Having trouble with new Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz

Hey everyone,

I'm trying to track down a problem... just got my PC up and running today and already have disaster. I'm a gamer so once I got Windows up and running I installed one of my mid-range games to see how my new system handled it... btw I have a core 2 duo 2.33 GHz, a GeForce 9600 GT, 2 GB of RAM, and an MSI p9n platinum motherboard with 2 sata drives.

Anyway, the game ran beautifully as far as graphics go... smooth and I could raise every setting to the max. Unfortunately every few seconds I'd get a glitch where the game would slow down to a crawl and shortly after it'd resume it's normal speed. I thought perhaps this was just the game but after checking several more they all do the same thing.

Now I am hoping it's a bad Windows installation so I'm going to reinstall tonight. If that doesn't help though your input would be invaluable.

Everything is brand new so I don't think anything is defective. Obviously it COULD be, but I doubt it. Something bigger than this would have happened. My processor idles at around 40'C and shoots up to a max of 75'C when I'm running games. Is this too hot? My room temperature is around 23'C at all times.

I did not put thermal compound on the heat sink when I installed it, it came with some already on it. Some people have said I should put some of my own on (I'd have to go buy some tomorrow) but do you really think this could be the issue? I don't see how my PC could be abnormally hot when I'm just running the standard equipment in it. The fan never kicks into overdrive and it's supposed to automatically do that if there is actual danger. I never get any blue screens of death or random reboots.

Well I'm going to reinstall windows now. I'll be back to get your advice in a few hours. I hope. lol

I think you should check the temp with an external probe to make sure the software temp readings are accurate. Usually a Core2Duo runs idle around 25-30'C and full load 35-50'C Full load.

The slowdowns might be the processor or motherboard's Core Slowdown Threshold kicking in, when the temps are getting too hot on the processor.

Check the heatsink to make sure it seated properly and bolted down. I stress the bolted down part because you think you got the bolts down correctly but you didn't. I thought I had all four bolts down on my Core2Duo but I only had three down and I kept running about 40-60'c for about 3 weeks until I found out that it wasn't the normal operating temp for a Core2Duo.
I figured that my Athlon XP ran hot at 2.2ghz on a single core that this was normal for a Core2Duo running with dual cores too. lol.

Anyways...
Intel's Core2Duo heatsink designs are a piece of shit.

IF I were you I would buy some ArticSilver5 for thermal paste, get some 90% rubbing alcohol, clean the heatsink and the processor and then apply the thermal paste on it.