At 09:43 PM 08/06/2000 Dharam Bhardwaj wrote:
>
>I have a AMD 233 mounted on a super 7 motherboard and a decent cooling
>fan and a layer of thermal paste in between. However, the 233 heats
>close to 61c and higher and then the system stops. What else, if
>anything, can I do to reduce this heat? The power supply fan works fine.
>


Dharam

You should first verify the voltage is properly set for your AMD 233 on
this motherboard.

CPU cooling fans are rather deceptive. It really is not the fan itself
that's most important, but the cooling fins on the fan. You need maximum
air exposure (surface area to mass ratio), in a design that will dissipate
heat synergistically with the cooling fan.

You can also add an intake fan in front of the case, which would blow
external air over the CPU.

Check your case airflow, since you have an older system. Blow the dust off
your motherboard, the components and the power supply (and its exhaust fan)
with a can of air. Re-work the cabling so your airflow is improved.
Sometimes taping closed some of the holes in the case will improve your
airflow (increase the draft) over vital components.

Put the computer in a cool area of your workspace, and keep the room cool.

I would also remove the thermal paste and either (1) leave it paste-free;
or (2) reapply new thermal paste. Some thermal paste applications may
harden or lose conductivity with age, and sometimes are not properly
applied (non-ceramic top AMD CPUs are difficult applications) . I quit
using thermal paste myself.

Most hard core computer enthusiasts leave part of the case off to access
devices, but they also do this to keep the system cool. Some even point a
external fan into the case to lower temperatures further.

Even if a computer is running properly, within operational temperatures,
reducing the heat by a few degrees will increase the life span of your
electronic components.

Good luck,

John Chin

         PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
                     visit our download web page at:
                     http://nospin.com/pc/files.html