Is this too hot?

[FLG]

Go into your bios and check the voltages, then post em up. Even if the voltages are OK if thats the psu that came with the case, i really recommend you swap it out with a name brand psu.

The switch is simply and on-off switch for the psu.

[General Lee]

OK, I can't find where to see the voltages in my BIOS. All I see are the voltages with an 'OK' next to them, no numerical values. According to 'hmonitor' my voltages are:
+12V = 12.35
+5V = jumps around between 2 & 5V
core = 1.55V
I/O = 3.23V
Aux = 2.59V

The +5V & the aux values are highlighted in red. The PSU did come with my case & is apparently a 'Raidmax' PSU. I'd really like to stop spending $$ at this point but if a lot of people agree with you then perhaps I'll have to whip out the old Visa card once again .

Meseaus, I pulled out the processor last night to see if the heat spreader seemed loose & everything appeared OK to me. Is this the kind of thing a noob like me could detect?

Even though I am learning alot, I want to play games on this thing & stop playing doctor with it !

[Mesaeus]

Originally Posted by General Lee Meseaus, I pulled out the processor last night to see if the heat spreader seemed loose & everything appeared OK to me. Is this the kind of thing a noob like me could detect?

I don't think I could detect it. It's just a possibility we have to consider : somewhere the heatsink doesn't make contact with the cpu core, and the heatspreader on the cpu is the only thing left What you can do is leave your pc on for about half an hour, then remove the heatsink (don't dally too long ) and check if the heatspreader is hot or not. If it's only lukewarm, I still think the heatspreader is not making perfect contact with the core, and since that's INSIDE the cpu, you'd better RMA it, because you nor I can check it without removing it and thus making sure that it really doesn't touch the core anymore (and probably invalidate your warranty). Really, I think you should try RMA'ing the cpu, tell them that you get consistent high temps no matter how good the heatsink is fitted and think something in the cpu is broken. Stand your ground.

PS if you're going to check the heatspreader like I suggested, make sure you unplug the pc before removing the heatsink, if it'd accidentally get turned on you could damage it (although it should not these days)

[General Lee]

Meseaus,

What do you think about the cheap PSU issue discussed by FLG? I realize now (too late) that RaidMax makes crappy PSUs. I wish I would have read that sticky thread about PSUs sooner (d'oh!).

[Mesaeus]

Originally Posted by General Lee Meseaus, What do you think about the cheap PSU issue discussed by FLG? I realize now (too late) that RaidMax makes crappy PSUs. I wish I would have read that sticky thread about PSUs sooner (d'oh!).

Well, I'm probably in the minority here since I think the psu usually gets more blame than justifiable. It may not be the best brand, but it should work ok I think. In any case I don't think the psu has anything to do with your current problems, but if you want to have some more peace of mind you can get an Enlight like most here suggest, I just don't think it will solve your problem. I'm still voting for an RMA, if the second cpu also has this problem, THEN we can at least eliminate the cpu as suspect. Or it may just solve this.

[demandred55]

I would suggest getting a new PSU AND RMAing the chip.

While it seems unlikely that your temp problems are related to the PSU, it is possible. Provided that monitor program is reporting properly, I'd say that the 5V rail should not be fluctuating much, and I'm not sure about the 12V rail either. I have an Antec PSU and my voltages are much closer to spec and rarely fluctuate more than a couple of thosandths. If it doesn't fix the problem, it's at least good insurance and peace of mind to know that it wont cause problems in the future. When you're replacing it, just feel the difference in weight between the two PSUs and you'll know there's a difference in quality. Check out the thread titled "I hate Raidmax PSUs" for an example of what a bad PSU can do.

Now, it's up to you whether you want to wait for a new PSU to see if it fixes the problem or just start the process of RMAing the chip. I would RMA if possible because if the PSU does fix the problem, that means that the chip really has been running at those temps, possibly shortening it's lifespan. If the PSU doesn't fix the problem, you'll have to RMA anyway. If RMAing the chip doesn't work, at least you've got a brand new chip that hasn't been subjected to those temps for as long as this one has.

[Alfie]

The problem of cheap power supplies is fluctuation of voltages,and if they should fail can cause damage to components,due to cheap parts and not blowing before taking 1/2 your system with it.
The +12 v line should be constant as should the +5 v line,the - values may vary,but that's normal.
The temps are within the safe range,but still are too hot.
Are you sure you cleaned the ares thoroughly and the heatsink isn't on backwards?

[General Lee]

OK, I am starting to develop a healthy fear of cheap PSUs. I will probably get a new, name-brand one no matter what happens with this heat problem.

Alfie,
Yes I cleaned the heatsink & CPU completely before re-installing (for the 5th time now). As for putting the heatsink on backwards, how is that even possible? This is the stock AMD64 cooler we're talking about so it was pre-assembled & unless I am a complete retard (slightly possible) I am putting it on correctly.

