XCOM2 overheated my PC

[Duder]

Hardware problem? The game crashed my computer.

[Duder]

Originally posted by SamBC:

Originally posted by Beer:

Yeah I think this is it. I noticed the CPU left a little stain on the CPU fan when I cleaned it

Wait, you took the fan off the CPU, and didn't put new thermal paste down when you put it back?

♥♥♥♥ no, I did not. I c.an probably get some from work, I work in a damn electronics blacksite

[SamBC]

Originally posted by Beer:

Originally posted by SamBC:

Wait, you took the fan off the CPU, and didn't put new thermal paste down when you put it back?

♥♥♥♥ no, I did not. I c.an probably get some from work, I work in a damn electronics blacksite

Thermal paste is no good once it's been separated - it degrades, and you get air bubbles that can be a real problem. If you remove the heatsink, you need to remove the paste from both it and the CPU with alcohol (isopropyl, I use) and apply new paste.

[Duder]

Originally posted by SamBC:

Originally posted by Beer:

♥♥♥♥ no, I did not. I c.an probably get some from work, I work in a damn electronics blacksite

Thermal paste is no good once it's been separated - it degrades, and you get air bubbles that can be a real problem. If you remove the heatsink, you need to remove the paste from both it and the CPU with alcohol (isopropyl, I use) and apply new paste.

Thanks, but do you really think it's my CPU that's heating up? It seems only to be when my video card is pushed to the max. With Xcom2 and Comcast stream HD. Six hours later the Power Supply shuts down the PC as a safeguard.

[Ka'shurio]

Originally posted by SFzero2.Ryu:

Maybe.
You can try to install some computer monitoring software to check it.

My computer was 65-69 degree celsius while not playing any game, 83-85 degree celsius when XCOM2 WTOC loaded, should be higher if I play Total War: Warhammer 2.

like @KaneBlackHand said, you can try to clean your computer.

How on earth ...

I live in a tropical country where ambient temps are 26 degrees Celsius or higher.

I don't use liquid cooling, and my cooling system certainly isn't top of the line (using 3 intake fans with 2 exhausts, minus PSU, which has its own for both), and my CPU on load is 55 degrees C tops, GPU being late 70s tops at 100% load.

If yours is 65-69 degrees C idle, there is a very serious issue with your comp - didn't apply thermal paste? Didn't clean for 3 years? Fan not working? Faulty GPU or CPU?

[Duder]

If yours is 65-69 degrees C idle, there is a very serious issue with your comp - didn't apply thermal paste? Didn't clean for 3 years? Fan not working? Faulty GPU or CPU?

Nope, 28 celsius idle, but it gets up to 65 loaded. I didn't apply thermal paste. I'm a little worried about playing Xcom2 now because I know what the issue is. So that's what that sticky grey stuff was? I thought it was free nougat and licked it off!

[76561198034396398]

install and run Speccy anything over 60 Deg C on the CPU will cause your M/B thermal cutout to kick in and reboot,use Compressed air to clean,or wash your fans ( they will dry ) also get Heavy Load this will stress test your rig

[Ka'shurio]

Originally posted by Beer:

If yours is 65-69 degrees C idle, there is a very serious issue with your comp - didn't apply thermal paste? Didn't clean for 3 years? Fan not working? Faulty GPU or CPU?

Nope, 28 celsius idle, but it gets up to 65 loaded. I didn't apply thermal paste. I'm a little worried about playing Xcom2 now because I know what the issue is. So that's what that sticky grey stuff was? I thought it was free nougat and licked it off!

Oh ok, phew. That's a relief to hear.

[Ka'shurio]

Actually, you know what?

I think you should just get your comp to a specialist store to help fix it up, if you are not sure how to.

[Duder]

Originally posted by Mr Squeak:

Actually, you know what?

I think you should just get your comp to a specialist store to help fix it up, if you are not sure how to.

I'm not that bad, Jeebus. I can rip them apart and put them back together okay, this is the first time I've had to deal with the paste. First actual nice rig I was ever able to buy. I grew up in the DOS era.

[Tiasmoon]

Originally posted by Beer:

Originally posted by Mr Squeak:

Actually, you know what?

I think you should just get your comp to a specialist store to help fix it up, if you are not sure how to.

I'm not that bad, Jeebus. I can rip them apart and put them back together okay, this is the first time I've had to deal with the paste. First actual nice rig I was ever able to buy. I grew up in the DOS era.

There's no shame in letting a specialist do the work. That said, it's always nice if you can do the fixing and replacing yourself.

