CPU Overheating help

[hookharis]

My CPU has been overheating lately since the last Windows 10 and NVIDIA updates. Specifically I started running into trouble this past weekend after I was gaming on one monitor and watching Twitch on another, which I've done in the past before without issue. I was wondering if someone can help me troubleshoot this.

I don't think the problem is Windows related however because from a cold start, the temperature read in BIOS starts at 60C and quickly climbs to 80C.

I bought CPUID Hardware Monitor PRO yesterday and noticed my idle temp with just a browser, task manager, and hwmonitor running is around 80C, shooting to 100C when I open new browser pages. My H60 pump is connected to my main CPU fan header according to the ASUS manual, and is showing ~4300RPM which I assume means it's working. The radiator fan is running at ~2000RPM. The pump housing and tubing is hot to the touch, but there aren't any strange noises coming from the assembly. Occasionally when I reboot, I get CPU Temperature errors, and yesterday I came home to my computer running very slowly, and automatically shutting down when I opened task manager.

Steps I've taken prior to this post, that didn't help the temperature:
- noticed the bolts on the pump assembly to the board have become looser so I removed it, cleaned/retinted and reapplied my Arctic5 before tightening it down again. this didn't help
- sprayed down the outer surface of the radiator grill removing some dust

At this point, I'm not sure if it's a software/driver related issue, a cooling pump issue, a power issue, or a runaway/broken CPU issue. I am new to HWMonitor and would love to learn everything from the ground up about my computer and read its states properly so any earnest help would be greatly appreciated.

Here are my system specs:

BIOS: not overclocking, firmware hasn't been updated since I got it
MB: ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition
CPU: i7-3820
Cooling: Corsair H60 liquid
GFX: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 960
PWSupply: Corsair TX 750W

Here are screens of hwmonitor:
http://imgur.com/r066fR7
http://imgur.com/9SAmEIq

Thank you very much, and let me know if any additional information is needed.

 

[Karadjgne]

Pump at 4k is normal. Fan at 2k is maxed out. My question is, when was the last time you pulled the fan off the radiator and cleaned all the dust off the fins?

 

[hookharis]

Pump at 4k is normal. Fan at 2k is maxed out. My question is, when was the last time you pulled the fan off the radiator and cleaned all the dust off the fins?

I haven't pulled the radiator off the fans to clean it yet, but I did spray it through with compressed air yesterday evening, removing the visible dust particles on the surface, there wasn't too much as it's only been about 3 months ago when I cleaned everything. But it didn't help the temperature.

I also cleaned retinted, and reapplied my Arctic 5 last night, but my temperatures stayed the same. So I have a feeling it's something else.

But I will definitely remove it for a cleaning tomorrow to see if that can solve my problems

 

[Karadjgne]

You have the fan mounted to the case and radiator on top mounted to the fan in a pull configuration? Or rad between fan and case? If the rad is between the fan and case, often it's susceptible to the 'dust donut' where dust is crammed thick into the fins in a donut. If the fan is mounted pull in between the rad and case, this isn't as much an issue as dust is drawn in in a wider area, covering more of the rad fins. But removal of the rad to blow it out is a little more cumbersome. Usually the easiest method I use is the brush dusting head on a vacuum cleaner hose and give the rad a good tickle. Much cleaner than blowing dust all around the case.

Make sure those screws are tight. Pumps work much more effectively if tight to the cpu, tighter than air cleaners are usually. Many times this means using 4 Teflon/nylon washers under the back brace so that the screw nuts don't reach the stops on the bolts before the pump is tight. Corsair is bad for this.

 

[hookharis]

You have the fan mounted to the case and radiator on top mounted to the fan in a pull configuration? Or rad between fan and case? If the rad is between the fan and case, often it's susceptible to the 'dust donut' where dust is crammed thick into the fins in a donut. If the fan is mounted pull in between the rad and case, this isn't as much an issue as dust is drawn in in a wider area, covering more of the rad fins. But removal of the rad to blow it out is a little more cumbersome. Usually the easiest method I use is the brush dusting head on a vacuum cleaner hose and give the rad a good tickle. Much cleaner than blowing dust all around the case.

Make sure those screws are tight. Pumps work much more effectively if tight to the cpu, tighter than air cleaners are usually. Many times this means using 4 Teflon/nylon washers under the back brace so that the screw nuts don't reach the stops on the bolts before the pump is tight. Corsair is bad for this.

Fan is mounted between case and radiator, and is pulling air in towards the radiator and the case internal.

I performed a more thorough clean half an hour ago and it didn't help the temperatures.

I reach these temperatures quickly in BIOS so I think that rules out my OS being an issue.

So right now these are the possible culprits but I'll need help identifying what it is:
- even though pump is running at ~4000rpms maybe the sensor is malfunctioning or the coolant is not properly flowing through the radiator
- bad CPU; a possibility since I did notice the pump assembly on the looser side when I first checked and it may have been damaged at high temperatures over the course of a few months
- power issues between my PSU and CPU; how do i check this?
- something wrong with my motherboard; updating my BIOS next

Can't think of anything else atm

 

[DarkOutlaw]

You might want to get a hold of corsair, sounds like your pump may be bad. Any chance you have access to some other cooler just to test?

 

[hookharis]

I purchased a Cooler Master 212 EVO and installed an additional Noctua NF-F12, both connected to the CPU header.

Idle temps are now 30C and temps while playing Overwatch and watching Twitch, 56C, 900RPM, and whisper quiet.

Looks like it was the pump after all, maybe coolant blockage or something, but I'd never know because these things are still in non-translucent packaging.

Fully done with these garbage retail market water coolers. Air cooler or custom water cooling is definitely the way to go.

Thank you all for your help, thread can be closed.