Hey guys, I was wondering if you could shed some light on my current situation if you know anything that may help. Thank you. Alright so, my primary gaming rig is on the bench again. It’s an Asus GL12CM. I noticed problems with the system going into immediate shutoff after a short time. So I looked it up - the system has an automatic shutoff in case a certain threshold is crossed, it prevents your pc from overheating. It can use dual fans, but only a single came installed. Checked BIOS. Voltages good. Case fan running. Cpu fan not detected. Checked wires. The housing above the cpu, I’m not sure how it’s made or even if it’s a fan inside. A small pump seems more logical for circulation, since it’s fitted to a radiator. Now obviously, if it’s liquid cooled, BIOS wouldn’t detect a fan anyway, but it doesn’t explain why it’s not cooling the cpu quickly like it did before. Checked for leaks. Someone suggested I disassemble it, clean everything out, apply new thermal paste, and reassemble. However, I don’t exactly have a book to follow. This is uncharted territory for me. I’ve swapped out drives, and fixed software issues on my own, but this I could use another pair of eyes on. If you’ve got any expertise regarding cooling systems, and heat prevention, I’d sure be happy to have your help! Im not sure what to check for at this point ?! Any way to tell if my lines don’t have enough coolant ? Is there any way to check it, test it, (if that’s what it is) to make sure faulty wires aren’t to blame ? How can I tell what model or size fan(s) I have, so I know what to get ? I’d like to get some extras. Are fans built for specific boards/chassis or are they universal ? Also please note - I’m in the process of trying to regain access to my os, so I may not be able to provide you in-depth details regarding the setup. I hate ms updates. 🙄
From a google search for the model you listed, the PC has a 120mm AIO liquid cooler. For the CPU that is in that system (i7-8700k), that's not a great cooling solution, but it would suffice. I have the same CPU and I can say it likes to run warm even under a 240mm AIO. The system also doesn't appear to have any additional case fans which is an odd choice. Unless the AIO is leaking somewhere, they shouldn't lose coolant. For fan models, you'd have to look at the fans themselves usually. Fans are essentially universal. They run on either 3 or 4 pin (typically 4 pin for newer motherboards) fan headers from the motherboard. Fans do differ in quality and capability but that is down to the fan manufacturer. Fans come in various different sizes but 120mm and 140mm are the most common case fan sizes. The fan on your radiator is a 120mm fan, but I can't tell the manufacturer from the images I found. For my personal setup, I've got a 240mm AIO cooling the CPU and 3 additional case fans pulling air in for the GPU, plus whatever else is generating heat. I can add a picture if you want.
Nevermind, I thought you had one of the Nvidia 3000 series card GPUs or one of the AMD RX 6000 series cards. (If that were the case, I'd say your issue is a duality of the GPU needing twice it's rated wattage and your PSU being unable to deliver it.) I'm sorry man, I really have no idea. Your circumstance is quite... bizzare and unfortunate... :\
Did you recently unplug anything before this issue arose? I have had a similar situation and it was due to me plugging the CPU fan/ AIO Pump in the wrong port on my mobo... xD
I checked the motherboard, and it supports 3 fans in all, however, the case only seems to fit two. They’re 4 pin plugs. I checked the case thoroughly for mounting holes. There’s only one area on the front face at the bottom, however, it appears as if half the air would be blocked from pushing air through, underneath the gpu and above the power supply. The rest would collide into the 3.5” hdd enclosure and exit through the bottom. Should I consider removing the extra drives for better airflow ? I don’t know if that’s necessary, it may work as is, but I’m open to try anything. I would prefer to keep the extra storage but if you think the extra fan pulling in air will help stabilize the critical balance, I don’t see a problem with taking it out to maximize airflow. Do you recommend any manufacturers for fans ? If not, I’ll just try and get another of the same. Another question though… Do you think my GPU is running too hot? Is that a possibility I should consider ? The GPU has its own built-in fan, but that doesn’t mean it’s staying cooled off adequately. Adding a fan could help alleviate this buildup of heat if there is any, and distribute a steady stream of cooler air drawn to the core whilst the hot air rises and vents. The only drawback I see, is losing x2 2TB drives in the 3.5” bay, but if it’ll fix it, I’m game.
No, I don’t think so. I was very thorough with how I handled everything inside. I mean it won’t hurt to double check, but as far as I know everything else is the same as it was when it was factory new. All I have done internally; Added more RAM 16GB-32GB Swapped out M.2 ssd for larger Swapped out 3.5” hdd for larger Added x2 2.5” ssd’s Before it worked great, but I ran out of storage quick! After the upgraded drives, it worked like a charm for a long time. I don’t know what’s changed all of a sudden… The only obvious thing I need to do is clean my case. It’s got some light dust buildup on the GPU, but the motherboard is very clean. I cleaned my radiator and fan out many months ago, and it’s still clean, but this GPU being horizontal seems to collect every tiny particle.
