Computer is prone to overheating when playing games

[Ray Trace]

Ever since I received a new graphics card (a Nvidia Geforce GTX 960) to replace my old defunct AMD r9 series graphics card, the computer gets prone to overheating when running demanding applications. This is especially true when running Dolphin Emulator and it shut off once when Bazooka Mario and I were both playing Left 4 Dead 2 together. From what I've seen in the Core Temp application, it's the CPU that's overheating, and it shuts off when the temperatures hit around the 80 degrees Celsius mark. Disabling Dual Core play in Dolphin Emulator keeps the temperature at the 60-70 range, but it heavily slows emulation down.

I am still using a stock fan that was always there with my computer, should I get a better fan? And if so, what fan is recommended? Dusting the computer with a specifically-designed vacuum didn't cool the computer down. I do not overclock at all.

My CPU is an AMD FX-8350 Eight Core processor. Its idle temperature is fine (around 10-30 degrees) but running demanding applications like emulation and games bumps the temperature to the bad zone, around 70-80 degrees.

 

[EctoBiologist]

did you try to ave for one of these https://www.google.co.ve/search?q=pc+cooler&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=4NeeVt2cFsv5-AHlyby4Bg#q=water+cooling+pc

 

[Keqing]

i used to have a similar problem a few months ago when playing dota
did you open up your pc to clean it with the vacuum? cause i used one of those usb mini vacuum things (idk if you used the same) and it didnt really work out for me
i took it to a shop instead and they blew compressed air in it and out came a handful of dust from my laptop. ever since then my computer has been running fine and cooling appropriately, so you could try doing that if you havent done so.
you have a good card and processor and if you could run it before w/o problems then i dont see why you cant when you upgraded, so maybe try doing that and see if that makes it better

 

[Kerrigan]

I'm not sure if this is just from having a ridiculously old computer, but this seems to be normal. The computer uses more energy when it's running games, which therefore causes it to heat up.

How much it heats up depends on what you're running. If you run a really sophisticated game (like one with the best quality graphics, sound, and other things), the computer will heat up much more than if you run a simple game (like one you program).

 

[Ray Trace]

did you try to ave for one of these https://www.google.co.ve/search?q=pc+cooler&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=4NeeVt2cFsv5-AHlyby4Bg#q=water+cooling+pc

I don't really want a water cooling system. Those are more expensive and again, I have no need to overclock my computer. If I need a better cooling system, I think I'm better off with a simple fan. The most reliable cost effective fan I see runs for around 30 bucks, typical water cooling runs for around 100, and I personally think air cooling is a better bang for my buck than a water-cooled one.

i used to have a similar problem a few months ago when playing dota
did you open up your pc to clean it with the vacuum? cause i used one of those usb mini vacuum things (idk if you used the same) and it didnt really work out for me
i took it to a shop instead and they blew compressed air in it and out came a handful of dust from my laptop. ever since then my computer has been running fine and cooling appropriately, so you could try doing that if you havent done so.
you have a good card and processor and if you could run it before w/o problems then i dont see why you cant when you upgraded, so maybe try doing that and see if that makes it better

I use a desktop computer and, yes I did open the cabinet up and used a small vacuum thing to blow into it, especially its CPU fan. It wasn't too dusty though I did blow some dust out. There wasn't any change in temperature. Also, I'm not sure if the heat sink or thermal paste is worn out, it's hard to tell (mostly because I don't know).

I could ask to take this to a shop though, maybe they would recommend what I do with it. I had this computer for around...uh, 1 or two years, it really shouldn't be breaking down now, unless 3DS Max and emulation is really that hardware intensive.

I'm not sure if this is just from having a ridiculously old computer, but this seems to be normal. The computer uses more energy when it's running games, which therefore causes it to heat up.

How much it heats up depends on what you're running. If you run a really sophisticated game (like one with the best quality graphics, sound, and other things), the computer will heat up much more than if you run a simple game (like one you program).

My computer isn't really old. I think it's less than three years old.

It ran those things before without any problems. My computer is specifically designed to handle PC games and 3DS Max. It could run Dolphin emulated Wii games at full speed; emulation is by far, one of the most hardware intensive things you can run, and a last-gen console nonetheless. The problem is that there's something up with the cooling system, so the computer shuts itself off because my hardware gets too hot.

Besides, if the computer shuts off because Left 4 Dead 2 was being too hard on it, then there's certainly a problem with it. To be fair, I was playing splitscreen so it's more intensive than single screen but my point still stands.

 

[Dr. Peach]

I suggest installing another fan inside the PC. It may help with the GPU and CPU problem. I have a Radeon R7 240 DDR3 in a Intel Core 2 Quad PC, works flawlessly without overheating problems. I had a Radeon HD 5450 which sucked horrendously bad that worked fine.

But it could be your PC case or the motherboard though. You could try moving over to the Intel Broadwell or Skylake architecture which is smooth as hell and Dolphin runs smooth on it. It will have less overheating problems. For emulation though, Intel processors are the way to go because they don't lag when compared to AMD's chips.

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

Well, the problem is that it worked smoothly before. I don't think installing another fan would address the core situation of whatever our computer experiencing right now: that perhaps the thermal paste is worn or the fan isn't doing its job somehow.

I'm not sure what you mean by moving stuff to architecture because I don't think it's a structural problem but something going on with one component.

 

[Ray Trace]

I suggest installing another fan inside the PC. It may help with the GPU and CPU problem. I have a Radeon R7 240 DDR3 in a Intel Core 2 Quad PC, works flawlessly without overheating problems. I had a Radeon HD 5450 which sucked horrendously bad that worked fine.

No, the only feasible solution is replacing the stock fan. My computer case won't allow for another fan inside there.

And I have no idea why you said your PC works fine. Mine works too. It's just that a component is failing, a component related to keep the computer cool.

But it could be your PC case or the motherboard though. You could try moving over to the Intel Broadwell or Skylake architecture which is smooth as hell and Dolphin runs smooth on it. It will have less overheating problems. For emulation though, Intel processors are the way to go because they don't lag when compared to AMD's chips.

What. My PC case is well-ventilated. I blew out the dust and the case is more than two inches away from the back wall, the most prominent side that will contribute to the computer overheating. It also sits on top of my desk next to a window.

Why are you asking me to change my motherboard? It's not the motherboard's fault. It's the thermal paste or the fan that's failing. The motherboard is working fine. It only overheats when running excruciatingly demanding applications, such as modern splitscreen games or emulation. Even so, the stock fan seems to be running completely fine, I know this because I checked. I really think it's the thermal paste wearing out. It's not like I want to overclock anyway.

I think you're just saying crap you don't understand. None of my components have issues except the cooling parts. I don't need to change my GPU nor my CPU.

 

[Ray Trace]

Okay, I reapplied some thermal paste to the appropriate place, and the temperature readings dipped back to better levels (it now caps at 60 degrees when playing Dolphin Emulation with Dual Core enabled). I think we can run splitscreen games again, hopefully, without the computer cooking itself.

 

[Dr. Peach]

Okay, I reapplied some thermal paste to the appropriate place, and the temperature readings dipped back to better levels (it now caps at 60 degrees when playing Dolphin Emulation with Dual Core enabled). I think we can run splitscreen games again, hopefully, without the computer cooking itself.

Good luck. But if it actually gives you the same problem again then sadly you're out of luck.

 

[Ray Trace]

If it did, I would get a new fan. Simple. Buying a fan is almost always better than using the computer stock fan.