cpu temperature problem

[the_metal]

the cpu has very strange problem it freezes if it's temperature gets below 86 F / 30 C but it works normally even above 149 F / 65 C .
if anyone has any clue about this strange situation please help
thank you .
dual boot : windows 7 64 bit and windows XP 32 bit
CPU : Intel Pentium dual core e5200 2.5GHz
MB : MSI p31 neo
RAM : 2x 2GB ddr2 800 MHz Kingston
GPU : MSI radeon hd 6670 1GB ddr3
PSU : 600w Chinese brand

 

[ShintaiDK]

65C is not a problem at all for a Core 2. The tjmax is much higher.

How do you measure the temperature? And what cooling.

 

[the_metal]

my problem is not with 65C ,but its that my pc will just hang if my cpu temp is under 32C . I can leave my pc running for days without problems as long as there is some load on the cpu which makes heat above 40C .
i measure temp. using HWmonitor

 

[TuxDave]

That's mind boggling. If you were in the silicon debug lab I'd probably have some answers for you.

Maybe it's not a temperature thing but instead a usage thing so some process starts when your computer is idle. Googling "computer crashes when idle" got a TON of hits, so.... maybe it's one of those. (check your power settings, disable turn off HDD and monitor after idle and see what happens). What programs do you have running (anti virus? etc...)

 

[tweakboy]

Redo your whole process. Wipe CPU clean and block,, and put it again make sure its nice and tight.. then your set to go,,, gl

 

[Piotrsama]

It happens on both your OS, we guess?
You have SpeedStep enabled/disabled?

 

[Vectronic]

+1 to the last two posts, it's probably not a temperature issue, but a configuration issue.

Seen often when overclocking (not sure if you have or not), where higher clocks might be stable, but idle/lower clocks aren't because the jump between idle and load clocks happens quicker than the motherboard can compensate for.

Something as simple as an e-mail check might bring it out of idle to middle clocks, and it freezes.

And what do you mean by "freeze" anyways?... does it BSOD, does it halt all processing, or does the screen just freeze?

If it's not BSOD, what happens if you try something when it's frozen such as:
WinKey + R
cmd
dir /S c:

Is it accessing the HD, just not showing it on screen?

If it's not overclocked, no fundamental changes happened, and just started doing this one day, probably either PSU or motherboard is dying.

 

[the_metal]

That's mind boggling. If you were in the silicon debug lab I'd probably have some answers for you.

Maybe it's not a temperature thing but instead a usage thing so some process starts when your computer is idle. Googling "computer crashes when idle" got a TON of hits, so.... maybe it's one of those. (check your power settings, disable turn off HDD and monitor after idle and see what happens). What programs do you have running (anti virus? etc...)

I'm thankful for you helping me. I've tried Google with that search for the last month without any results. Already did choosing performance profile and disabled hdd and monitor turn off option but with no luck so far. I've tried a new HDD without any OS on it and while setting up windows on it ,it just hangs. So i really think its not software related. Any other ideas ?

 

[the_metal]

It happens on both your OS, we guess? You have SpeedStep enabled/disabled?

Thanks for the help. Yes it does happens on both OS and even on a new formatted HDD. I didn't play with SpeedStep at all, I even selected bios defaults when this problem started. Anyway I've disabled C1E and EIST from BIOS options .

 

[the_metal]

+1 to the last two posts, it's probably not a temperature issue, but a configuration issue.

Seen often when overclocking (not sure if you have or not), where higher clocks might be stable, but idle/lower clocks aren't because the jump between idle and load clocks happens quicker than the motherboard can compensate for.

Something as simple as an e-mail check might bring it out of idle to middle clocks, and it freezes.

And what do you mean by "freeze" anyways?... does it BSOD, does it halt all processing, or does the screen just freeze?

If it's not BSOD, what happens if you try something when it's frozen such as:
WinKey + R
cmd
dir /S c:

Is it accessing the HD, just not showing it on screen?

If it's not overclocked, no fundamental changes happened, and just started doing this one day, probably either PSU or motherboard is dying.

Thank you so much for helping me.

My cpu is not overclocked. PC freezes even if not in idle state (ie : windows startup) as long as temperature is low. I did a test to know if this problem is idle related, i stopped the cpu fan and then started my pc and guess what, it didn't freeze even in idle mode and the temperature was 50C and to make sure i used a normal fan which was directed toward the pc case and the cpu temperature started to went down and when it reached 30C then the pc hanged.

To describe the "freeze" it happens like this:
-screen turns off as if there is no signal from the pc.
-mouse light turns off.
-mouse and keyboard won't work.
-the pc can't be reset unless used hard reset.
-shared files from pc can't be accessed from network pcs.

 

[Vectronic]

Have you tried re-seating the CPU?

If it's actually temperature related, there's probably something physically disconnecting... when it's cold, it shrinks enough to disconnect, errors/freezes... if it's warm it expands enough to make a connection.

Are you sure it's the CPU though?... and not capacitors, mosfets, VRMs close to the CPU? Would probably be hard to isolate that... spose if you had a soldering iron on a low setting, you might be able to warm up individual components and see.

