Pentium 4 socket 478 (cpu or M/B?)

[Comtech Solutions]

Hi all,

I am replacing a CPU for the first time, would appreciate a second opinion. Been in business 2 years, and this is the first time it's come up!


M/B is Asus P4P800S-X. Socket is 478. CPU is 3.0 GHz Pentium 4.

Symptoms: Machine turning off after 5 minutes use. Bios shows CPU at 90 Celcius (195F). CPU-Z reports same.

Troubleshooting: All fans working. Power supply OK. Removed heatsink and fan - lots of thermal paste (too much methinks). Cleaned CPU and heatsink/fan and applied new thermal paste. CPU now running at 80 Celcius (175F). Intel info shows 60 Celcius would be a better temperature.

So is the CPU done? I think the heatsink is too. It would be about $100 (Can)to me to get a new CPU and heatsink/fan. Is it possible the M/B or socket is the problem? I'd hate to install new parts if there's something else I'm missing....


Thanks!

 

[sunfireman]

Check to make sure that the CPU is not overclocked, Is the CPU a Northwood or a Prescott?

 

[Cetamega]

With these temps I am going to assume it is a Prescott. They used to run really hot. I think just upgrading the heatsink would work.

 

[ithinkyou5.0]

check to make sure that the heatsynk is on proparly and makeing contact with the cpu and that there is thermal paste on the cpu, the stock coolers are usualy pretty good but if tehre not installed right they can cause this behaviour. if the cpu is at 90 i dont recommend running it at all untill you have the solution as it can casue damage to the cpu very easly and quickly.

 

[Comtech Solutions]

Check to make sure that the CPU is not overclocked, Is the CPU a Northwood or a Prescott?

It is a Prescott. On closer review it looks like the silver paper peice attached to the bottom of the heatsink is not attached correctly and is not sitting perfectly flat. Not sure I can do anything about that other than order a new heat sink which I have done for $35. I do have an extra P4 chip, so I'll try the new heatsink with the old chip, before I put the new chip in. Gotta love learning.....

 

[ChrisQC]

In the past, when we have had heatsinks with the silver foil on the bottom, we have just peeled it off and applied thermal paste and they have been fine.

 

[SOHO-NZ]

I've peeled the foil off before and repasted - worked for me.

The Prescott P4 does have thermal protection. If it thinks it's overheating, it will start to reduce clock speed - called "thermal throttling" - there is a utility you can use to see if this is happening called Throttlewatch. I have used this in the past to diagnose slow systems.

If there's any thermal throttling at all, you're running too hot.

Prescotts run much hotter than the Northwood P4. Your 60 degC is a typical max. temp for a Northwood. Max. temp for a Prescott is in the 90's, IIRC.