One of two things needs to happen.

[gridlore]

We either need a new computer with massive heat sinks and a fan that would feel at home on the Altamont Pass, or we need to move to a place that was built sometime after the end of WWII and incorporates such modern concepts as insulation.

It's bloody 2100 hours, and the main computer is still giving me the overheat alarm after ten minutes of use. Mr. Bigglesworth is a fine machine, no doubt, but the computer is our sole remaining CD player. I can't listen to, let alone review, the new Priest when the computer keeps crapping out!!!

Comments

[kshandra]

Let's square away the car repair bill (keep a closer eye out on the mail the next couple of weeks, will you? I haven't seen our first bill for that credit card yet, and the revolving period with the con on it MUST have closed by now), and then we'll get the new system. I'll start batting my eyes at various geeky friends for assistance in moving various and sundry data onto the new hard drive.

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

I'm a hardware maintenance person in RL. It's unusual for a system to suddenly start overheating in short order unless
1) a fan inside is broken.
2) a grille or heatsink is clogged with dust, lint, hair, etc.
3) the computer's access to room-temperature air has become restricted.

As for #1 and #2, if you are comfortable with opening the case, you won't hurt anything by blowing all the dust and dirt out with a $4 can of air, and you can inspect the visible internal fans for proper movement or damage.

For #3, are there any new sources of heat nearby? Rearranged furniture? Stray sheet of paper fallen over some vents in the back?

[fr-john.livejournal.com]

I suspect that they not only don't have insulation, they don't have air conditioning. If the room-temperature air going into the case is over 100 degrees and the heat-sink and fan in the computer are old/inadequate, you may have very high in-case temperatures that can cause the cpu to go wonky.

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

wow!

In a situation like that (garages, sidewalk sales), I've had good results with a household comfort fan blowing in the open side of the case.

[valkyrwench.livejournal.com]

In the absence of a new system, and after you've blown out the dust, try placing a small fan on the outside of the case, blowing air past it. It's what I've had to do with my iMac to keep it from overheating in the afternoons, now that it's getting up into the high 90's here.

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

Powerful air flow is the name of the game here. De-dusting the case is a good start, making sure the intakes are clear helps too, then aiming a powerful fan at what is left. A cheap WalMart box fan is enough to help enormously.