My Processor has gone NUTS!!!

Hi friends,

I have C2D E8400 processor and ASUS P5KPL-CM motherboard. I decided to clean my system from dust. So I dissembled every part and cleaned them. Now what happened is that my Processor is showing temp like 65C- 85C even in idle mode(in BIOS). I tried checking my processor heatsink but its very cool and CPU fan is running at 1.7k-1.8k RPM.

I think that something is wrong with processor's heat sensor because suddenly it drops temp like - from 80 to 74 and increases like from 52 to 60 etc. The temp sometimes also decreases in load and sometimes increases in idle too
The supplied Intel heatsink in properly fitted.

Plz help guys.

Out of curiosity, did you "clean" the thermal paste by removing it by any chance? How did you clean the thermal goo from the heatsink and processor? What did you do after cleaning it, assuming you have removed it. Did you connect the heatsink fan on the "cpu_fan" header on the motherboard?

LOL seems like he's messed up with the TIM.

LOL. Why should I clean the thermal paste from heatsink and processor when my processor is just 1year old? The thermal paste is still sticking to both the parts. I cleaned dust from the heatsink and around the processor socket(not inside the socket ).
Also, When I go into BIOS and press HARDWARE MONITOR, sometimes it takes 3-4 seconds to open and show the Temperatures. My MB temp is @35C, GPU @45-50C, HDD @30-33C while CPU @60-80C and sometimes 50C in LOAD.

Still thinking what is the problem?

@Gannu. What is TIM?

Let me google that for you

@gforce, Thank u for the help.
@sorcerer, yes, the cpu fan is fitted in the CPU FAN socket. I haven't touch the Thermal Paste on Heatsink and Processor.

But I still didn't get any solutions for my problem.

^Ha ha.

Thermal interface material aka thermal paste aka goop. By any chance did you reseat your heatsink after you removed it? Your 1 yr old goop whichc ame with the Intel heatsink is no good after a brief period of usage. And during the course of your dusting inside the enclosure, dust must have settled atop the goop which negates any effect of heat being conducted to the heatsink from the IHS (Internal heat spreader - the copper plate atop the cpu!).

Buy a tube of a TIM - MX2, TX2 or MX3. Drop a rice grain worth TIM atop the IHS and reseat the heatsink.

GOOD GOD- why on earth do you want to use so many emoticons. We are not interested in seeing your facial reactions after every sentence laddie!!!

Okay let me ask you in a different way- Did you remove the hsf for cleaning and then reseated it? Did you try reseating it AGAIN and securing those 4 plastic push pin and turned them? Those intel TIM, as gannu calls them (I call them packaged pigeon poop), arent of much help, especially if you have removed and reseated them.

Just do what gannu told you to do. BTW gannu, IIRC intel (as far as c2d 45nms are concerned), those base are aluminum, not copper.

@ Sorcerer, Yeah I removed the Heat sink with the fan attached and reseated it and also turned the 4 Plastic pins. Actually one of my friend has done all this.(He has assembled many computers)
Ok I will try doing as suggested. Lets see if it cures it or not.

Thank you all .

I was referring to the IHS - I can say most of the CPU & the GPU IHS' are made of Copper since it relatively has a higher thermal conductivity than Aluminium. There're even better ones such as silver, graphite and some alloys which're even expensive!

As I recollect, all the Intel Core 2 Duo 65nm processor heatsinks (except the E4xxx series as Frostytech puts it) had a copper heat spreader in the center - I had a E6850 before and a E8400 now - I remember seeing the stock heatsink that came with the E8400 - it had a copper insert although it was a low profile heatsink compared to the stock one that came with the E6850. So says this link.

FT also says that the Core 2 Duo E4xxx series came with a solid Al insert in the center - Intel Stock Core 2 Duo E4xxx Radial Curved Bifurcated Fin Heatsink - FrostyTech.com

@TS

please check once by dissembling ur proccy n hsf and see if u've left/dropped any particle inside the LGA775 socket...and also that u've inserted back the ATX_12 connector to the mobo.

Yep

Thermal goop has to be changed, apply a thin layer of goop(Use Sunbeam TX-2 at least) on your processor contact surface, fix the heatsink and apply equivalent pressure on all 4 sides(take a friends help) and turn the plastic screws. BE REALLY CAREFUL with the plastic screws as you might break them by applying too much pressure. I hope all your screws are okay as even a single disfigured clip/screw can cause the heatsink to get loose and cause uneven cooling.

Since you are using a c2D 8000 series processor it has to come with a copper base heatsink that is a bit taller than the all-aluminum heatsink of the Intel 4000-5000 series.

@Rahul, There isn't any dust particle inside the socket, we checked it but as u said I will check it again.
@Aman, Thank you very much for suggesting the process and precautions.

I just found that my CPU fan isnt running at full scale. It used to run at 2.1k-2.5k RPM earlier but now its running at 1.7k-1.8k even in load @75C. When I select Q-Fan in BIOS then it runs at 900 RPM.
Doesn't it mean that my CPU fan has gone bad.

I will order TIM soon since I didn't find it in local market.