LEECHIPTURNER
asked on
GATEWAY THERMAL EVENT
Hi,
My 2 year old Gateway computer shutdown today; when I rebooted, it said it shut down because of a thermal event. I opened it up and everything seemed ok. I couldn't find any hotspots. I called Gateway, and they said I could have it fixed for $389, or buy a new one for $499. What causes a "thermal event?" Do I need a bigger fan, another fan, is the mother board overheating, is it the drive, the cards??? How do I find out? And can I add a fan and still use this pc?
Any thoughts??
My 2 year old Gateway computer shutdown today; when I rebooted, it said it shut down because of a thermal event. I opened it up and everything seemed ok. I couldn't find any hotspots. I called Gateway, and they said I could have it fixed for $389, or buy a new one for $499. What causes a "thermal event?" Do I need a bigger fan, another fan, is the mother board overheating, is it the drive, the cards??? How do I find out? And can I add a fan and still use this pc?
Any thoughts??
Sounds like BS from gateway they are probally going to blow it out.
SOLUTION
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Hello LeeChipTurner,
While LucF recommends using a vaccum, he should of really said to use a vaccum which is designed specifically for use inside computers. Do not use a standard household vaccum to clean inside your computer as this gives of electromagnetic static which could be harmfull.
Instead of using a vaccum, I recommend getting a can of compressed air (available from most electronic and computer stores for about $4-$6) and using that to clean the interior. Most compressed air cans do not need to be shaken (read the label first). If you happen to shake them then some of the liquid may escape from the nozzle which is no good for inside your computer.
As LucF says, check the fans and make sure they are in working order. If any of them are stopped or appear to be moving slowly, they should be replaced right away.
Good luck,
Auriclus
While LucF recommends using a vaccum, he should of really said to use a vaccum which is designed specifically for use inside computers. Do not use a standard household vaccum to clean inside your computer as this gives of electromagnetic static which could be harmfull.
Instead of using a vaccum, I recommend getting a can of compressed air (available from most electronic and computer stores for about $4-$6) and using that to clean the interior. Most compressed air cans do not need to be shaken (read the label first). If you happen to shake them then some of the liquid may escape from the nozzle which is no good for inside your computer.
As LucF says, check the fans and make sure they are in working order. If any of them are stopped or appear to be moving slowly, they should be replaced right away.
Good luck,
Auriclus
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Thanks everyone. This will be hard to divy up points!! LUCF, the temperatures from the Everest program are:
MOTHERBOARD 97 F
CPU 95 F
WDC HARDDRIVE 108 F
Does this sound acceptable? According to Callandor's message, this should be well within range. The hard drives are apparently running a little hot. ??
MOTHERBOARD 97 F
CPU 95 F
WDC HARDDRIVE 108 F
Does this sound acceptable? According to Callandor's message, this should be well within range. The hard drives are apparently running a little hot. ??
Well within range, but there's also the possibility that the heatsink is making bad contact with the cpu, or the sensor could be calibrated wrong. If you reseat the cpu and heatsink, you may get better contact.
$386 for some cooling issues?? That's just a rip-off!
You'll have to check the inside of your computer, just remove the cover from the case and turn it on. See if all fans are running smoothly.
Also, check if there's a lot of dust on heatsinks or things like that.
Power it down (and remove the main cord) then use a vacuumcleaner to clean out the system, be carefull with this! You do this on your own risk.
Greetings,
LucF