CPU Idling at 70 C

torlen11cc

Reputable
Jul 29, 2014
46
0
4,530
Hi, my CPU always runs at 70C idle and when I play games it shuts down. The noise coming from it is driving me crazy!
My CPU is i3.
What can I do?
Thanks.
 
Solution
That is a prime indicator that your cpu cooler is not mounted well.
Check to see tat all 4 pins are through the motherboard and locked.
There should be no wiggle if you nudge the cooler.

The stock Intel cooler can be tricky to install.
A poor installation will result in higher cpu temperatures.

To mount the Intel stock cooler properly, place the motherboard on top of the foam or cardboard backing that was packed with the motherboard.
The stock cooler will come with paste pre applied, it looks like three grey strips.
The 4 push pins should come in the proper position for installation, that is with the pins rotated in the direction of the arrow,(counter clockwise) as far as they can go.
If you want, play with the pushpin mechanism...
That is a prime indicator that your cpu cooler is not mounted well.
Check to see tat all 4 pins are through the motherboard and locked.
There should be no wiggle if you nudge the cooler.

The stock Intel cooler can be tricky to install.
A poor installation will result in higher cpu temperatures.

To mount the Intel stock cooler properly, place the motherboard on top of the foam or cardboard backing that was packed with the motherboard.
The stock cooler will come with paste pre applied, it looks like three grey strips.
The 4 push pins should come in the proper position for installation, that is with the pins rotated in the direction of the arrow,(counter clockwise) as far as they can go.
If you want, play with the pushpin mechanism until you know how they work.
Place the cooler so that all 4 pins are oriented over the holes in the motherboard.

Push down on the entire cooler so that all 4 pins are through the motherboard.
When you push down on the top black pins, it expands the white plastic pins to fix the cooler in place.

The trick to getting it on is to push down on a DIAGONAL pair of pins at the same time. Then the other pair.
If you do them one at a time, you will not get the cooler on straight.
Lastly, look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pins are equally through the motherboard, and that the cooler is on firmly.
This last step must be done, which is why the motherboard must be out of the case to do the job.
It is possible to mount the cooler with the motherboard mounted in the case, but you can then never be certain that the push pins are inserted properly.

If you will need to remove the cooler, turn the pins clockwise to unlock them.
You will need to clean off the old paste and reapply new if you ever again take the cooler off.
 
Solution

The really proper way to install the pins is to press the plastic frame firmly against the motherboard so there is no slack between the frame, the base of the push-pins and the motherboard before pushing the pins in. Failure to seat everything together before pushing the pins is how pins fail to make it all the way through. If you force the pins in when they are not already fully through, it can chip or crack the hole or deform the pins, rendering a correct snug fit impossible. Doing this step properly makes looking at the back of the motherboard completely unnecessary: the only way it can fail at this point is if the motherboard's mounting holes are too large or the pins have been damaged by previous failed install attempts.

If the pins have snagged just-not-quite-through-the-hole, a visual inspection can easily miss it and by this time, the motherboard or pins have already been potentially ruined - that is how I ended up putting a 212+ on my C2D, needed to get something with a backplate to get around chipped holes.
 

TRENDING THREADS