Bitcoin overheats and crashes my computer

[coinpr0n]

no, not really. i remember about 6 months ago i was on a skype call for several hours and the pc just died. now it gets very hot for bitcoin syncing and skype calls. everything else it runs fine. my only guess is it either needs cleaning or has some hardcore malware i haven't been able to find

you should clean it. you will be surprised the performance after the cleaning.

I was going to suggest this also. I have a laptop that overheats sometimes too - but usually only if I attempt mining or some other intensive actions. It happens sometimes while compiling large software from source. Summer time is the worst. I know this can be very annoying if you're in the middle of something. A cleaning really helps... but I've also become more choosey about what I'm running on this laptop. I have a desktop I can use for those intensive tasks.

[defcon23]

.... computer issue.. indeed. 

[jonnybravo0311]

Wow... your laptop craps out just from the CPU spooling up?  Have you tried other processor intensive tasks to see if it behaves the same way?  I mean, I know that Bitcoin Core can run up the CPU usage when it's synching up the blockchain... but the issue is definitely in your hardware.

[Amph]

no, not really. i remember about 6 months ago i was on a skype call for several hours and the pc just died. now it gets very hot for bitcoin syncing and skype calls. everything else it runs fine. my only guess is it either needs cleaning or has some hardcore malware i haven't been able to find

you should clean it. you will be surprised the performance after the cleaning.

he already cleaned it, so i assume that's not the problem

"i've cleaned and reseated the heatsink twice to no avail."

could be OS problem imho

[r3wt]

I'm not at all suprised at the responses i'm getting. I guess many of you are unaware of just how resource intensive bitcoin is. I will also reiterate, if bitcoin is the only thing running, it doesn't overheat as bad. it gets warm but not overheating. its when i'm doing my normal multitasking (ssh, filezilla, dev-c, npp, skype, toggl) that it happens. the same thing happens during skype calls as well.

[OnkelPaul]

I'm not at all suprised at the responses i'm getting. I guess many of you are unaware of just how resource intensive bitcoin is. I will also reiterate, if bitcoin is the only thing running, it doesn't overheat as bad. it gets warm but not overheating. its when i'm doing my normal multitasking (ssh, filezilla, dev-c, npp, skype, toggl) that it happens. the same thing happens during skype calls as well.

Yes, bitcoin core is CPU intensive (at least until it has caught up with the blockchain), that's no secret.
But there are several thousand users all over the world who are able to run it on hardware ranging from top-notch speed demons to computers salvaged from scratch heaps. Somehow, overheating does not seem to be a common problem for them, maybe because the hardware and operating systems they use are able to cope with CPU intensive stuff.
If your laptop isn't able to either transport the heat away from the CPU when it's under full load, or reduce CPU speed so that it does not create so much heat, it's a problem with your laptop and the operating system it runs. Bitcoin core can't fix that problem.
I already suggested to check for temperature management software - do you have anything like that? If not, you should definitely install it.

Onkel Paul

[r3wt]

I'm not at all suprised at the responses i'm getting. I guess many of you are unaware of just how resource intensive bitcoin is. I will also reiterate, if bitcoin is the only thing running, it doesn't overheat as bad. it gets warm but not overheating. its when i'm doing my normal multitasking (ssh, filezilla, dev-c, npp, skype, toggl) that it happens. the same thing happens during skype calls as well.

Yes, bitcoin core is CPU intensive (at least until it has caught up with the blockchain), that's no secret.
But there are several thousand users all over the world who are able to run it on hardware ranging from top-notch speed demons to computers salvaged from scratch heaps. Somehow, overheating does not seem to be a common problem for them, maybe because the hardware and operating systems they use are able to cope with CPU intensive stuff.
If your laptop isn't able to either transport the heat away from the CPU when it's under full load, or reduce CPU speed so that it does not create so much heat, it's a problem with your laptop and the operating system it runs. Bitcoin core can't fix that problem.
I already suggested to check for temperature management software - do you have anything like that? If not, you should definitely install it.

Onkel Paul

Any recommendations for temp management software? preferably open source

[Amph]

I'm not at all suprised at the responses i'm getting. I guess many of you are unaware of just how resource intensive bitcoin is. I will also reiterate, if bitcoin is the only thing running, it doesn't overheat as bad. it gets warm but not overheating. its when i'm doing my normal multitasking (ssh, filezilla, dev-c, npp, skype, toggl) that it happens. the same thing happens during skype calls as well.

Yes, bitcoin core is CPU intensive (at least until it has caught up with the blockchain), that's no secret.
But there are several thousand users all over the world who are able to run it on hardware ranging from top-notch speed demons to computers salvaged from scratch heaps. Somehow, overheating does not seem to be a common problem for them, maybe because the hardware and operating systems they use are able to cope with CPU intensive stuff.
If your laptop isn't able to either transport the heat away from the CPU when it's under full load, or reduce CPU speed so that it does not create so much heat, it's a problem with your laptop and the operating system it runs. Bitcoin core can't fix that problem.
I already suggested to check for temperature management software - do you have anything like that? If not, you should definitely install it.

