# cpu temperature monitor for Dell Precision 380 mobo



## justfoo (Dec 31, 2004)

Hi I suspect this computer is having heating problems. The cpu cooling fan is running full tilt and I cannot feel much heat in the air after it exits the cpu cooling fins.
( Is this what it feels like when the heat transfer compound is not transferring heat away from the cpu to the cooling fins? )
This computer seems to be crashing with no obvious reason, we just find it after the fact sitting there with the little cntl alt del box floating around waiting for someone to log in.

Nothing is showing up in the event logs that I can see.

It has a sister computer which runs the exact same programs but whose fan does not run full speed and you can feel warm air after the cpu.
Will any old temperature monitor utility work with this computer?

I will say again that it is a Dell Precision 380 running Windows 2000.
I'm sorry I do not know if there is a specific name for the mobo.

Also would you recommend any specific temperature monitor?

Thanks a bunch.


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## cmw2010 (Dec 3, 2006)

What does the heatsink look like on your Precision 380. Dell has a few models with an extremely tall heatsink with copper tubes running up through the center. These are known to fail and when they do the fan sounds like an airplane taking off.


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## rugrat (Dec 17, 2001)

Just taking a shot, my laptop running 2K is set to do that. It is a function in the screensaver tab. Right click on the desktop and select Properties, then the Screen Saver tab, see if there is a checkmark in the box beside "On resume, password protect". If so, the computer will lock whenever the screensaver comes on.

SeeYa


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## justfoo (Dec 31, 2004)

rugrat said:


> Just taking a shot, my laptop running 2K is set to do that. It is a function in the screensaver tab. Right click on the desktop and select Properties, then the Screen Saver tab, see if there is a checkmark in the box beside "On resume, password protect". If so, the computer will lock whenever the screensaver comes on.
> 
> SeeYa


Hi Rugrat, I have screensaver and power control options all turned off. No this PC truly is shutting down. Thanks though.

And yes CMW2010 it is a tall stack looking cooler thing, anyone have any idea if the Dells will let a temp monitor see the CPU temp?
I am not near that PC at the moment to begin just trying different ones.
I tried fan speed on my laptop and my fans went all screwy, unistalled that in a hurry and rebooted and its all better again. WHEW !


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## cmw2010 (Dec 3, 2006)

If your fan is running really, really fast, and I mean you can hardly stand to be in the same room with it, then I would look at the heatsink to replace. I have had to replace a couple of them in the past year on different computers.


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## justfoo (Dec 31, 2004)

Bump, I guess what I'm really asking for is does anyone, anyone know of a motherboard monitor that is compatible with DELL PC's specifically a new Precision 380.

Hope someone has something good. Oh and if you're going to say the program Motherboard monitor I have tried that one and it was last updated in 04 and does not have a selection for the 380 Precision.

Thanks again.

Btw, the company tech guys are taking over this computer, now its just a matter of pride to find out if my heatsink theory is correct. Thanks for supporting that in the last post .
DF


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## telegramsam (Jul 7, 2006)

If there isn't built in temperature sensors, there really isn't anything to monitor the CPU temp, which is really the critical element of heat driven instability. So to answer your question, which I think is "can I buy something to watch the temperature of this processor?", then the answer is no.

Look in your BIOS for Hardware Monitoring. This will be a temperature indicator. If you have that and it gives you a CPU temp, then you can get something like PC Wizard to monitor it while the OS is running.


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## justfoo (Dec 31, 2004)

thanks telegramsam, sadly there is no reference to temperatures of any kind in the bios


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## telegramsam (Jul 7, 2006)

Then your temperature monitor is stability. Unfortunately that's what you're stuck with. It makes troubleshooting more difficult for sure.


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## justfoo (Dec 31, 2004)

Well it looks hopeless, I finally was able to find my way to a search on dell canadas web site and in searching forums there I saw several comments stating that dell does not have user accessible temperature sensors on their motherboards ergo temp monitors wont work. I guess all I can do is give it to the IT guys and always wonder what really was causing it. (Or maybe they will find out before changing the mobo.
Thanks for all your inputs though.
DF


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## cmw2010 (Dec 3, 2006)

I can almost guarantee it is a faulty heatsink. I believe there is some type of liquid in those copper tubes that leaks out and causes the heatsink not to work properly, so the fan goes into overdrive.


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## justfoo (Dec 31, 2004)

I agree with you cmw2010, I don't know about the mechanics of why it isn't working but I blame the heatsink too. Now hopefully the Ivory Tower ( IT  ) folks can verify that.


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