 

[the_metal]

Have you tried re-seating the CPU?

If it's actually temperature related, there's probably something physically disconnecting... when it's cold, it shrinks enough to disconnect, errors/freezes... if it's warm it expands enough to make a connection.

Are you sure it's the CPU though?... and not capacitors, mosfets, VRMs close to the CPU? Would probably be hard to isolate that... spose if you had a soldering iron on a low setting, you might be able to warm up individual components and see.

Yes I've re-seated the cpu with applying new thermal compound without any hope.

No am not sure. Maybe its something near the CPU as you described but that will be really hard to diagnose. Why in BIOS cpu is at 30C without problem and without freezes ?

 

[Fallengod]

Ya, it wouldnt make sense that a cpu freezes if too cold so. Its gotta be some feature you have enabled or something thats happening. Maybe you just have something that is unstable. I dont know.

 

[the_metal]

Ya, it wouldnt make sense that a cpu freezes if too cold so. Its gotta be some feature you have enabled or something thats happening. Maybe you just have something that is unstable. I dont know.

Thanks for the help.
I totally agree with you. Do you think restoring BIOS to defaults will remove all enabled features ?

 

[NathanBrook]

That's mind boggling. If you were in the silicon debug lab I'd probably have some answers for you.

Maybe it's not a temperature thing but instead a usage thing so some process starts when your computer is idle. Googling "computer crashes when idle" got a TON of hits, so.... maybe it's one of those. (check your power settings, disable turn off HDD and monitor after idle and see what happens). What programs do you have running (anti virus? etc...)

I appreciate your answer it possibly due to hang the PC on for long time too....

 

[coffeejunkee]

PSU : 600w Chinese brand

This makes me suspicious.

 

[p4ck3tl055]

To describe the "freeze" it happens like this:
-screen turns off as if there is no signal from the pc.
-mouse light turns off.
-mouse and keyboard won't work.

Silly question: Are your mouse and keyboard plugged into the monitor?

My monitor has a USB hub in it and I've got my keyboard and mouse plugged in there because of the cable lengths. When my monitor goes to sleep, the keyboard and mouse do too. (Although my computer wakes up at the slightest activity from either.) So maybe it's something related to that.

If not that, have you tried plugging the keyboard/mouse into different ports? What about telling Windows to not allow the USB ports to go into power saving mode?

I'm just thinking of possibilities.

 

[the_metal]

This makes me suspicious.

I have a cooler master psu and even when i tried it, the problem does happen.

 

[the_metal]

Silly question: Are your mouse and keyboard plugged into the monitor?

My monitor has a USB hub in it and I've got my keyboard and mouse plugged in there because of the cable lengths. When my monitor goes to sleep, the keyboard and mouse do too. (Although my computer wakes up at the slightest activity from either.) So maybe it's something related to that.

If not that, have you tried plugging the keyboard/mouse into different ports? What about telling Windows to not allow the USB ports to go into power saving mode?

I'm just thinking of possibilities.

No, my kb and mouse are not plugged into the monitor.
USB suspend setting is disabled.

 

[coffeejunkee]

I have a cooler master psu and even when i tried it, the problem does happen.

Ok, I guess that's not the problem then. Not that CM makes the best psu's but 2 different ones causing the same problem seems unlikely.

Well, then I have no idea at all, this sure is a weird one. Seems the only way to find out is to swap parts with a different pc.

 

[tweakboy]

The sensor might be defective possibly.

 

[the_metal]

Seems the only way to find out is to swap parts with a different pc

I really did that too. I swapped RAM, GPU, PSU, HDD. Unfortunately nothing prevented this problem to occur.
Do you have any idea that will make my cpu min. temperature to be 40C instead of 30C which makes it freeze.

 

[mikeymikec]

Humidity?

<clutching at straws>

 

[the_metal]

Humidity?

<clutching at straws>

could you explain more ,please ?
thank you.

 

[mikeymikec]

could you explain more ,please ?
thank you.

I build computers as part of my business. Quite a few years ago, I was delivering a computer in January (so up to 20C difference in temp between indoors/outdoors). It was about a 45-minute drive, and when I set up the computer, it was totally unstable for about an hour after first switching it on (bear in mind, it worked flawlessly in my home). After that approximate-hour had passed, it was 100% stable (and has been ever since). I think it is pretty likely that the sudden changes in temperature in the case (taking it into the cold and then back into a warm, home environment) caused enough condensation to cause problems.

Nowadays I wrap a computer in plastic before taking it to the customer. I haven't seen the problem since (about 80 builds later).

If you have access to a de-humidifier it may be worth running it in the room that the computer is in, at least to begin with and see whether it makes any difference.

I think you ought to be looking for an unusual solution since you've covered most of the usual points. Issues where a computer is unstable during warm-up are usually due to dodgy capacitors and/or PSU.

How long have you used this computer for? Have you used it regularly and then this problem occurred out of the blue? Did it just suddenly happen and has been this way ever since, or did it get steadily worse?

Where are you geographically?

Instead of booting Windows, can you boot into memtest86+ (http://www.memtest.org/) from CD from cold and see how works from there?