I think I will get a new PSU 1st, since that could be a quick fix & I'm going to get one anyway. If that solves the problem then I may go ahead & RMA the processor too just to have a nice shiny new one.

Please keep the comments coming!

[General Lee]

Update:

I have ordered this PSU & I have an RMA form from mwave in hand. I expect the PSU on Monday & if it doesn't improve the heat situation I'll RMA my chip. Either way I get a quality PSU out of the deal which I need. I'll report my results next week...

[mattabooboo]

generaly hehe i like it general lee, my good man i have been lurking in the background waiting for a solution to your temperature issue as i have been having the same temperature issues with my athlon64 3000+, i got a chaintech zenith mobo with a nice cbox thingy that displays my cpu temp at the front of the case in a drive bay. 69-75 has been my average cpu temp until i updated my bios today, its now 50-55 after i looked through the bios to see if there was anything new i noticed a setting enable amd cpu "quiet" somthing or other, anyway it was disabled so i enabled it and temps dropped pretty much streight away.

catch you later folks

[kram 2.0]

Originally Posted by General Lee Update: I have ordered this PSU & I have an RMA form from mwave in hand. I expect the PSU on Monday & if it doesn't improve the heat situation I'll RMA my chip. Either way I get a quality PSU out of the deal which I need. I'll report my results next week...

Very good choice on the PS Unit. Tell us how things go after that

kram

[timbit]

i'm not sure how a fluctuating 5 volt rail has anything to do with this... i thought that the vcore was the power to the cpu, and if it is saying 1.55 that seems right... maybe someone can enlighten me?

[Rugpriest]

Just want to say that I recently bought an Athlon 64 3000 (socket 754) and used the heatsink and fan that came with it, initialliy it was idling at 64 deg C and maxing at 80 deg C. I flashed the Bios and it changed to idling at 42 deg C and maxing at 60 deg C. Why cant motherboard manufacturers ship 'working' Bios on their motherboards?

[General Lee]

Originally Posted by Rugpriest Why cant motherboard manufacturers ship 'working' Bios on their motherboards?

Maybe they think we would get bored if all of our components worked properly right out of the box!

OK, here is a question:
What do I need to do to protect myself from internet garbage (virus', worms, ect) before I go online to flash my BIOS? My mobo (in sig) came with Norton's Firewall & virus protection & my version of WinXP has SP1. I have a cable connection so I am extremely vulnerable to attack without protection. Could someone please advise?

Also, exactly how does one go about flashing one's BIOS? Just go to mobo website & look for 'BIOS updates' or something?

I really appreciate all the help!!

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

To protect yourself I reccomend:
1. A strong antivirus, if you have Norton 2004 don't use it, it is a resource hog, although 2003 is good. Overwise AVG is a good free antivirus.
2. A firewall, i.e. Zonealarm, Kerio or Sygate. I have heard bad things about Norton's firewall, use a free alternative.
3. Ad-aware, Spybot S&D etc.
4. Download all Windows Updates.

To flash the bios you want to look for you mobo in there download section, find the most recent bios, and follow there instructions.

[Rugpriest]

To be honest, If youre sure you dont have any rubbish (viruses spyware etc) on your pc now, you'll be fine if you just go to the maufacturers website and download the bios. Its only if you start browsing around that you are likely to attract unwanted stuff.

To be on the safe side I'd make sure Norton is running properly though, and get all the latest windows updates.

Ummm - most mobo manufacturers provide a bios flash utility, normally it comes on the cd that came with your mobo.

Hope this helps

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

Just a warning - it only takes 20 minutes to get infected just being connected to the internet without any protection. After any clean installs I always install a antivirus and a firewall before connecting.

[General Lee]

So, I can flash my BIOS with the flash utility on my mobo CD? I thought I would have to connect to get the latest one from the website.

Alternatively, couldn't I download the BIOS to a floppy or to a CD & then load it on my unconnected machine? I guess I didn't make it clear that I have an old Dell that I'm using right now until I get my new rig up to par.

Thanks!

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

BIOS flashes are done off a bootable floppy, not in Windows (well, they can be, but it is not reccomended, and not supported by all mobo's). I reccomend on the Dell you visit the website, then download the latest BIOS file, and flash program, then follow there instructions about putting them onto floppy's etc.

[General Lee]

The Gigabyte website says I need a clean boot disk with the BIOS files on it to flash my BIOS. This is probably a dumb question but how do I make a bootable floppy with WinXP?

Let me guess...
My Computer > right click A drive > format > create MS startup disk

Sorry, I should have tried before I asked.

[Alfie]

The bootdisk you want for bios flashing is a basic disk,if you use the method you've outlined it may be to filled with the xp files to fit the flash utility and bios file on.
Go here and download the bootdisk for bios flashing,it will unzip to a floppy and you'll have plenty of room left.
http://bootdisk.com/

[General Lee]

^^Actually, I had no problem fitting the BIOS files & the windows startup files on to a floppy. I made a bootdisk from the website you suggested anyway & when I open the disk I cann't see any files! Does that seem right?

