Overheating now?

[imsolosthelp]

This is my first build and recently I have been having trouble with it suddently shutting off while running a strenuous program. The comp has been doing this for the past week or so, But this build has been operating on the same specifications for almost a year now, and everything i am operating now was operating then. I am pretty sure its not a virus because the comp seems to be overheating outside of windows, but only when a major program is running, Such as myself trying to reinstall windows to correct the problem. The first time this happened i recieved a message from my mobo that an Overvultage or Overclocking error had occurred. I think my Processor is overheating but I dont know why, Some specifications on my system must have changed without my knowledge. Any help would be appreciated.

My specs are:
Asus P5WD2 Premium Mobo
Intel Extreme edition 3.2

[newbuilder14]

Go into the BIOS - > Power - > Hardware Monitoring.

What are your CPU temps?

[jfk]

Please post your full system specs, including PSU make and wattage.

[Foosa]

clean the dust out in your case. And you may want to take your heatsink off and reapply thermal compound.(clean all the old stuff off first)

[imsolosthelp]

The PSU is a comp usa brand, Wattage at 500. I checked the CPu temp while in bios, and for some reason while idling in bios the CPU was at 94 C, I installed Ai booster, and while Idling in windows the CPU was at 77 C, and jumped higher each time something was loaded. I Just detached my heatsink, and the bond seemed alittle sketchy, Plus it was full of dust.

I am wondering if i should just clean my current Heatsink, clean off the old gel, Apply some new stuff and hope for the best, Or i should just Go buy a completely new Heatsink, possibly spending around 60 Bucks to ensure this doesn't happen again. Could it simply be new Gel because the heatsink i have now of course came with the processor from Intel, And operated reasonably well over the past 10 months with minimal overheating. Thanks for your help.

[Alaron]

94C is crazy high. You shouldn't need a new heatsink, at least not at this point.

Clean off all the dust from the heatsink and fan as well as the entire system. I would clean the heatsink and chip and reapply a thin layer of thermal paste. Here is a guide: http://www.arcticsilver.com/ins_rout...2intelas5.html Make sure to use the thinnest of layers, any more will do more harm then good.

Make sure the heatsink is attached fully so it makes good contact with the chip.

Also make sure the system itself has good airflow, with a couple of fans and no messy wiring. Make sure the case itself has breathing room in a normal temperature room.

Report back with your new temps.