Onkel Paul

Any recommendations for temp management software? preferably open source

the best one are HWmonitor and real temp, but aren't open source

all the other display wrong temp, i don't recommend them

[A10010]

That's because you have a shitty computer.

Anyway, you can throttle your CPU so it doesn't overheat.

[jonnybravo0311]

I'm not at all suprised at the responses i'm getting. I guess many of you are unaware of just how resource intensive bitcoin is. I will also reiterate, if bitcoin is the only thing running, it doesn't overheat as bad. it gets warm but not overheating. its when i'm doing my normal multitasking (ssh, filezilla, dev-c, npp, skype, toggl) that it happens. the same thing happens during skype calls as well.

I'm sure a number of us are indeed quite well aware of the resources the core client consumes during initial blockchain synchronization.  What the majority of us are saying is that the problem is NOT the software, but rather the HARDWARE you have.  Your opening post states:

I think its safe to say that this model is unsustainable on consumer grade hardware.

Your first statement is simply not true.  There are plenty of users with consumer grade hardware that do not have your problem.  By the way, you acknowledge the problem in the same post:

My computer doesn't have sufficient cooling to keep from overheating, and bitcoin happily overheats it in about 30 minutes.

You then state later on that Skype causes the same overheating issue.

Your problem is your hardware - not the software.

[notlist3d]

I'm not at all suprised at the responses i'm getting. I guess many of you are unaware of just how resource intensive bitcoin is. I will also reiterate, if bitcoin is the only thing running, it doesn't overheat as bad. it gets warm but not overheating. its when i'm doing my normal multitasking (ssh, filezilla, dev-c, npp, skype, toggl) that it happens. the same thing happens during skype calls as well.

I'm sure a number of us are indeed quite well aware of the resources the core client consumes during initial blockchain synchronization.  What the majority of us are saying is that the problem is NOT the software, but rather the HARDWARE you have.  Your opening post states:

I think its safe to say that this model is unsustainable on consumer grade hardware.

Your first statement is simply not true.  There are plenty of users with consumer grade hardware that do not have your problem.  By the way, you acknowledge the problem in the same post:

My computer doesn't have sufficient cooling to keep from overheating, and bitcoin happily overheats it in about 30 minutes.

You then state later on that Skype causes the same overheating issue.

Your problem is your hardware - not the software.

I think were all in agreement something is wrong with the laptop.  It's hard to tell if bad airflow, bad heat sink.  There are lot's of options.   But when you can run a full client on a raspberry pi a high priced laptop should be able to do it.

And if Skype kills the computer that is only more evidence its hardware.  I would contact company if in warranty.  If not I would open it up and see what it looks like inside.

[r3wt]

i've pretty much come to the conclusion that it is the laptop. its just out of warranty too. bah humbug

[innocent93]

Time to get a Mac, r3wt!

[r3wt]

Time to get a Mac, r3wt!

ha, never!

[Webnet]

its best to use v.high speed internet connection to download the blockchain as it may take days running u PC at full load on a slow network

[yeponlyone]

its best to use v.high speed internet connection to download the blockchain as it may take days running u PC at full load on a slow network

nope, if your peers have a slow speed connection, no matter how fast your speed is, the syncing is still going to be slow. as far as i know, bitcoin syncing  doesn't use much bandwidth considering most places already have at least 1mb/s of internet. the main bottleneck will still be your cpu speed and your hard disk speed.

[coinpr0n]

The initial sync process does clog up slower system pretty badly though. For me that's 24h+ of a pretty useless (home server) machine.

[r3wt]

its best to use v.high speed internet connection to download the blockchain as it may take days running u PC at full load on a slow network

nope, if your peers have a slow speed connection, no matter how fast your speed is, the syncing is still going to be slow. as far as i know, bitcoin syncing  doesn't use much bandwidth considering most places already have at least 1mb/s of internet. the main bottleneck will still be your cpu speed and your hard disk speed.

yep, its harddisk for me.

cpu shows a measily 6% utilization and disk stays at 100% network usage is less than 300kb. perhaps i should try a new harddrive and a good cleaning and reseating of my cpu

[notlist3d]

its best to use v.high speed internet connection to download the blockchain as it may take days running u PC at full load on a slow network

nope, if your peers have a slow speed connection, no matter how fast your speed is, the syncing is still going to be slow. as far as i know, bitcoin syncing  doesn't use much bandwidth considering most places already have at least 1mb/s of internet. the main bottleneck will still be your cpu speed and your hard disk speed.

yep, its harddisk for me.

cpu shows a measily 6% utilization and disk stays at 100% network usage is less than 300kb. perhaps i should try a new harddrive and a good cleaning and reseating of my cpu

Make sure it's not under warranty still.   I would open and see if there is dust or if fan's work completely.  I have only had one laptop that had a overheating problem. After I oiled the fan in it worked great for another few months till it needed more oil again.