Troubleshooting CPU Temps

[Noobputer]

Hey guys,

I built a computer about a year back its chocked full of nice hardware, I can give more specifications once I get home. The issue I'm having with my computer is that it starts "lagging" or "chugging" after about 15 minutes generally after a more intensive program is running such as steam games etc.

So far to trouble shoot I've reseated my GPU and unplugged my GPU to use on board graphics, after which it continued. Secondly I checked my BIOs and made sure all the hardware is displaying properly.

Third is what leads me to believe I've found the culprit. I downloaded MSI after burner and checked my GPU temps running around 45-55 depending on the task but after running HW (or something) which was suggested to check CPU temps, I'm fairly certain that what I was reading in the diagnostics was a CPU temp of about 83 degrees. I know that programs which test temperatures test all kinds of different temperatures so maybe a better understanding on which precise reading i'm looking for would help determine the confirmed ACTUAL temp of my CPU. However I know this is far too hot for my computer idle at or even game without overclocking if I read it right. I have a corsair allinone water cooler. I guess what I'm asking now is what steps should I take to trouble shoot the water cooler OR do you think there may be more things that need tested?

I was going to first make sure that the pump is connected to the correct header and not a fan speed header before disconnecting it entirely for a brief period to determine if the temperature changes with it unplugged. I figured if it remains the same then its because the pump isn't working (because if it was working it would rise when disconnected right?) I've already cleaned the radiator and dusted the whole inside using canned air of course. I was then going to get a heat sink and fan to test in the rig to see if it works like a dandy good PC afterwards and confirm that nothing else is to blame.

1. Do you think I should unplug the pump to test if it changes the temp or is that dangerous to my CPU.
2. If it is my pump to blame, how dangerous is running it at all to trouble shoot it in general?
3. Are there any good ways to trouble shoot a water pump that isnt working properly? I could try reseating the whole thing aside from the actual CPU connection. I suppose if i got some thermal paste I could also reseat that as well.. thoughts on this?
4. If I'm unable to fix the pump and I just get a new CPU cooler (opinion based) do you recommend another water pump or just a good rated heat sink and fan?

 

[DRagor]

1. IT's okay. Of course not for long test, but as long as heatsink is installed on CPU it will survive. Note however that motherboard may refuse to run if nothing is connected to CPU_FAN header. Common trick here is to connect case fan to the header to fool motherboard.
2. Again, as long as heatsink is in place, running machine at idle is almost no risk.
3. Just put your ear to the cooler and listen. If pump is working, esp. if you set it to full speed, you should be able to hear it. If you can't hear it, good chance is it is not working.
4. You'll get votes for both answers here. In short, what you like more. It's not like water cooler can cool better then good air cooler, so it's mostly personal preference and sometimes available space in case (as air coolers tend to be bigger).

 

[Noobputer]

1. IT's okay. Of course not for long test, but as long as heatsink is installed on CPU it will survive. Note however that motherboard may refuse to run if nothing is connected to CPU_FAN header. Common trick here is to connect case fan to the header to fool motherboard.
2. Again, as long as heatsink is in place, running machine at idle is almost no risk.
3. Just put your ear to the cooler and listen. If pump is working, esp. if you set it to full speed, you should be able to hear it. If you can't hear it, good chance is it is not working.
4. You'll get votes for both answers here. In short, what you like more. It's not like water cooler can cool better then good air cooler, so it's mostly personal preference and sometimes available space in case (as air coolers tend to be bigger).

Okay its good to know that I'm not risking burning my CPU into dust by trouble shooting it. I will try the fan trick if my motherboard gives me any lip. Is there any corsair software for monitoring the water pump and maybe turning it up to full speed the same way MSI afterburner does? Either way assuming the pump is just not working whether I can hear it or not, are there any common breaks or fixes for this kind of problem? Will reseating it help or should i re apply thermal paste etc?

 

[DRagor]

Corsair Link is the software you need for Corsair coolers. Note however that in some cases software may show the pump as working, even if it is not. If the pump is not working (and everything so far points that way), there can be only two causes: dead pump or faulty motherboard header. With dead pump only solution is to replace cooler. Dead header may be less of problem (you can use other header to run the pump), but in such case the only permanent solution is to replace motherboard.