Concerns about computer temperatures

[Insanemuch]

First of all, here are my computer specs: PC specs:

GPU: Gigabyte 2Gb nVidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti Super OC
CPU: AMD VIshera FX-6300 3.5ghz
RAM: 8gb 1333mhz
Motherboard: Asus M5A78L-M
HDD: 1TB Seagate Barracuda Green 7200rpm
PSU: Corsair CX750w
Case: K-3 Gaming ATX Case
OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit
Optical Drive: LiteOn DVD Writer
And a PCI-Express 300mbps networking card

Previously I've had some issues with my computer (where the cpu literally smoked and my computer just basically set on fire and just wouldn't turned on, it was a *censored* cpu so I replaced it with this and it feels more secure). Previously, my PSU was around 600w, and this one is 750, so I expect it to be a lot more lenient with the specs or whatever, but recently it feels hotter than ever. I'm getting seriously worried about the heat, as I just checked the temp of my cpu and it says it's reaching 80 degrees. Is this ridiculously high, or am I just paranoid?

I've also noticed these weird numbers in my panel thing recently, I have no clue what they are but do they have anything to do with it? :

So basically, is there any ways for me to help cool down my pc? I was thinking about getting watercooling or something, but can someone maybe recommend me the best to get for this situation? Thank you for any help.

[patio]

1st thing you should check online is the CPU's normal operating temps...some are higher than others...
As far as the fire issue that's probably from a cheapo PSU...

[Insanemuch]

Done some research and apparently it shouldn't go any higher than 65 degrees. What can I do to lower this temperature? Just checked and there's a bunch of dust in the fins in the heatsink (which is a standard heatsink by the way, I'm thinking of just getting watercooling but I'm not sure how effective that would be for lowering the entire computer, although I could get 2 fans and a water cooling heatsink, idk), but I didn't think this would matter because the way it works is the heat is just conducted along the fins. I'm not sure. So what are my options, what would you recommend me doing?

[BC_Programmer]

clean it. The purpose of a heatsink is to radiate heat, which is accomplished by airflow over the heatsink. if there is too much dust clogging it up then it won't cool effectively.

Sounds like the heatsink is a dust cake at those temps, or it needs to be repasted.

[Insanemuch]

clean it. The purpose of a heatsink is to radiate heat, which is accomplished by airflow over the heatsink. if there is too much dust clogging it up then it won't cool effectively.

Sounds like the heatsink is a dust cake at those temps, or it needs to be repasted.

Would this completely solve the problem, or should I just get a new heatsink? I'm not sure, I've always been told that standard heatsinks are garbage and you should replace them, I've just always been too cheap to replace that. I said the same about my PSU and it set on fire. So I'm not sure, do you think I need a new one or should I just keep this one?

Also, would watercooling help keep the temp low for the entire pc or just the CPU?

[camerongray]

Cleaning it is free, why not try it?

Stock coolers are fine if you aren't overclocking and don't mind the slightly increased noise.

[Insanemuch]

Cleaning it is free, why not try it?

Stock coolers are fine if you aren't overclocking and don't mind the slightly increased noise.

Thank you all for your feedback. How would I go about cleaning it?

Also, how effective is overclocking it? I may think about doing that.

[patio]

Best method is using a can of compressed air....use a Q-Tip to hold all fan blades in place when blasting it...

[BC_Programmer]

Would this completely solve the problem, or should I just get a new heatsink?

When you spill something on your shirt, do you buy a new shirt, or clean the one you already have- of course you clean the one you have.

 Would it solve the problem? I can't say 100% this will fix it. Because I'm not there- I can't see it. But cleaning the heatsink would be the first thing to try before replacing it.

I've always been told that standard heatsinks are garbage and you should replace them

The people telling you this know very little about CPUs and heatsinks. Manufacturers are not in business of selling their CPU paired with a heatsink that will cause the consumer to have to use their warranty, that would be foolish. At some point "Aftermarket CPU Cooler" became some sort of expected build component. The biggest reason I can think of is that aftermarket Coolers are sometimes easier to install than the stock cooler. IMO Aftermarket cooling is about the same as adding "Turbo" to a car. It's a relatively pointless upgrade typically only done by enthusiasts. Unless you plan to overclock, you'll be fine with the stock heatsink. I've never used a aftermarket CPU Cooler myself, and I've yet to have any overheating issue.

Looking at your original post, some questions do come to mind, though- you said the CPU smoked (a previous CPU)- this could indicate a motherboard problem or failure as well (or a misconfiguration in the BIOS). If the Power circuitry is sending voltages that are higher than normal than you can expect higher temperatures. Make sure to reset your CMOS Settings to fail-safe defaults.

Also, how effective is overclocking it? I may think about doing that.

Your computer has already caught fire and.or smoked twice. You might want to hold off on overclocking until your computer stops having hot flashes.

[Insanemuch]

Best method is using a can of compressed air....use a Q-Tip to hold all fan blades in place when blasting it...

Okay, I'll definitely try cleaning it, thank you!

Will I need anything like one of those de-stat bracelets or something? Or will I be fine? I panic about this stuff.

Looking at your original post, some questions do come to mind, though- you said the CPU smoked (a previous CPU)- this could indicate a motherboard problem or failure as well (or a misconfiguration in the BIOS).

My CPU wasn't what smoked, it was my PSU because it was a *censored* cheap one that I'd owned for like 20 months and I simply replaced it and it worked.

Make sure to reset your CMOS Settings to fail-safe defaults.

Would you still recommend doing this, however?



Thank you all for the feedback

[BC_Programmer]

My CPU wasn't what smoked, it was my PSU because it was a *censored* cheap one that I'd owned for like 20 months and I simply replaced it and it worked.

Oh OK. To be fair you did say "the cpu literally smoked"

Fail-safe defaults are pretty much never a bad idea.

It's possible that the Power Supply that failed may have caused failures in the Motherboard as well from out-of-range power input. In addition to making sure there is plenty of airflow (eg dusting with compressed air and cleaning out the heatsink, make sure all the fans are working, especially the CPU Fan etc.) you could verify the voltages using a hardware monitor Program. (ideally, you would use a multimeter on voltage points on the motherboard but software is the next best thing)

[Geek-9pm]

Speaking of things with questionable reputation, here is a document from eBay of interest to home builders  who buy stuff from eBay.
Buying Guide for Motherboards and CPUs
One of the things they warn about is buying a motherboard and a CPU from different sources.  The vendor should help you find  out what mobo and CPU go together.

[patio]

Irrelevant...sorry.

[Insanemuch]

Oh OK. To be fair you did say "the cpu literally smoked"

Fail-safe defaults are pretty much never a bad idea.

It's possible that the Power Supply that failed may have caused failures in the Motherboard as well from out-of-range power input. In addition to making sure there is plenty of airflow (eg dusting with compressed air and cleaning out the heatsink, make sure all the fans are working, especially the CPU Fan etc.) you could verify the voltages using a hardware monitor Program. (ideally, you would use a multimeter on voltage points on the motherboard but software is the next best thing)

Sorry I must have mistyped.

How would I go about cleaning it then? What are the different tools that I need?