Regardless, I don't seem to have been succesful in updating the BIOS since it still says version 'F1' when booting up... I followed the instructions & the computer gave me a 'congratulations you have successfully flahed your BIOS' message but I don't think I changed anything.

Does having 'dual BIOS' have anything to do with this?

[Rugpriest]

Dual Bios is a great idea - basically the 2nd is a backup which the pc only uses if the first becomes corrupted. It means you can flash the bios without worrying about losing it.

[Alfie]

The bootdisk for flashing bios should be a minimal bootdisk,hence Dr.Dos flash disk.
The download is self extracting,format a good floppy disk,open the file and it will self extract to the floppy.
Unzip the flash utility and bin.file to that floppy.
Boot from it,activate the flash utility,choose the bin.file,it will ask if you wish to save your old bios,choose yes,it will back up your old bios to the floppy and proceed with the flash.
After rebooting,choose bios defaults,it will reset the bios,you will now have to go into bios,after it reboots and change the bios configuration(reset time,and any other personal parameters you've set.
Save and exit.

[General Lee]

Alfie,
^^I did all of these things except I did not use 'Dr. DOS flash disk'. I used an MS DOS startup disk w/ the flash utility + the new BIOS on it. Like I said before, everthing went smoothly & the computer "congratulated" me on a job well done. I chose 'BIOS defaults' after rebooting & did have to reset all of my personal parameters. I then saved, exited, rebooted & the thing still displayed version 'F1' as my BIOS during boot-up.
This is why I asked about 'dual BIOS' because I thought maybe it was booting from the back-up which would still be version F1. However, in my BIOS utility it has my main BIOS & back-up BIOS listed as identical. Which leads me back to wondering if I actually changed anything at all...

Round & round I go !

[Rugpriest]

Originally Posted by Rugpriest To be honest, If youre sure you dont have any rubbish (viruses spyware etc) on your pc now, you'll be fine if you just go to the maufacturers website and download the bios. Its only if you start browsing around that you are likely to attract unwanted stuff.

Apologies for this - thinking about this its kinda a stupid thing to say. What I meant was that in almost all cases you have to have some user input to 'accept' viruses, spyware etc.

[Preston]

The times I have flashed my BIOS, I did not need to create a bootable floppy, and then copy the new BIOS files to it.

It seems that most of the time, the BIOS update file that you download from the manufacturer's website creates the bootable floppy for you. All you should need is a blank disk. The file you download should make the floppy bootable for you. After the disk is created, leave it in the A: drive and then reboot.

I don't know if this would make a difference or not, but it's worth a try....if that fails you could even try the windows program for flashing you BIOS (I know that it is not highly recommended, but the windows version has worked for me on Intel boards.

Your temp problem could definitely be a BIOS issue. Many times these strange problems can be fixed with a BIOS update....

[General Lee]

Originally Posted by Preston It seems that most of the time, the BIOS update file that you download from the manufacturer's website creates the bootable floppy for you. All you should need is a blank disk. The file you download should make the floppy bootable for you. After the disk is created, leave it in the A: drive and then reboot. I don't know if this would make a difference or not, but it's worth a try....if that fails you could even try the windows program for flashing you BIOS (I know that it is not highly recommended, but the windows version has worked for me on Intel boards. Your temp problem could definitely be a BIOS issue. Many times these strange problems can be fixed with a BIOS update....

The gigabyte website instructed me to make a bootable floppy & then install the new BIOS to that floppy. I didn't cut/paste or anything. Here are their instructions
Also, I have flashed my BIOS in windows with my mobo utility (@BIOS) to no apparent effect. There is yet another way that Gigabyte calls 'q-flash' & I have tried that too. Every time I get the 'congratulations' message from my computer & then when I reboot I see the same old BIOS version (k8nsp_f1) instead of the new one (k8nsp_f4).

[Mesaeus]

General Lee, if you're seeing F1, which version did you expect to see (which are you trying to flash) ? Also, did you see the flash program actually write something ? It should be busy for about ten seconds, most flash programs have a text mode progress bar that fills up while they write the bios. Did you see any of this ? A last thing : some biosses have a "bios protect" function which prevents anything written to the bios when on (and it's usually on by default). When I had to flash a mb with such a feature, I had to enter the bios setup and first disable that protection.

[General Lee]

Mesaeus,
I expect it to change from F1 to F4. Yes, I saw a progress bar that filled up & told me 'good job' at the end. I am looking for a "BIOS protect" function somwhere but have had no luck yet. In the flash utility that comes up when I boot from the floppy there is a heading named 'Flag'. There are 5 boxes to check/uncheck under this heading: 1. flash boot block 2. reset after flashing 3. clear CMOS after flashing 4. keep DMI data 5. auto

Does number 1 sound like some kind of 'BIOS protection'?

My morale is plummeting.