Computer Hardware Servicing NC II Tutorial

Warping Of The Processor And The Heatsink
You might find yourself using a computer and suddenly your system freezes and immediately shuts down? And when you try to the computer on, you need to wait for a minute or even more to "cool" down the system. This is quite a serious problem! Your computer's CPU is overheating. But don't worry, there are several reasons why your computer's processor overheats.

Some computer overheating problems may have a quick solution where one may not need any technician to do the job and some overheating problems may require an expert to do the fix. But with our simple tutorial, we will teach you the basic troubleshooting to a more advanced techniques. Computer problems that has to do with the processor is delicate and dangerous. You might have your processor fried or get burned so adequate care is a must to observe.

So here are some of the possible causes why your CPU is overheating

1. The auxiliary fans or case fans aren't working and or defective.

2. The CPU or processor fan that is mounted on the processor's heatsink might be broken or spinning below its required speed. Lower speed means lower dissipation of heat from the computer processor heatsink.

3. The computer processor heatsink might be filled with dust. And as we know, dust impedes the escape of heat thus increasing the processor to build heat fast and high causing to trigger the overheating protection feature for most computer processors including the AMD and Intel Processors.

4. The thermal grease or paste may have run dry or it may not have any. Lack or no thermal grease applied on the processor increases the tiny area or air gaps between it and the heatsink. The trapped air will serve as an insulator and this is not good for your computer.

5. Computer processor heatsink and or processor may have warped. This can be checked by removing both the computer processor and the heatsink and mark both surfaces with a permanent marker and rubbed on a flat surface, preferably a sheet glass. We will have more discussion about it on lapping a processor.

Now that we how what causes the problem, what are then the most effective ways to solve it?

If the fans on the side cover or generally the auxiliary fans aren't working or are not working properly, it could possibly contribute to the increase in temperature inside the system unit. An increase in temperature inside the system can and will cause a slow dissipation of heat that has built-up on the computer processor's heatsink. With the constant increase in temperature the processor automatically triggers the unit to shutdown,before it fries itself.

So the best solution for this is to have those auxiliary fans working again by fixing or totally replacing them. It's the quickest fix and if things still does not work, you probably need to do another check to see what really causes the problem.

Processor Heatsink Fans Spins Slow

Slow spinning of the fan that is mounted directly on the processor's heatsink impedes the dissipation of heat. Thus there will be an enormous heat buildup and again triggers the computer to shutdown to avoid frying the processor itself. The slow spinning fan does not always indicate that the fan is defective. It is possible that the BIOS setting may have affected its speed. You can disable the fan control setting in the BIOS and this will automatically let the processor fan run at its maximum speed.

Another possibility is that your PSU might have some problems. But prior to pointing the problem solely to the PSU, you might also consider checking the fan if it is in good working condition. Try to check if the fan is constricted by hairs or dust particles. A good fan blows air harder on the heatsink thus allowing it to dissipate heat faster and saving your CPU to shutdown by itself. Cleaning the fan blades will likely solve this problem.


The Processor Heatsink Is Filled With Dust

Dusts would serve as heat insulator. That means if your heatsink is filled with it, heat couldn't dissipate well to keep the processor running at the right temperature. You can easily check this one by looking at the grills of the aluminum or copper heatsink, clean all dusts and other particles on it using a brush and a can of compressed air. Better yet, remove the entire heatsink-fan assembly then clean it.

Aside from cleaning it, you might consider buying a copper type than utilizing an aluminum one. Copper is a better conductor of heat than aluminum but it sure does will cost you more.


No Thermal Grease Or Past Applied?

Before mounting the heatsink on the processor, a thermal grease or paste should be applied to reduce the air gaps and patch up the deep areas of both surfaces. If a thermal grease or paste isn't available in your favorite computer parts store, you may alternatively use silicon compound which is available at any electronics store.

Sometimes, you need to replace the thermal grease once in a while. You actually get the problem solved by doing this. By the way, if your CPU's temperature reading is high, it doesn't mean it's overheating as different CPU's have different operating temperature. CPU overheating was a thing of a past for AMD processors. Most AMD processors this day has a feature that prevents itself from frying. Intel Processors had long been a favorite because of its durability and ability to endure working even on high temperatures.

The heatsink really does not warped as much as the processor will. Why do you think that a processor will warp or deform? It is because of the heat that it generates when it is in operation. Intense heat deforms metals and other materials and it doesn't exempt processors. Indication of a warped processor is that when you try to remove the heatsink, the processor would stick on it. It sticks because of the air packets trapped between the processor and the heatsink when one of the materials warp when heat begins to rise.

So how do we resolve this problem? We can do this through a process called lapping. CPU lapping can be dangerous when performed inappropriately. Lapping is flattening out the surface especially the processor to some few micrometers to a fraction of a millimeter by rubbing it on a sandpaper. The purpose of this is to eliminate air packets on the surface of the CPU. We will be discussing about lapping for the next topic.

CPU overheating can be resolved with procedures mentioned earlier. Test and observe then switch to the other procedure if one cannot resolve the problem. Please ensure to follow safety and proper procedures before opening your computer or performing the said solutions.