I know there are probably tons of these but I feel each one is probably a bit unique since not everyone has the same parts.
I put this computer together myself about three years ago and didnt have any issues. Recently I was dealing with blue screens and I started to notice my cpu was getting hotter then usual (about 35c+). The original paste was pretty much covered in dust and dried up so I bought some new (Connectland Silver Cool Thermal Compound Silver Cool 1.5g). I removed the old and put on the new as directed and I'm running the computer...though nothing seems to have changed. I checked the cpu fan as well and it is running. When I run IMVU it jumps up to a little over 50c and will start to lag if it goes any higher but like before if I try and run any games it usually has three different outcomes depending which one I try. It will either spaze out on the graphics causing everything to be distorted, lock up and cause the music to skip, or freeze the computer entirely. Is there something more I am missing?
Here is the info I got off of dxdiag:
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition
System Manufacturer: MSI
System Model: MS-7366
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 4400 @ 2.00GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 960MB RAM
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT
My tower has 3 fans and a lot of ventilation space and as far as I know it's not over-clocked because I have no clue how to do that yet. Also I do live in a dusty area, but I try and use an air can to keep it out of the tower as much as possible.What might be wrong with my cpu?55C at full load is fine for an E4400. There was no reason to replace the thermal compound -- thermal compound only needs to flow when it's first attached. Once it's in place, it can dry out with no affect on cooling.
I'm not sure what's causing your issues. Does it only happen in games or does your CPU fail stress tests? Maybe your graphics card is going.What might be wrong with my cpu?50c is pretty hot. You may want to make sure that heatsink/fan are securely locked in place.
It may be a software issue, like malware or a virus. I'd run a full anti virus scan, and an Adaware scan. Also check your hard disk, run chkdsk /r from the command prompt for each hard drive.