Well don’t feel bad, I have the tower and I can’t even tell! It appears pretty generic I would say. There’s no branding anywhere. No labels, nothing. Unless it’s on the only side I can’t see… The other side panel of the case is removable, but you can’t see anything because of the mounting plate for the motherboard. It’s getting late, I’ll look tomorrow. Thank you for all the helpful info! I’ll see what I can do! Cheers! 🍻
From the images I saw, the airflow in that case will be fairly poor no matter what fan configuration you have as the case doesn't appear to have good ventilation. It looks like you might be able to install another 120mm fan at the rear of the case, but I can't say for sure. I am interested to know if that fan on the AIO is setup as an intake or exhaust. I can't tell from looking at the images. As far as fans go, I know Noctua makes good fans. I've also had good performance with Corsair fans. Depending on what fan is on your AIO, I might even consider replacing that one with a higher quality one as well. I would definitely explore the idea of GPU overheating as well. If you manage to get into the OS again, you can use software to monitor the temperature and see how hot it's getting.
I’ll double check, but I don’t think so. I’m pretty positive that the only holes in the back were vents. Yeah, this is what I feared. Good to have a second opinion! I’ve been looking into making a box for my tower to sit on, that has fans pushing air in, so I can draw more air in through the bottom. I need to rig up an air compressor. Ain’t no dust gonna settle in there! This one is setup as an exhaust fan. It’s pulling the air up, through the fins of the radiator and out of the case. I will get into the OS, it’s only a matter of time narrowing down the causes... Fortunately I’ve dealt with this problem before. Now as far as software goes, it came pre-installed with Aegis III. It’s a utility that helps you monitor your system’s performance, but I don’t know what the parameters are for this specific gpu’s operating temperature. Need to look at that. I was so convinced it was the CPU, that I didn’t suspect the GPU. I’ll keep you posted. Thank you!
I asked for help over on discord once. They suggested I place my laptop in a bucket and water board it until it complied. To no success in an understanding that I was in charge and that “Fred” (my laptop) wouldn’t gain any more power until it did as the push of the buttons commanded. I was then advised to place “Fred” in a freezer chest until it cools down. For now “Fred’s” on thin ice.
Does your system still auto shutdown as soon as you power it up? If you believe it is a thermal issue then have you tried cooling the entire system with an external fan? I would use a floor fan or even a shop vacuum setup to blow air out and into your chassis, from a safe distance so the existing cooling fans don't exceed their speed limits. Do anything necessary to temporarily cool it just to allow you to get the os running. One time my system did a thermal shutdown and it was because the cpu cooling fan and finned heatsink were dusty and the outdoor temperature was close to 100. The next day it was cooler and it started up. I cleaned the heatsink and it has been fine since then.
It sounds to me like you tried the wrong source. I didn’t see heat mentioned anywhere. Well it’s no wonder it didn’t work, isn’t it obvious ? Fred’s chilled to his core! Sorry I had to!
I’ll take it! Thank you! It seems to be helping! Funny you should mention that, because last night, that’s exactly what I did. I knew I had to keep my system cooled, while I worked, so I wasn’t playing a game of risk. It took me a little time, but I was able to get into the OS last night and retrieve some important things before I decided to power down. I’m thrilled to see all my stuff is still there. I had my doubts there for a bit. As for the temperature, I checked three times using the software the system came with and it stood between 38-42 degrees Celsius. Not once did it register over, nor did the system unexpectedly shutdown, like it would’ve normally. However, I still don’t know which of the two is to blame, the CPU or the GPU? Or that it could just be a buildup of heat from the two, and the lack of fans is making it more and more noticeable?
Yeah of course, but my current backup drives are maxed out. I don’t have space to backup anything else. I’m in the process of getting more. I need somewhere I can place all my pictures until I can go through them, select all the ones I want to keep, but I uh 🙄 have logged over some 36k pictures. Some are from my personal life, the rest are all gaming. It’s pretty ridiculous, spending hours at a time looking through pictures. I have a problem okay. Don’t judge…
Alright, so you were right, the rear of the chassis does have a spot for one fan. Also after another inspection across the motherboard found another 4-pin plug. I can add two fans, and I believe that should set it straight. At least set me in the right direction…I am gonna go ahead and get these fans ordered. Thank you for all the help! You wanted to know how the fans were intended to be setup, so I went digging through pictures. Found it.They still use the same setup in the new cases. (2 intake fans/1 exhaust fan) Here hopefully this helps: https://rog.asus.com/desktops/mid-tower/rog-strix-gl12-series/ Go down to thermal layout, that’ll give you the best idea. It’s clearly not going run as smoothly as the animation presents it, but in any case, it’s better than it is now with only one fan. While I was inside the OS, I used device manager to check for software errors and task manager (performance tab), to try and determine if any obvious issues would arise, but nothing came of it. Holding my floor fan up to the case while I worked, seemed to fix the problem. Maybe it’s only a heat problem, course I know only further tests will be the proof of that. I took a look at a 240mm AIO cooler, and I could mount one in my case, though to acquire the space I’d have to sacrifice my CD-ROM drive and my SSD Hotswap bay. That’s not a line I want to cross. I specifically wanted both of those features, so that’s a no go. Yeah, I grabbed a light and noticed my heatsinks, radiator fins, and my gpu have an ever so slightly coating of dust build up. Looks like I’ll need to tie my fan up, and use some compressed air to clean it out. 🤧😷
The fan at the rear of the case is in fact not a 120mm, but a 90mm instead. I double checked with Asus. I knew it didn’t look right. 👀
