Screwed up computer? (pics inside now)

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:14 pm

Ok, well, I am rearranging the pictures on my computer (I have lots) and whenever I go to the my pictures folder, my CPU goes all crazy and gets really hot, forcing the fans to go faster (8 bloody fans going at top speed is annoying as hell). It does this everytime, and it's starting to really piss me off. Dell did a really bad job with the XPS Gen 3 computers (air circulation wise, and other things, but mainly air circulation). There is an intake vent, but it's pretty much useless seeing as it is blocked by hard drives, so no air gets in. 2 fans for the PSU, ok, those aren't really a problem. Then there's a fan or two at the top of the case, and more along the side. There is virtually no air circulation once the computer is closed, so it gets really hot in there. Does anyone here know why simply viewing pictures and rearranging them would make my computer be like this? Also, is there anything I could do to make the CPU run cooler (I don't know the temperature of hte CPU, I can't find a good program that works with my mobo

)?

bizzle · Post by **bizzle** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:15 pm

Why don't you call Dell and bitch at them? I thought they offered a good warranty? I am guessing you have a Prescott P4 and those are known to get extremely hot.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:41 pm

Dells customer support isn't that great. I e-mailed them to ask for specs about my motherboard and they said to look in the Users guide. Well, I looked in the users guide and it told me nothing.

ETR · Post by **ETR** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:57 pm

I'd say why it's going nuts is it's trying to make thumbnails of all your images.... making the CPU work it's ass off. Happened when I was running a security camera here, taking shots every second or so.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:10 pm

Yeah, I was thinking that too. But I really, really like the thumbnails. They are cached though, so it shouldn't be a problem.

DCFan2004 · Post by **DCFan2004** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:35 pm

Can't you just go into the bios and check your CPU temp? Once it starts going buts, reboot and go into the bios and check the CPU temp and you can see how it's running.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:53 pm

True... I'll have to do that later tonight.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 6:52 pm

It doesn't say the temperature in the BIOS. Stupid computer. I'll post pics of the insides soon, there isn't much airflow.

Edit: opened it, but haven't taken pics yet. When you close it, there are parts blocking the whole case. There are 2 big fans, just for the processor. The processor has this enormous mteal piece on it (I think it's the heatsink) that is almost the width of the case, and the 2 fans blow the heat that comes from that. The thing is, only 1 fan does it. There's a black piece of plastic blocking the second fan from doing anything. I tried to take it off, but it's glued on.

wtf....

Ok, now I am seriously thinking about just buying a whole new mobo and case, and scrapping the current one alltogether. I'd like to avoid that, as long as it would be cheaper. Maybe I should just buy quieter fans, the two I have now are really heavy and loud.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:32 am

I can't find the temp in the BIOS, and I've tried about 4 or 5 different programs. They tell me the video card temp and HD temp, but not the mobo or CPU

Smurph · Post by **Smurph** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:38 am

Maybe your mobo doesn't have a CPU temp sensor?

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 11:35 am

Probably.

Sir Savant · Post by **Sir Savant** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 11:55 am

If you get a new mobo and case, can I have your old one?

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 11:59 am

No, I have a warranty. If something goes wrong I just move the parts to the old mobo and case, then I can get whatever I need fixed fixed.

Edit: Pics:

Open Case

The 2 fans that cool the CPU (well, only 1 of them really, the other is blocked)

2 huge fans and the giat metal thing on the CPU

Almost closed. As you can see, when it's closed, those 2 green plastic pieces block 85% of the airflow.

Tall Israeli · Post by **Tall Israeli** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:06 pm

What's the temp read out on your motherboard/processor? My suggestion is to buy a new case and just throw it all in there.

bizzle · Post by **bizzle** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:44 pm

ROFL @ Dell cases.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 4:18 pm

Xylene wrote:ROFL @ Dell cases.

I wish you could see it in person, the pictures don't do it any just (it's a lot worse than the pictures show).

Tall Israeli wrote:What's the temp read out on your motherboard/processor? My suggestion is to buy a new case and just throw it all in there.

I can't check the temperature, I can't seem to be able to check it. The GPU is running at 47 degrees celsius (117 farenheight) "Ambient", which Ia ssume means Idle. it's going at little higher at 122 farenheight right now, and I'm only running windows media player, IRC and this browser, along with Everest Home edition. The Video card is pretty much right under the CPU (as you can see by the pics) the only thing seperating it is that green plasic that holds the fans.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:00 pm

The hard driive is running at 56 degrees celsius.

Disheveled DrFreeze · Post by **Disheveled DrFreeze** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:01 pm

wow, those dell boys really love their green plastic

imho though, you dont need to scrap the entire thing, just get all that green junk out of there, mount at least one 80 mill fan on the cpu heatsink, and do the same for all fans, just replace them with your own, taking airflow into good acount

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:24 pm

I'll check that out right now to see if it's possible Dr. Freeze. I was thinking something similar yesterday

Tall Israeli · Post by **Tall Israeli** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:25 pm

I'm telling you, buy another case with ample room for fans and what-not. I had a compaq with the same problem and I replaced the case with an aftermarket one . Solved ALL my problems.