Originally posted by Beer:

Originally posted by SamBC:

Thermal paste is no good once it's been separated - it degrades, and you get air bubbles that can be a real problem. If you remove the heatsink, you need to remove the paste from both it and the CPU with alcohol (isopropyl, I use) and apply new paste.

Thanks, but do you really think it's my CPU that's heating up? It seems only to be when my video card is pushed to the max. With Xcom2 and Comcast stream HD. Six hours later the Power Supply shuts down the PC as a safeguard.

Well if you have no thermal paste on your CPU at all, then yeah thats definately the issue.

Hey on the bright side, its not quite as bad a situation as it would be if you forgot to put the heatsink back on. :P

Reminds me that I should do some refreshing on my hardware knowledge and some cleaning myself..haven't actually opened my desktop since I build it.

[Duder]

Yeah I can't play it for more than an hour now without the CPU overheating. What was I thinking!
Guess I'll have to go play the original Xcom2. TERROR FROM THE DEEP

Crabmen, beware.

[Yxklyx]

Every time (twice) I've had this issue with a game it's because of power spikes related to graphics in a game after I had personally upgraded my PC. Upgrading the power supply solved the problem.

[MysticalPotato]

Originally posted by Beer:

In any case. XCOM2 shouldn't be such a power hog. I never understood why it is.

Yes it should. But it uses less than many games out there. Just take a game like the division. It puts my CPU and GPU to near 100% nearly all the time and my fans are going full blast. With XCom 2 this does not happen. So yes, it's an issue with your PC.

Originally posted by Beer:

Originally posted by Mr Squeak:

Actually, you know what?

I think you should just get your comp to a specialist store to help fix it up, if you are not sure how to.

I'm not that bad, Jeebus. I can rip them apart and put them back together okay, this is the first time I've had to deal with the paste. First actual nice rig I was ever able to buy. I grew up in the DOS era.

If you've never had to deal with paste, you've never built a PC. Thermal paste has been used on CPUs for a very long time.

Originally posted by Mr Squeak:

Originally posted by Beer:

If yours is 65-69 degrees C idle, there is a very serious issue with your comp - didn't apply thermal paste? Didn't clean for 3 years? Fan not working? Faulty GPU or CPU?

Nope, 28 celsius idle, but it gets up to 65 loaded. I didn't apply thermal paste. I'm a little worried about playing Xcom2 now because I know what the issue is. So that's what that sticky grey stuff was? I thought it was free nougat and licked it off!

Oh ok, phew. That's a relief to hear.

65 under load is just fine, but you really need thermal paste. 28 is very good idle. Sounds like you have another issue, possibly your PSU (which people often skimp on, but it's a very important component) or some other component.

[kbmodigity]

If you didnt put thermal paste on after cleaning then I wouldnt even turn your computer on. Your computer is shutting itself off so that it literaly doesnt burst into flames. You are also more than likely doing damage to your CPU from the overheating.

If you have never applied thermal paste before I advise you leave it to a profesional. Dont apply enough and it does no good. Put to much on and it will spill over the sides and you can get it in the sockets for the CPU and/or other circuits and components. This is very bad for them.

If you do decide that you do want to do it yourself anyways the rule of thumb is that you apply an amount about the size of a cooked grain of rice. It doesnt sound like it would be enough but as you clamp down the fan and heatsink it will spread itself out. As Sam-BC said though make sure you have properly cleaned both the heatsink and CPU before doing anything. Both surfaces need to be completely clean and flat for proper contact to get the proper thermal flow from the CPU to the heatsink. If not done correctly its like not having thermal paste at all.

[Tiasmoon]

Originally posted by ✅ MysticalPotato ✅™:

Originally posted by Beer:

In any case. XCOM2 shouldn't be such a power hog. I never understood why it is.

Yes it should. But it uses less than many games out there. Just take a game like the division. It puts my CPU and GPU to near 100% nearly all the time and my fans are going full blast. With XCom 2 this does not happen. So yes, it's an issue with your PC.

Originally posted by Beer:

I'm not that bad, Jeebus. I can rip them apart and put them back together okay, this is the first time I've had to deal with the paste. First actual nice rig I was ever able to buy. I grew up in the DOS era.

If you've never had to deal with paste, you've never built a PC. Thermal paste has been used on CPUs for a very long time.

Some coolers come with thermal paste pre-applied, plus it can be easy to forget since CPUs aren't replaced often. And thermal paste isnt an actual part (so its even easier to forget).

Anyway all that doesnt really matter now that Beer knows what to do. :P

I've heard others mention that XCOM 2 takes a lot of power, but im not sure whether its hardware specific, or people just took a cheap solution for their power unit. Should always get a power supply that considerably exceeds the maximum load of all combined hardware.