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Computer problems...

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wraith808:
I have 7 computers in my office, and just recently one at a time, they started to overheat chronically.  The fans are at full capacity all of the time, and I get lockups from heat sporadically.  Before this, they had all been on all the time (except the three laptops- they get shut down regularly), and in the case of my two servers, had been up for over a year, literally, other than the couple of times that electric failure extended beyond their battery backup time.  Has anyone heard anything like this anywhere else?  Or does anyone have any suggestions?

Carol Haynes:
Have you checked there isn't a think layer of fluff coating the intake filters on the case which will stop cool air getting in. Look on the front of the actual case in front of the intake fan and you should find something like spongy cloth held in plase by a piece of plastic with large holes in it (or a lattice of plastic).

Are you fans good quality and orientated to give good air flow (in most systems air should be pulled in from the front and bottom of a tower case and pushed out through the back and possible top of the case). Check on the fans that the air is going the right way.

Check you CPU heatsink and fan - again I find the fins on the heat exchange can get clogged with fluff - are the fans working properly. I have had a number of CPU fans fail over the years - usually bearings wearing down which you can hear but I have had them just stop turning)

If you check all that and there doesn't appear to be a problem can you upgrade your CPU cooling system with something better (even really good heat sink and fan sets are pretty cheap). Can you replace your case fans with better quality fans (they are very cheap $3-4 each - check the volume of air they push and go for the biggest, but also try for quiet fans which is a bit of a trade off).

If you want to clear stuff out buy cans of compressed air to blow away dust rather than being tempted to use a vacuum cleaner (which can kill a computer by static discharge).

tomos:
If you want to clear stuff out buy cans of compressed air to blow away dust rather than being tempted to use a vacuum cleaner (which can kill a computer by static discharge).
-Carol Haynes (September 21, 2007, 01:59 PM)
--- End quote ---
Carol,
I'm curious 
- having used a hoover a couple of times in the past... :tellme:
would that be from the metal of the hoover touching the machine or something else ?

edbro:
Have you checked task manager when they are overheating? Are there any new programs/processes? Anything misbehaving programs using 100% of CPU?

Carol Haynes:
If you want to clear stuff out buy cans of compressed air to blow away dust rather than being tempted to use a vacuum cleaner (which can kill a computer by static discharge).
-Carol Haynes (September 21, 2007, 01:59 PM)
--- End quote ---
Carol,
I'm curious 
- having used a hoover a couple of times in the past... :tellme:
would that be from the metal of the hoover touching the machine or something else ?
-tomos (September 21, 2007, 02:31 PM)
--- End quote ---

No I read an article when I was building my first system. Up until then I used a vacuum cleaner to clear dust. It seems to be to do with the airflow over the plastic nozzle on the end of the vacuum tube which causes a charge to build up.

The other thing is I did break a fan blade off with a vacuum cleaner once (easy to do!)

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