Guild Wars 2

Hi,

I’m having HUGE issues with CPU overheating. It only happens with GW2, while the system works great with other games:
Here is my configurations:

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit Service Pack 1 IT OEM DVD
Case Midi Cooler Master Elite 431 Nero
CPU AMD FX-8120 Socket AM3+ 8Core 3.1MHZ 125W Box
RAM DDR3 Corsair Vengeance CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 1600MHz 8GB (2×4GB) CL9
Hard Disk Internal Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB 3.5" 7200rpm 32MB SATA3 ST31000524AS
SSD OCZ Agility 3 120GB 2.5" Lettura 525MB/s Scrittura 475MB/s SATA3 AGT3-25SAT3-120G (that’s for OS only)
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 Socket AM3+ AMD 970 DDR3 SATA3 USB3 ATX
Power supply PC Cooler Master GX 750W 80plus Bronze 12V
Video card: VGA Club3D Ati AMD Radeon HD7970 Core 925Mhz Memory GDDR5 5500MHz 3GB DVI HDMI Mini-DP

When I ran the game for the 1st time graphics automatically set on Very High level as expected but as I enter the game temperature keeps increasing and after 15 minutes is already very high on CPU.
I haven’t played much so far: only 2 characters level 2 and I already experienced 2 system shutdowns because of CPU temperature. That’s not acceptable at all, I can’t risk to toast internal components.

I’ve tried to limit FPS from Unlimited to 30, and it seems slightly better, but it’s still to hot.
By the way it seems to me things got worse since 7th september patch.

Chances software (game or otherwise) will overheat a CPU is 1 in 1,000,000.

Not saying it’s impossible, but very unlikely. I would make sure your fan is working properly. Search for “CPU burn in” in google and see if that makes your CPU heat up. My guess is, it will.

same guildwars 2 causes my laptop to over heat and crash and turn off

Im using program Throttle stop for underclocking, it works perfectly, my Cpu is 65C in laptop and still 28fps :P

If you have a laptop then there’s your answer.

+90% of laptops are not gaming machines. They have basic passive cooling solutions and are not made for very demanding application/games.

Ok I found a very easy solution: I’ve put the fan in automatic mode using SpeedFan. Now CPU temperature never exceeds 60° degrees (65° for GPU) and I’m playing with maximum details all the time.

yh i see your point my cooling fans are on the bottom so over heating is an issuue ive locked my frame rate at 30 fps and seems to be helping a small part. check out fan now

I have been in IT for 20 years, build my own PCs, and have done hardware support on many different laptops and had to deal with overheating in many different situations for gaming systems over the years. Overheating is sometimes obvious, but other times a system does not tell you it is overheating and just shuts down after some time for apparently no reason. Here are a couple ideas for people with overheating issues:

All systems: First thing to do is ensure that any system fans are actually working. This is easy enough. For desktop/tower systems also make sure the fans are blowing in the proper direction (home-built systems often have this problem). Front/top fans should always blow in, rear/bottom should always blow out. Side fans can be in or out, depending on configuration/location (if they are right next to CPU/GPU, let them blow in, otherwise out). This allows for proper in-flow of cool room air, and evacuation of hot system air. The second thing to check is your system’s fan control software (if it has any). Ensure that all controllable fans are set to auto if they are using temperature for control. If there are no linked temperature controls, set those fans to high before playing GW2.

Room temperature: Make sure the room your are actually playing in is on the cooler side of comfortable temperature for you. If the room temp is too warm, you are setting the base temperature for your system higher and not helping the system to cool with warmer air.

Other suggestions:

Laptops: As mentioned, many laptops have passive cooling without fans, which will cause issues for a game as demanding on both GPU and CPU as GW2. If the laptop doe have fans, then it may be easier to help things out a bit:
With fans: Typically the fans in laptops are not strong enough to cool the GPU as well as the CPU if both stay at high usage for an extended period of time. You can help by making sure the vents are clear while playing and often simply raising the laptop up off of the desk/table a half inch or so to allow for better air flow will make a significant difference. Clear out the vents with compressed air as well. If these simple things do not help, try the without fans option.
Without fan(s): Search the internet or your local electronics retailer for a laptop cooling pad with fans. Try to find one that has fans that align with the vents on the bottom/rear of your laptop. Also blow out those vents with some compressed air to make sure the airflow is clear.

