Thermal shutdown in Windows 7

[Hmac]

Late 2009 2.26ghz 8-core with 6 gig RAM and Apple 4870. Windows 7 is installed under Boot Camp 3.1. I basically only use it to play COD4 and one or two other FPS games.

Last evening playing COD4 for the first time on this machine, the whole computer shut down unexpectedly. It automatically rebooted into OSX, and after it loaded I noted that Temp Monitor showed the CPU temp at 55C. It was decreasing rapidly down to my normal operating temp of about 38C.

I suspect overheating, probably CPU's since video card performance was normal up until shutdown. I'm not sure of the solution, but I'm prepared to switch back to XP if necessary, or increase fan speeds.

Any observations? How would I increase fan speed on a Mac Pro 4,1 under Windows 7?

 

[ildondeigiocchi]

Late 2009 2.26ghz 8-core with 6 gig RAM and Apple 4870. Windows 7 is installed under Boot Camp 3.1. I basically only use it to play COD4 and one or two other FPS games.

Last evening playing COD4 for the first time on this machine, the whole computer shut down unexpectedly. It automatically rebooted into OSX, and after it loaded I noted that Temp Monitor showed the CPU temp at 55C. It was decreasing rapidly down to my normal operating temp of about 38C.

I suspect overheating, probably CPU's since video card performance was normal up until shutdown. I'm not sure of the solution, but I'm prepared to switch back to XP if necessary, or increase fan speeds.

Any observations? How would I increase fan speed on a Mac Pro 4,1 under Windows 7?

I wouldn't think it's your CPUs overheating but perhaps the 4870 that was getting a little hot... You definitely don't have to go back to XP... In my opinion Win7 handles games much better than XP. However, I would advise you got into the ATI Catalyst Control Center and turn up the speeds of the FAN on your GPU. Nonetheless, I find it strange that it overheated in COD which isn't a very demanding game.

 

[nanofrog]

Late 2009 2.26ghz 8-core with 6 gig RAM and Apple 4870. Windows 7 is installed under Boot Camp 3.1. I basically only use it to play COD4 and one or two other FPS games.

Last evening playing COD4 for the first time on this machine, the whole computer shut down unexpectedly. It automatically rebooted into OSX, and after it loaded I noted that Temp Monitor showed the CPU temp at 55C. It was decreasing rapidly down to my normal operating temp of about 38C.

I suspect overheating, probably CPU's since video card performance was normal up until shutdown. I'm not sure of the solution, but I'm prepared to switch back to XP if necessary, or increase fan speeds.

Any observations? How would I increase fan speed on a Mac Pro 4,1 under Windows 7?

55C isn't hot, and I'm with ildondeigiocchi here. Take a good look at your graphics card (check for dust/debris, blockage to the fan intake,...).

 

[Hmac]

OK, thanks for the help. I agree 55C isn't that hot, but that was after it had rebooted into OSX and at the rate it was dropping I'm pretty sure it was hotter than that. Even so it may well have been the GPU rather than the CPU and I may have been looking at the wrong temps.

I do have the Catalyst control center, but haven't checked it yet for fan speed. Next time I boot into Win 7, I'll at least turn up the fans via SMC before hitting restart.