[COLUG] Computer overheating

[Chris Clonch]

Could it be sensord shutting things down?  I don't think it is installed by 
default in (k|x)ubuntu.  Does running sensors report anything?  If sensord is 
running are the right kernel modules loaded?

Can you post the output of lspci?  How about the the output of lsmod?

-Chris

On Monday 03 September 2007 8:08:59 David McGlone wrote:
> On Monday 03 September 2007 7:11:38 pm jep200404 wrote:
> > David McGlone wrote:
> > > My desktop computer keeps shutting down when anything too much
> > > is done on it.
> >
> > Please define "anything too much is done".
>
> Sorry about that. What I mean is say for instance using a couple
> applications simultaneously.
>
> > > the system log says it is overheating.
> >
> > Open the case and touch things to feel how hot they are
> > (while first making and maintaining contact with metal chassis):
> >
> >    The CPU heatsink
> >    Other big chips such as northbridge or southbridge chips
> >       (or their heatsinks)
> >    memory modules
> >    electrolytic capacitors
> >
> > Also, _look_ for bulged electrolytic capacitors.
> >
> >    http://www.altavista.com/web/results?q=domain%3Acolug.net+electrolytic
>
> I stick my finger in and touch the heatsink, the north & southbridge and
> all other components and they are all cool to the touch. can't even tell
> they are even warm.
>
> I've looked at all the capacitors and I see none of them bulging.
>
> > Look at the heatsinks underneath the fans. Are they clogged with dust?
>
> I have blown out the tower numerous times and applied new thermal paste on
> the cpu which did not seem to help.
>
> > Look at all the fans. Do _all_ the fans spin? slow or fast?
> > How do the fans sound? smooth or erratic (hoarse)?
>
> the only time the fan spins is on startup, it doesn't make any noise out of
> the ordinary, it runs smooth and seems to be working just fine.
>
> I started seeing this problem a long while back when I was using redhat.
> The problem with that is when I would go to install Redhat the computer
> would shutdown from overheating and I would have to open the case and
> direct a house fan into it in order to get anything installed. With SuSE I
> never had the problem. Then about a year ago, I switched to kubuntu and I
> again had to use the fan to get kubuntu installed. Ever since then it shuts
> down from overheating when It's used.
>
> Another thing is when I did get redhat installed it would shutdown from
> overheating without even touching the computer and I asked the people on
> the redhat list and IIRC there was a solution which had something to do
> with cputemp or something like that wasn't working correctly and I had to
> stop the temperature module or something. (Mind you this was about 3 or 4
> years ago.) I think with RH 7.
>
> Also this never happened with SuSE which I used from Fedora's 1 day up
> until about a year ago. Even the big bloated YaST didn't overheat the
> computer.
>
> Another thing, windows works just fine.
>
> All this is what makes me think it's a software problem and not hardware.