Desktop/tower: There are 2 main causes for overheating in desktops/towers. First is clogged vents and dirty fans that reduce airflow. Get out the compressed air and vacuum and give the entire case interior a good cleaning. Second is inadequate fans in general. This is often the case with pre-built non-gaming specific systems (not enough case fans, usually no fan in front pulling air in). Make sure there are enough fans to actually circulate air both into and out of the case. Power supply fans do not count. New fans are inexpensive and if your case has space for them, consider adding one. The main concern is that the interior case temperature needs to be kept reasonably low. If the air flowing through the CPU/GPU is warm, then it will not do much to cool those components.

I hope this helps!

PS: ANet mods feel free to quote this post or whatever if you think it will help more people.

That says it right there. Something else I might add for a desktop is do NOT put the tower in a cabinet or anyplace where the airflow is restricted. All the fans in the world running properly will do zero good if there’s no airflow.

Thanks Spectre. I have to mention that I do have my rig in the tower slot in my desk, but I removed the rear panel and ensure that the case is centered in the slot with 2 inches open on both sides. I have also noticed that those places in desks can cause issues if the case is too tight in there or the back is enclosed. If using those spots, remove the back and try putting a small floor or desk fan blowing air through the area. If that helps, try without the fan. If it continues to overheat, move the PC out of the slot.

In the past I have worked on pre-built systems (Dell specifically) that the case design itself was so bad that the only way to stop overheating once the GPU was upgraded from the original was to leave the side panel off and have a floor fan blowing into it constantly. Liquid cooling (expensive and annoying with required maintenance) or case replacement (varied price, no maintenance after swapping components over) were the only solutions.

I’m frustrated.
Even with fans in automatic mode the CPU temperature takes off after a few minutes. It slowly keeps increasing so the only way I have to make it come down is to take a look at the map, which seems to let CPU rest for a while…

Btw this is a desktop sold in a pre-made configuration designed for gaming, so it should theoretically run GW2 very well. It works great with other games, this is the only game that is causing this problem so far, even with the lowest graphic settings

Ok,
It seems I’m forced to play with the case wide open. But that sucks =(

oldmaster.3547:

Ok,
It seems I’m forced to play with the case wide open. But that sucks =(

You need to open your computer and change the thermal paste and re-apply the cooler. If you are experiencing further issues then replace whatever you use to cool the CPU. You should also check the CPU’s health, since overheating might damage it.

oldmaster.3547:

I’m frustrated.
Even with fans in automatic mode the CPU temperature takes off after a few minutes. It slowly keeps increasing so the only way I have to make it come down is to take a look at the map, which seems to let CPU rest for a while…

Btw this is a desktop sold in a pre-made configuration designed for gaming, so it should theoretically run GW2 very well. It works great with other games, this is the only game that is causing this problem so far, even with the lowest graphic settings

This game pushes the CPU a lot harder than most people realize, especially when compared with a lot of other games. I have an i5 2500k @ 3.3ghz (4 cores, no hyperthreading) and most games so far have trouble using more than 40-50% of my CPU in total, whereas GW2 easily pushes it up to 70-80% useage on every single core.

What this means is that GW2 will be running your CPU hotter than any game you’ve probably played on it so far and in your case this has brought to light that your CPU isn’t sufficiently well-cooled – whether it’s the thermal paste preventing solid contact between the CPU chip and the cooler, or whether it’s a deficiency in the cooler itself or the airflow in the case.

Either way it shouldn’t be happening, but it’s a problem that can always be fixed one way or another and I would recommend getting it sorted out properly since sustained high temperatures (even if they don’t quite reach the point of outright overheating) are very bad for your hardware and can cause all sorts of problems down the road. Fitting extra fans to improve airflow should be pretty straightforward if your case has additional spots to fit more fans. If the CPU cooler itself isn’t doing a good job it might need replacing or simply reseating (with the thermal paste cleaned off and reapplied) – if you’re hesitant to do this yourself, I would recommend getting help from someone with hands-on experience (friends/family or a local computer shop) since it’s not a complicated job, but it can be fiddly if you haven’t done it before.

PS: The fact that the system was advertised to you as built for gaming unfortunately doesn’t guarantee that it will perform flawlessly no matter what you run on it – a lot of prebuilt systems are sadly suboptimal in the cooling department because it’s not a feature that can easily be used as a major selling point to the mass market consumers that are buying prebuilt systems. As a result most manufacturers only put in the bare minimum of cooling that they think they can get away with when they factor in the “average useage” and the result is that when games like GW2 push the hardware a bit more than the games before it, a lot of people with prebuilt systems start having heat issues.

i have a i5 core and guildwars 2 use it way loads then say bf3 and crysis 2 and cs go

only ever had this sort of problems on runescape before.

