Question about heat in the home and old PC?

desktop · Feb 22, 2008, 05:54 PM

I'm giving my old PC to my mom, but in the summer their house gets very hot. They don't have any AC. I'm wondering if this will be bad for the computer?

This is the system: ASUS P4P800, Intel P4 HT 2,4GHz (with stock HS and fan), Ultra X-Connect 500W PSU, 2GB KIngston PC3200, Radeon 32MB PCI graphics card, running Windows XP Home (SP2). I'm thinking I should upgrade the CPU HS and buy some new case fans.

Aside from the heat question can anyone recommend a good HS for the old P4?

Thanks.

BlueMak · Feb 22, 2008, 06:23 PM

What do you define as very hot?

In the room my PC was in last summer the temperature (room) would reach 43C. The temperatures inside the PC rose about 4-5 degrees over when it wasn't as hot.

Judas · Feb 22, 2008, 06:25 PM

what's the temps on the current rig?

so long as everything isn't overclocked.. and the timings and speeds are a little on the "looser" side of things for higher stability (using fail safe settings in bios usually does the trick).... usually most machines do very well in 40-50*C abient temperatures.

desktop · Feb 22, 2008, 06:52 PM

I don't know what C means. In their house it gets above 70 degrees in the summer months. I have no interest in overclocking. Just wanted to know if too much heat would be bad for the PC.

IEMC · Feb 22, 2008, 07:53 PM

Above 70 degrees Fahrenheit is nothing for a PC. As long as it's at safe temps now, a room temperature of 70-90 degrees wont do much to cause issues.

When you get in upwards to 120 (I doubt this will happen) then you should consider something more, like a house fan in the side of the case.

**kris23** · Feb 22, 2008, 07:56 PM

70 Celcius or Fahrenheit? 70 Celcius is too hot for the computer (and for people in general)

and 70 Fahrenheit is not hot at all really.....

desktop · Feb 22, 2008, 07:58 PM

IEMC, thanks for the reply. My mom will just basically use the PC for surfing the Web. I'm looking at getting a new HS for the CPU - a Thermalright SI-120. Someone in another forum has one for sale. They said it would work with my Socket 478 CPU. What do you think?

I'm also getting some new fans.

IEMC · Feb 22, 2008, 08:01 PM

It will work with your CPU, but I'm not so sure it's really worth it. Unless your current CPU fan doesn't work the way it should, a stock CPU heatsink from Intel should be fine.

A few case fans is OK, as long as you don't go overboard.

**kris23** · Feb 22, 2008, 08:01 PM

as long as the Stock heatsink is firmly attached and has decent thermal paste, 70F is nothing you really need no upgrades.

also, how much is that person offering the SI-120?

desktop · Feb 22, 2008, 08:07 PM

I haven't heard back from him yet. Still awaiting his reply. The stock HS and fan has been on that P4 since the guy built it for me, which was over seven years ago.

**kris23** · Feb 22, 2008, 08:13 PM

Thermalright is known for the best heatsinks but they are also known for their weight that can break motherboards if people arent careful. that particular design of the SI-128 has a lower center of gravity so it should hold better but im not guaranteeing anything.

be sure to remove the retaining bracket of your current cooler before you install that one because i think it needs a backplate.

desktop · Feb 22, 2008, 08:20 PM

Well, perhaps I should err on the side of caution; if it isn't broke, don't fix it. I was just thinking in a hot house that it might make sense to upgrade the HS and fan.

**kris23** · Feb 22, 2008, 08:38 PM

it really depends on how hot the CPU runs now, if it hits 60C now then an upgrade is a good idea. but you dont need anything that big for a P4

desktop · Feb 22, 2008, 08:42 PM

Thanks for the help everyone

I'm not sure what the CPU runs at because I could not find a version of CoreTemp that worked with the Socket 478 single core.

**kris23** · Feb 22, 2008, 09:23 PM

you can always buy a Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 for 25 bucks, not sure if it works with 478 though....

desktop · Feb 22, 2008, 09:33 PM

The Freezer 7 only works with LGA775 CPUs.

**kris23** · Feb 22, 2008, 10:18 PM

thought so...

thenewguy001 · Feb 23, 2008, 11:08 PM

I have a s478 P4 prescott (which runs notoriously hot), and it used to hit 70C+ on load. I got a Zalman CNPS7000 AlCu HSF and it reduced my load temps by ~10-15C. I highly recommend it. it sells now locally at $35. If you have extra cash, buy a full Copper heat sink and you'll see even more drastic improvement. The full copper heat sinks are much heavier though and might break your mobo. The s478 mobos should be pretty solid though, it's the LGA775s that are more fragile.

Judas · Feb 24, 2008, 12:28 AM

just for reference.

70*F = 21*C
158*F = 70*C

The abient temperature in the room is 70*F (i personally run my temperature at in my own house and my business @ 72*F).... then you'll have zero issues..

typically anything above 110*F+ is in the danger zone for people (direct sunlight)...

But system built, with a decent stock heatsink and decent thermal paste.. can withstand abient temperatures of over 120*F+ without much problem... highly not recommended for the hardrives mind you... but they should do well enough.. i think the highest i've seen a hardrive survive is just under 150*F.... and it continues to run today. (this is according to the "SMART" monitoring registering that temperature)

kn00tcn · Feb 25, 2008, 11:09 PM

my P4 is kinda warm, but as long as you keep the HS free of dust so that there's a steady flow of cooling it should be good

that & +5-10C above ambient (or 'case') is good

**ChaosMinionX** · Feb 26, 2008, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desktop

The Freezer 7 only works with LGA775 CPUs.

Freezer 64 is for AMD 754/939, and I believe there is an AM2 mounting.

Exilon · Feb 27, 2008, 10:57 PM

Parents had a Pentium 4 running without thermal paste (Dell assembly for the lose) for around 5 years and it's still running good as new. I wouldn't worry about temperatures too much other than changing the thermal compound; those P4's can take a beating.