans looked ok, not clogged up after.

 

I remember checking the temperatures in the BIOS and thought they looked fine but will double check this. Would it just be a case of adjusting the temperature at which the fans kick in at? This would make sense as the fan only kicks in when internet explorer is trying to display a page with lots of content etc...or when it's put under a bit of strain.

 

Is there anything else that this could be related to? software issues etc?

 

Many thanks for your replies though, much appreciated.

[Dalo Harkin]

IE is not an intensive program at all and like you have mentioned as long as the actual fans are working which yours are ( and then some :D)

it shouldnt be overheating - if the CPU temps seem ok - then just set the fan to kick in higer than it does at present

Not too high though as you dont want to cook the CPU - if you have a small fan on the heatsink they are much noisier and whiney than the bigger fans

[Tootech]

Intel pentium 4 650 3.4GHz

A very hot and greedy CPU!

 

Another setting to check in the BIOS is the Enhanced C1 Control and Thermal Throttle - they should be set to Auto as below.

 

[ATTACH]418[/ATTACH]

 

I'd go with Dalo's advice - remove the heatsink and fan, replace with an aftermarket unit and new heatsink paste.

 

Your model CPU generates alot of heat and the fan will work hard sometimes to remove that heat. It is a fairly common problem on Packard Bells and Fujitsu's of that era. The fan bearings will be worn, and considering the cost of a new one, its best to swap it.

 

Your board has a socket 775 CPU, any decent heatsink and fan will work, hopefully Dalo with drop back with a recommendation.

 

Mine would be for one of these - it has heatsink paste pre-applied.

 

Arctic Cooling AC-ALP-7P Alpine 7 Pro Socket 775 CPU Cooler - Ebuyer

Edited September 27, 2009 by Tootech

[Dalo Harkin]

I would go with the Arctic Freezer 7 Arctic Cooling AC-FRZ-7P Freezer 7 Pro Socket 775 Processor Cooler - Ebuyer!!

This will cool a quad core overclocked to 3.3Ghz - just ask DirtyPolo - ;)

Edited March 3, 2009 by Dalo Harkin

[ryan8795]

ok..i've just checked the BIOS..

 

Enhanced C1 Control was set to auto as you suggested.

Went into hardware monitor:

CPU temp 59 degrees

MB temp 23

CPU fan speed 1730 rpm

Q-fan control - enabled

CPU target temp 60.

 

Are these settings normal? Couldn't find any other options that might have an impact on the temp.

 

If these all look ok to you guys, then i'll give the new heatsink a go...thanks for recommending :)

[Dalo Harkin]

So the CPU was at 59 and the fans are set to kick in at 60 - so that's not ideal.

you need to leave the PC off for a few hours and then go straight into the BIOS and get the temps as 59 would not be on initial power up :eek:

 

from what the temp is at 'cold' you can either set the target temp higher or change the paste and heatsink

[ryan8795]

I went straight into the bios as soon as i booted up my pc when i got in from work...so would've been cool...and those were the temperatures.. :confused:

is the target temperature just what the cpu is trying to reach, hence why the cpu temp was 59?

 

Not sure if this would work, but would lowering the target temperature lower the cpu temperature, meaning that the fans are not as likely to kick in as it would be cooler?

[DirtyPolo]

Lowering the target temperature will make the fans kick in earlier, as if it says he CPU temp was 59, then that is the temp of the CPU at the time of the reading.

 

The lower the CPU or the target temp, the earlier the fans kick in to keep the CPU at that new lower temp.

 

But as Dalo said, 59 cannot be a boot up temp, it's impossible for a CPU to get upto 59 degrees straight form boot if you went right into the BIOS first time.

[ryan8795]

Ok, i booted up again from cold...it was at 59.. or gradually rising to 59, only saw it in the 50's though before it got to 59.

 

Target temp was 60 and the only higher temperature available is 63, so i set that as the new target temperature.

 

If i was to get a new heatsink (i.e the one posted above), would that mean i could run at a lower temperature essentially? - assuming i need a new one.

[DirtyPolo]

the target temperature is the temperature that you set your CPU to be at, so the lower the better.

 

If a CPU is hot, it not only carries the possibiity of melting it or overheating it resorting to a crash or auto reboot, but it also slows down your CPU when it is running hot.

 

If you lower the target temp it will mean the fans come on soon but it will keep your CPU cooler and therefore more efficent.

 

I suspect that the reason your CPU is getting so hot so quickly could be a problem with either your heatsink or the thermal paste.

 

I would suggest buying the suggested CPU Fan above as they come preapplied with heatsink paste, then fitting it to your CPU instead of the current one and booting from cold again and checking temperatures.

 

 

To recap, the higher the target temp, the hotter your CPU will get, leading to more problems as it seems that your fans cannot keep your CPU very cool as it is now. the whole point of the fans is to keep your CPU and system as cool as possible.

 

If you would like advice on fitting or removing a CPU fan, just ask.

[Dalo Harkin]

59 from cold is just wrong.

 

You HAVE to be aware that not all MOBO sensors are accurate.

 

before you go mad buying and messing with new heatsinks, have a look on your mobo website and see if there are any issues with temp sensors on that board.

 

I would say that if it says 59 at boot up the temps being displayed are wrong.

 

Some MOBOs do have issues with temp readings and they are normally fixed by a BIOS update

[ryan8795]

Thanks again for the comments -very helpful.

 

So you would suggest updating the BIOS first - I don't think i've done this before, it is relatively straight forward?

 

I found this link

http://support.asus.com/technicaldocuments/technicaldocuments_content.aspx?no=714

Looks fairly simple. Anything i need to look out for when doing this?

[Dalo Harkin]

Luckily for you - on your ASUS MOBO disk they have a facility - cant remember what its called from memory, but it lets you update the BIOS in a windows environment. (EDIT just looked at the link he he)

look on the ASUS website or download it through the software and update to the VERY latest BIOS - you WILL need to change any seeting in the BIOS when its been 'flashed' as it all reverts to factory settings.

so things like the HDD to the first boot device etc.

 

Any issues let us know.

[Tootech]

After some discussion we think that your board is a branded board made for Fujitsu Siemens only.

 

Please do NOT attempt to update it with any BIOS file from the Asus site.

 

Go to the Fujitsu link below, enter your PC serial number and check for BIOS updates there.

 

Support - Fujitsu Siemens Computers