MadJack.8193:

If you have a laptop then there’s your answer.

+90% of laptops are not gaming machines. They have basic passive cooling solutions and are not made for very demanding application/games.

^This

Gaming on a laptop is like driving in reverse² on the highway. It’s possible but everyone knows it’s not meant to be that way.

² exception: Daf 66.

Roland Dragonne.7384:

For desktop/tower systems also make sure the fans are blowing in the proper direction (home-built systems often have this problem). Front/top fans should always blow in, rear/bottom should always blow out. Side fans can be in or out, depending on configuration/location (if they are right next to CPU/GPU, let them blow in, otherwise out).

I know its an old post but since this thread was necro’d i have to point out somthing so new users dont get incorrect info.

Front and Bottom fans need to be intakes.
Rear and Top fans as exhaust.
You do NOT want to go against convection. Heat rises, so top fans are always exhaust.
If your case has a side fan put that as intake also so it blows air onto your GPU’s. This also helps create a positive air presure system to reduce dust buildup.

Here is my 2cents after doing some OC to my cpu and testing temps with GW2. I slowly OC my cpu from 3.3Ghz to 3.9Ghz. The cpu is 30C idle, and when GW2 is on, is around 50C-60C. However in the areas that drop the framerates down to the low 20s, (Jormag especially) my cpu temp spiked to 78C for a short period. Software can and will overheat your cpu.

I turned my OC down (for now), cleaned my case, turned up my fans, and ordered a better aftermarket CPU fan. I own an Antec 900 case (huge top fan) and generally due to the sheer number of fans, it runs cool for most games. GW2 uses more of the cpu than most games though and is my bottleneck instead of the video card.

Holy Whirlwind.2067:

Here is my 2cents after doing some OC to my cpu and testing temps with GW2. I slowly OC my cpu from 3.3Ghz to 3.9Ghz. The cpu is 30C idle, and when GW2 is on, is around 50C-60C. However in the areas that drop the framerates down to the low 20s, (Jormag especially) my cpu temp spiked to 78C for a short period. Software can and will overheat your cpu.

I turned my OC down (for now), cleaned my case, turned up my fans, and ordered a better aftermarket CPU fan. I own an Antec 900 case (huge top fan) and generally due to the sheer number of fans, it runs cool for most games. GW2 uses more of the cpu than most games though and is my bottleneck instead of the video card.

If the system is properly maintained, software will never overheat a computer. Running the system at 100% for hours is fine and if this causes overheating, then either something isn’t attached properly to disperse the heat or you are knowingly making your parts exceed their rated values (overclocking). At which point, you know more heat is being generated from the additional voltage and switching that is occurring and have to consider the consequences of such.

Indeed, Software can cause high load but will not cause overheating.
Overheating will only happen if u have not got the hardware to cool the system, or have it setup incorrectly.
For example, stock cpu coolers are generaly total tat and will only keep things cool under moderate load. Its ALWAYS a good idea to get a relativly cheap aftermarket cooler for your CPU right form the get go even if ur not going to OC.

Ilithis Mithilander.3265:

Holy Whirlwind.2067:

Here is my 2cents after doing some OC to my cpu and testing temps with GW2. I slowly OC my cpu from 3.3Ghz to 3.9Ghz. The cpu is 30C idle, and when GW2 is on, is around 50C-60C. However in the areas that drop the framerates down to the low 20s, (Jormag especially) my cpu temp spiked to 78C for a short period. Software can and will overheat your cpu.

I turned my OC down (for now), cleaned my case, turned up my fans, and ordered a better aftermarket CPU fan. I own an Antec 900 case (huge top fan) and generally due to the sheer number of fans, it runs cool for most games. GW2 uses more of the cpu than most games though and is my bottleneck instead of the video card.

If the system is properly maintained, software will never overheat a computer. Running the system at 100% for hours is fine and if this causes overheating, then either something isn’t attached properly to disperse the heat or you are knowingly making your parts exceed their rated values (overclocking). At which point, you know more heat is being generated from the additional voltage and switching that is occurring and have to consider the consequences of such.

As I mentioned I was overclocking and testing its limits. I did not change the voltage at all. The software (GW2) does affect the temp of the CPU depending on the load to each core. Even when I was not overclocking I could see the temp go up at certain in-game events (the same events that cause the lower fps). This temp increase became more appearent once I started to OC. I cannont merely OC my cpu and turn on a game and call it good reading the temps in Lions arch. I have to find one of these world events to test the maxed out temp of the cpu.

I am upgrading my cpu fan in lieu of upgrading the cpu because of the current lack of price/performance I would get on an 1155 motherboard. It just sucks that a pretty decent i5 3550 with a high end video card (GTX 770 4GB) cannot seem to break 20fps at 1680×1050 in these areas (dragons, fire ele, WvW…etc.). I do thank you for all your help and insight on the matter.

I know how you feel OP. This game heats up my CPU more than any of my other games, even Crysis 3 and some other intense apps. I got a liquid cooler here though so it’s doing alright.

Upgraded my CPU fan yesterday and tested it out.

Previously when I overclocked the CPU from 3.3Ghz to 3.9Ghz I got temp spikes at 3 of 4 cores that went up to 75C-78C on certain events. With the new cpu fan, and the top case fan turned up from medium to high I was able to keep all cores below 62C during these CPU intensive events.

ALso keep in mind it’s summer,at this time i usually ( since my system is oc’d at 4.8 ) Turn down the oc to 4.4,and increase the fan speed on all fans in my system ( Scythe kazer is a good fan controller for this,amongst many others.)
So if you have an oc’d system,get lockups because of heat,or worse performance,or just worried about your high temps..turn it down a notch and increase those fanspeeds,opening your sidecase can also help alot to get that heat out.

A few nights ago I hit up to 4.7 GHz on my processor and saw my temperature go into the higher 40’s. I know CPUs can handle this and all.. but I never like my processor going that high. That and the heat generated in my bedroom makes it hard to sleep later xD

Avelos.6798:

A few nights ago I hit up to 4.7 GHz on my processor and saw my temperature go into the higher 40’s. I know CPUs can handle this and all.. but I never like my processor going that high. That and the heat generated in my bedroom makes it hard to sleep later xD

You think 40C is high?! …for the newer processors.

Holy Whirlwind.2067:

Avelos.6798:

A few nights ago I hit up to 4.7 GHz on my processor and saw my temperature go into the higher 40’s. I know CPUs can handle this and all.. but I never like my processor going that high. That and the heat generated in my bedroom makes it hard to sleep later xD

You think 40C is high?! …for the newer processors.

you must have misread what I wrote. I said that my temperatures go into the higher 40s. Meaning, 45-49c.
And I dislike having my proc even in the 50’s.

Avelos.6798:

Holy Whirlwind.2067:

Avelos.6798:

A few nights ago I hit up to 4.7 GHz on my processor and saw my temperature go into the higher 40’s. I know CPUs can handle this and all.. but I never like my processor going that high. That and the heat generated in my bedroom makes it hard to sleep later xD

You think 40C is high?! …for the newer processors.

you must have misread what I wrote. I said that my temperatures go into the higher 40s. Meaning, 45-49c.
And I dislike having my proc even in the 50’s.

That I can understand because you have an AMD processor that like to live in a cooler environment than Intel’s processors. IIRC the maximum temperature AMD recommends is 62C so having a 10-15C barrier is a good idea. At least that is what I do with an Intel processor.

Ilithis Mithilander.3265:

Avelos.6798:

Holy Whirlwind.2067:

Avelos.6798:

A few nights ago I hit up to 4.7 GHz on my processor and saw my temperature go into the higher 40’s. I know CPUs can handle this and all.. but I never like my processor going that high. That and the heat generated in my bedroom makes it hard to sleep later xD

You think 40C is high?! …for the newer processors.

you must have misread what I wrote. I said that my temperatures go into the higher 40s. Meaning, 45-49c.
And I dislike having my proc even in the 50’s.

That I can understand because you have an AMD processor that like to live in a cooler environment than Intel’s processors. IIRC the maximum temperature AMD recommends is 62C so having a 10-15C barrier is a good idea. At least that is what I do with an Intel processor.

And that it’s in my room and it takes a long time for the heat to go away. This morning when I got up it was still a little hot. Granted, I was playing Guild Wars 2 all day. I actually took off my 4.7 GHz overclock yesterday and put it back to 4 GHz with 4.2 turbo (Updated my BIOS to get the turbo function. Now I feel like my PC is brand new again!) and it’s very enjoyable.

For future reference those of you with GW2 crashing problems on overclocked systems:

The very first thing you should do is take off the overclock and run at default speeds as a starting troubleshooting step. I don’t care if your PC runs every other program in the universe without crashing – THAT should be the first step.

If people would do this, quite a few of these crashing problems would instantly disappear.