Skyrim CPU temperature

[Tang3rine]

Hello dear adventurers , I'm here to ask about a technical problem regarding CPU temperatures.You see , after a few days of playing skyrim , my computer rebooted and displayed an error about CPU overheating.I've never monitored my temperatures before so I googled a bit and found two programs , SpeedFan and RealTemp.According to them , my computer idles at around 50 C , when Skyrim laucher pops goes to 60 C and within a minute of playing the game jumps to 100 C.

 

Normally I was running the game on "high" graphics option but using "low" only delayed the time needed to hit 100 C , from 1-2 minutes to around 5.

 

I've tried launching other games to monitor temperatures , Far Cry 2 and Deus Ex : Human Revolution , on the highest settings possible and after half an hour of play max temp was around 80 C.

 

My knowledge on hardware is very limited so any help would be appriciated.

 

Edit : Some other info , CPU is Intel® Core i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz and GC is ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series

Edited November 26, 2011 by Tang3rine

[Jackal2233]

Turn on your aircon. I live in a very humid and hot environment, and my fan goes crazy if I don't turn on the aircon too. Keep everything frozen.

 

If it doesn't work then it's an issue with your fans/cooling system.

Edited November 26, 2011 by Jackal2233

[Tang3rine]

My room temperature has been betweeen 12-19 C the passing weeks so I doubt I need to use air conditioning.The reason I'm unsure that it's a problem with my cooling system is because it only goes to dangerous levels when I launch Skyrim.Do you think my graphics card or cpu is not enough for skyrim ?They seemed to cover minimum requirements.

 

Again , even basic information might help me , my knowledge on hardware is very limited.

[BarefootWarrior]

I can tell you that my CPU does run hotter for this game, but I'm using a liquid cooling system. But, I am also using a Cooler Master Sniper case with three 120 mm fans, one venting out the top so I have plenty of air flowing. So my question would be, what kind of case and air flow do you have? In my instance, my GPU is running hotter then the CPU, but the fan on the video card is keeping it from getting too hot (along with the other fans).

 

My point is, you may have a system that can handle the game (technically) but it is possible that you just don't have a case with sufficient air flow? Further, have you cleaned the fans and the heat sink for the CPU? This could make a difference too, I have cleaned systems for others and you would be surprised how much dust can accumulate around the heat sink and fans. Most new cases have foam filters, and those need to be cleaned as well. I have seen the dust bunnies from hell in some systems that I have cleaned, and it can seriously affect cooling.

 

A clean computer is a happy computer...for the most part. Just throwing this out there. :biggrin:

Edited November 26, 2011 by BarefootWarrior

[agno]

"A clean computer is a happy computer...for the most part. Just throwing this out there. :biggrin: "

 

Absolutely true.... when mass effect 2 came out i started overheating.... checked out my vid card

and she was jammed with dust, took the entire system apart, respected electrostatic shock

(take off your socks, take off your sweater, ground your body before touching gear)

 

cleared out cpu heatsink / fan, cleared out vid card heatsink and fan, also cleared out

the powersupply and fan (power supply contains deadly powerful capacitors, do not

clean unless you understand and respect electronics and are an adult)

 

then i overclocked the *censored* by 20% on stock cooling.

 

dust bunnies are a REALLY big deal ;)

 

tools of choice: wooden dowel like a shishkebob skewer, carve one end into a slot

head skrewdriver shape (to scrape fan blades clear) get an old toothbrush to help

clear out debris.

 

plastic and wood do not conduct electricity.

 

do not poke around with anything metal while cleaning.

[BarefootWarrior]

"A clean computer is a happy computer...for the most part. Just throwing this out there. :biggrin: "

 

Absolutely true.... when mass effect 2 came out i started overheating.... checked out my vid card

and she was jammed with dust, took the entire system apart, respected electrostatic shock

(take off your socks, take off your sweater, ground your body before touching gear)

 

cleared out cpu heatsink / fan, cleared out vid card heatsink and fan, also cleared out

the powersupply and fan (power supply contains deadly powerful capacitors, do not

clean unless you understand and respect electronics and are an adult)

 

then i overclocked the *censored* by 20% on stock cooling.

 

dust bunnies are a REALLY big deal ;)

 

tools of choice: wooden dowel like a shishkebob skewer, carve one end into a slot

head skrewdriver shape (to scrape fan blades clear) get an old toothbrush to help

clear out debris.

 

plastic and wood do not conduct electricity.

 

do not poke around with anything metal while cleaning.

