Overheating: Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe Chipset

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Jun 29, 2005
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I've had this board in this machine since the beginning of December:

Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe
AMD X2 4600+
2x1GB Corsair XMS
Asus x1900xt 512MB
1 SATA HD, 1 PATA HD, 1 Plextor DVD/RW
Asus 550W PSU

I haven't made any hardware changes recently, but a few days ago I started experiencing system crashes/reboots. XP would reboot and Vista would bluescreen (why would they keep that symbol of instability around?). I would also freeze in the BIOS. I updated to the latest BIOS and the problem persisted. I opened my case and found that the chipset was scalding to the touch. My CPU temps are fine and the "motherboard" temp in BIOS (which I assume is ambient) is fine. I added a fan on the side of my case and moved my huge video card down to the second PCI-E slot so it wouldn't trap the heat right above the chipset. I blew off a lot of what little dust was on my components. I also disabled every extra onboard system I didn't need (extra LAN, RAID, etc). It still overheats. I've already next-day'ed a new MSI board since I now need my machine for work, but any advice I can get to try and fix the problem before it arrives would be greatly appreciated.
 
Those heat pipes can get hot and if you installed a fan on it and the ambient seems fine then I guess I do not know what to tell you.

If you want you can removed the heatpipe and apply AS5, but assuming the application was correct when the motherboard was made, then you will not see a huge different.

Is it too much to consider that the motherboard might have failed? Have you overclocked anything?
 
I did overclock when I first built it, but I have been running default for about 3 months now.

I thought about putting some AS5 on the northbridge, but I figured that if the heatsink was hot as hell, then the thermal pad (or whatever is under that heatsink) is certainly doing its job of transferring heat.

I'm kind of assuming the motherboard failed. The electricity in this new apartment (been here for 2.5 months) is a little flaky. My TV loses the signal for a split second, and my pc speakers pop once anytime I flip a light switch off or the A/C kicks on. Couldn't something like that have an effect on my motherboard? If so, I should probably be worried about my TV too.
 
I would say a good rule of thumb is if you have any doubts about your power, then it probably would not be too much to invest in a good UPS. A UPS has a line conditioning filter internally, but it is going to be a magic solution. Have you consulted your landlord at all? I would espically if you are having problems with other devices in your house.

Motherboards are more sensitive and it is hard to troubleshoot a problem like this. The only thing I can say is I have seen motherboard problems that would give the same issues you just explain.

Add in the fact that if it is freezing in the BIOS, meaning the computer isnt under a whole lot of stress and the ambient temps it is reporting is within spec, plus you added a fan that did not seem to help.

I would say it is a failed motherboard. Even though you got a new MSI I would still RMA if you have warranty left. Expect 2-4 weeks for a replacement.
 
Could also be a stick of ram going south. You could try using 1 stick of ram and then the other if the first shows no change. Ive seen ram do the exact same thing that you are describing.
 
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