Question : Problem: Overheating CPU

Hi I have a friend whose computer has a major overheating issue. Her pc is equipped with an AMD Athlon 64 x2 dual core 6000+ running at stock speed that would normally be at 35C and 45C during idle and load time respectively, which is a pretty good temperature given that she is gaming in hot summer. However recently the processor temperature started to heat up drastically, the slightest processor activity would result in a sharp increase, for example transfering a file would cause the CPU to go up to 46 (which is normally around 36) and loading up any game would raise it to a whopping of 60C shortly followed by a system shutdown.

The possible cause of this alarming temperature is bizarrely confusing. She ensured that the CPU fan was rotating properly, thermal paste was applied correctly, the heatsink was securely mounted to processor and plenty of air was flowing in the casing which is a good brand with good space and equipped with adequate number of fans.  Additionally the room temperature didnt rise by much (currently weather temperature is 18 C according to weather reports) since last time the processor was working (about one week ago), I dont think couple of degrees rise will lead to such a drastic increase in the CPU temperature.

Its an odd problem given that the common causes of overheating have been double checked, CPU never been overclocked and its using a good third party cooler so I am having hard time determining the cause of the problem

The only speculation I can think of is this: The problem only occurred after she has started to play World Of Warcraft in a multi boxing environment for couple of days (see link below for brief explanation)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiboxing

Essentially its a way of playing multiple characters simultaneously by running multiple instances of the game. In her case she was running 3 instances of World Of Warcraft which was stressful on her system indicated by reduced frame rates and stuttering which are severe during intensive combat scenes and in crowded areas. I believe this kind of activity was CPU intensive and could be a sign that her processor might had stability problem and only became evident when it was pushed to its limit by a stressful CPU task.

Reckon that the above have served as a stress test suggesting that the CPU was not very stable, defective and should be RMAed while its under warranty, rather than trying replace the CPU cooler?
Thanks in advance
a_anis3000

Answer : Problem: Overheating CPU

I have the same CPU, and I game as well. I have found this CPU to run extremely hot.
Combine that with a massive GXF card and hot summer days/nights and your rig could heat a small room.
The temps you listed are still within specs of that CPU, so you're good there, but I dont think it should be shutting down at 60c. I say this because I too have reached 60c, and my rig doesnt shut down.

Some of the items I would double, triple check:
 - Air flow is consistant and not conflicting with each other, IE: fans blowing in the wrong direction.
 - Possibly replace fans depending on their RPM's. (alot of aftermarket fans run faster than stock fans that come with cases.)
 - I would pull the HS, clean CPU with rubbing alcohol to remove residue, reapply arctic silver, and reseat HS.
 - If you have a mammoth-sized GFX card, make sure its in the bottom-most PCI slot so its as far away from the cpu as possible.
 - Buy one of those exhaust fans that you can install in an open card slot, and place it under the GFX card, so the hot air being blown DOWN from the GFX card blows right into the exhaust fan, and out of the case. My GFX card gets hot enough to fry an egg.
 - Check your BIOS to ensure that your case fans are blowing at full speed as apposed to a variable speed. (my mobo supports this, I dont know if yours does.)
 - Check for running processes in task manager. If the rig has 8000 running processes, it will run warmer than it should, especially when gaming. I dont use my gaming rig for anything other than gaming, so my running processes are at a minimum.

Some other random ideas....
 - What material is the case made from? (steel cases are no good because they retain heat. Aluminum is best because it does not.
What size cooling fans are in the case? (usually, bigger is better) I have 3 120mm case fans that move around 3000rpm. 1 intake that runs across the hard drive down the bottom front of case, and 2 exhaust as well as the slotted exhaust fan underneath the GFX card.

Good luck in your troubleshooting. If I think of anything else, Ill let you know.