 

Thank You..if I can add to this. Yes, I forgot the static electricity issue. This is important. You bring up the part of removing your socks..don't laugh, it is true. If anyone is going to clean or maintain your system at home, do it in barefeet...and remove any clothing that can cause static electricity. And try not to clean your system while standing on a carpet, I would use a kitchen floor as an example...no carpeting. The reason for this is..the static will 'discharge' in your feet as you go and not build up. Typically, my uniform at home anyway is just jeans and a cotten T-shirt, but polyester, nylon blends of clothing are generators and store static like a battery. Hoodies are a good example, sweat pants or tops.

 

TIPS:

 

Unplug everything on your system...do not clean with your system plugged in to power...don't even think about it. Turn off the power supply before you unplug it from the wall....power supplies have a switch on them.

 

Bring your case somewhere with a hard floor if possible, try not to clean or work on your system while on carpet.

 

I always have a can of 'canned air' around, and I use a soft one inch paint brush (and it is used only for cleaning never painting) and a vacuum with a hose. I gently 'brush' the dust off while I have the vacuum hose close so it will suck up anything I brush off. I use the canned air to blow out the heat sinks and fans..again with the vacuum close by so it will suck that up as I go. Use the canned air in 'short' puffs...not long ones and more importantly...do not use the can upside down or very cold liquid will spray out. I use Q-tips to clean the fan blades and small items and sometimes have the tips wet with (example) a window cleaner..clean all the blades and housing carefully. The fans are small, but if not cleaned correctly, you can get a fan out of balance by not cleaning all the blades. Silly, but true.

 

In rare examples, I have had to pull the heat sink off to get it cleaned...I do not recommend this for the average user. New thermal compound needs to be applied and that means cleaning the surfaces before you do, just be aware of this before you even think about it.

 

Take your time! Don't rush this. I have taught many how to do this and it does pay off in the long run. I live in a house that is over 100 years old and it is dusty by nature. I clean my system every three months at least. While you are at it, check your internal cables and look for anything loose.

 

Hope this helps. :tongue:

Edited November 26, 2011 by BarefootWarrior

[elderiii]

80C is hotter than that CPU is supposed to get, 100 C is way hotter than it can safely run at. Make sure that you have good airflow in your system, and by all means take the cooler off and repaste the thermal compound. You shouldn't go over 40 C idling (35 would be better) and 60 C during a game, my CPU doesn't go much over 60C in the toughest games and it's overclocked a fair bit.

 

Skyrim is very CPU intensive, so it's not surprise that it runs hotter than some other games. :)

[agno]

Its actually a bit counter intuitive, but when the power supply is plugged in, it provides a ground for

the entire system, a ground for the mobo, and anything attached to the mobo.

 

unplugging the psu will also unplug this ground, which is fine because when you unplug it

it will be in a balanced state of static charge, if you dont provide outside static no problem.

 

anyway anyone can just be super safe about it and unplug the stuff,

you can use a faucet as a ground (hundreds of feet of steel / copper)

or use the third prong of your electrical outlet. if you view it as a face

shape, its the mouth that is the ground.

 

| | <-- painful electrocution

O <-- ground (safe)

 

psu's are deadly even after being unplugged from the wall for several hours,

they use giant capacitors that can potentially maintain their charge for a long

time, by the nature of capacitors, if shorted they will release their entire charge

as rapidly as the physics will allow. (deadly fast)

 

feel free to blast your psu with air, and even to take off the metal top so you

can get a better angle with your air blaster, but dont be pokeing and prodding

without knowing how and why the psu is so deadly.

 

do not remove a heatsink from a cpu unless you have more thermal paste

available once you break the seal of the old thermal compound, it will never

be as good as it was, best to clear it all off and reapply new paste

[maboru]

And...make sure you have good thermal paste remover/cleaner before reapplying the thermal paste.

 

A good hand vacuum cleaner with a wand attachment simplifies things greatly.

 

You can go through the arcane mystic ritual of stripping down on a wood floor and chanting to the static electricity god (I know I have in the past! ) or you can purchase a wrist grounding strap from an electronics store and follow it's directions.

 

The most important thing is to have a computer case with good air flow and fans. As CPU intensive as this game is I really don't understand how people can run it on a laptop ( unless they use a block of ice for a laptop stand! )

[BarefootWarrior]

And...make sure you have good thermal paste remover/cleaner before reapplying the thermal paste.

 

A good hand vacuum cleaner with a wand attachment simplifies things greatly.

 

You can go through the arcane mystic ritual of stripping down on a wood floor and chanting to the static electricity god (I know I have in the past! ) or you can purchase a wrist grounding strap from an electronics store and follow it's directions.

 

The most important thing is to have a computer case with good air flow and fans. As CPU intensive as this game is I really don't understand how people can run it on a laptop ( unless they use a block of ice for a laptop stand! )

 

Chanting is good! been there, done that. Also came up with some good four letter words too. :tongue: