Network Card Overheating?

[LT. Columbo]

chewy knows a little history from this. this damn thing is driving me nuts tonite.
can a network card overheat? how often do these things fail?
An associate is bringing me one when he comes to the city to try out as suggested by chewy. seems better than taking a chance buying one just yet. in the mean time i found a few things. the net conn just goes and it seems to be on hot days. the thing is in a room with poor air circulation, away from a/c. cool days i never have this problem. every time i turned it off and unplugged it from the wall or hit the switch at the back(just turning it off wasn't enough) along with disconnecting the ethernet cable for a few minutes it would always get me back on imediately. every single time.

sometimes i'd have to do this several times, sometimes i can't win. in the morning it's ok since it's much cooler. looking back at the summer all the times this happened were all hot ambient temps.

another thing i've done tonight is disconnect thephone modem, still no change so it ain't that. i also took off the fan on the motherboard. there was some dust between it and the cooling fins but not much. i cleaned it anyway.
i noticed 2 spots for a fan on the back of case, yet only one installed. perhaps i can install a second fan?

heat must be the issue here as i have the side panel off and no problems. it would have disconnected after 5-10 minutes. even the opposite side feels cooler to the touch. i just ran an everst report and these are the current temps.

Temperatures:
Motherboard 42 °C (108 °F)
CPU 62 °C (144 °F)
WDC WD800JB-00ETA0 42 °C (108 °F)
WDC WD400JB-00ETA0 41 °C (106 °F)


so, with the panel ON, those numbers must be a bit higher, right? if the whole pc is too hot wouldn't it be shutting off on me? this is what led us to assume the network card. OR should i be looking at extra cooling or something?

all comments welcome

btw...Wonder if something like this would help?

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=664350&sku=ULT31050

[Chewy]

that amd cpu runs hot, but keeping the case cooler helps everything,
good detective work, the network card may be going out, never heard of one overheating before, they don't do that much work, but who knows,
I know when I have a heavy long download going my wireless dsl modem gets hot as hell. I have started pointing a small fan at it and the computer during
intensive operations in warmer times.

case fan may be getting weak, adding another or changing might help?

[LT. Columbo]

thanx chewy. see i put the side back on, and all is ok cause it's morning and much cooler. i guess adding another fan wouldn't be a problem, is that one in the link any good? this thing needs a cooling fan powered by a cummins diesel!

the grill the fan is supposed to blow through seems restricted in design too. the one that is working is barely blowing out anything. you can't even feel output unless you dampen your fingers first! it is kind of like horizontal blinds that are open halfway, just seems to small of openings to get air out of the case.

anyway, once i get the card i'll try that first.

[Chewy]

is there a place down low in the front for a regular fan? are there vents in the front, even under the front of the case?

don't like that one is the link, bad design concept

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999162

here's how I buy

find the glitches, 3 of them are more money than 8

[LT. Columbo]

fans like that would work i guess, but the steel vents in the case seem to restrictive for the amount of air that needs to be expelled from this sauna.

and no to all your questions. the case itself has just a few holes on each side, thats it. and not sure what you mean by "regular fan".

[Chewy]

what you mean by "regular fan".

standard ones like shown in my link

got them and cases that take up to like 250mm(10 inches) now

[LT. Columbo]

i see. like i said it has 2 spots on the back for fans. only one installed. i could get some hi-performance ones i guess. what about opening up the vents on the metal case when these are put in? or does that seem to extreme?

[Chewy]

takes out a drive plate if you have too, I prefer my intake to be down low and in the front, all computers should have filters that you can change also,
hahaha!

[LT. Columbo]

drive plate as in where the cards go? i can put some sort of makeshift filter no problem. but that alone won't be enough i don't think. i may have to snip a bit of metal. the PS have proper sized vents, not the fans though.

[Chewy]

floppy bay cover? raise the case up an inch and put a big hole in the bottom
front, heat rises, chewy's laws of thermodynamics.

[LT. Columbo]

haha i was just going to edit my post, yes i get what you meant now. but i just noticed after lifting it there is in fact a 4"x1/2" hole at the bottom. never would have seen it if i hadn't lifted it! it would better better to have intake at the front away from the exhaust from the fans, yes. i popped out the empty floppy plate and it would make an excellent intake port, what do YOU use for a filter? (medium). screen of some sort like a dryers lint trap maybe?

[Chewy]

I just blow it out(1hp3gallon 120psi compressor) regularly

wookies are messy

[LT. Columbo]

don't have one handy, but i just bought a shop-vac with blower capacity. wonder how that will work

that damn fan has 80% of the air out the back side and around 20% out the back of the case. i just remembered i have a third pc just sitting, is it possible to take the fan out of there and stick it in here?

[Chewy]

I have used a leaf blower in a pinch and try the other fan

[LT. Columbo]

lol a wookie with a leaf blower cleaning a pc. that would be a sight

ok, i'll try it this weekend, i have a project now and just might save a few shillings.

gracias chewster