Sims 4 causing overheating?

[Trippie25]

Hi, maybe someone here can help me. I noticed about a week ago that The Sims 4 seems to be causing my SSD to heat up a lot more than it used to. So much so I can now feel heat coming from my computer whereas before it was never noticeable. My SSD is in a well ventilated part of my computer, and my fans are well dusted, and working just fine. None of the other games I play have this same effect, even when they use more RAM or CPU than the sims. I have tried factory re-setting, as well as the other trouble-shooting tips. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The drive an ADATA SU650 (960GB) . 

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@Trippie25  Since the issue isn't your SSD, I don't think playing in offline mode will make a difference, although there's no harm in testing.  The CPU temperatures alone would definitely account for the heat you've noticed.  More importantly, those temps are far too high.  A processor shouldn't be allowed to run that hot, especially not if it's happening so soon into a game session.  It also shouldn't idle at 53º; I'd expect something only a few degrees above room temperature.

Please clean your CPU fan specifically, as it can get clogged with dust as well.  (I think hwinfo has a reading for the CPU fan speed, but that may depend on your motherboard.  It's worth checking at any rate.)  If you happen to have a liquid cooler, then there's a different conversation, but again hwinfo may provide some relevant data.  If the fan itself isn't the issue, you may need to reapply thermal paste—it can easily dry out after a few years, especially if you kept the original factory-applied stuff.

[puzzlezaddict]

@Trippie25  That's... unusual.  Are Windows and Sims 4 installed on this SSD?  Is Documents also on the drive?  What kind of temperatures are you getting?  There are a number of monitoring tools you can use to keep track; one easy app to use is hwinfo (free download).

https://www.hwinfo.com/download/

You don't even have to install it; just download the portable version and launch it directly from Downloads.  (If you do want to install, be sure to click the green button, not the orange one.)  Run "sensors only" and tab out of TS4 from time to time to see what the SSD temps look like.  You'll get current, minimum, maximum, and average readings.  You could also log the entire play session, which would collect all the data that hwinfo reads, but the first thing to do is to see what the temps look like in real time.

Be sure to at least glance at your CPU and GPU temps as well, just to make sure they're not also running hotter than normal.

A couple of experiments might provide more information.  Try playing while Origin is in offline mode, and if that doesn't make a difference, while your computer is completely disconnected from the internet.

[Trippie25]

@puzzlezaddict Yes, they are both installed on the SSD. I tried out the program you recommended, and here are some of the results. It turns out it's not my SSD as the temp stayed at 40 through out every test. However my CPU was hitting max temps of 97-98 within 20 minutes of gameplay. The base (idle) temps are about 53 degrees. I haven't tried in offline mode yet, but I wanted to update you on the progress.

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@Trippie25  Since the issue isn't your SSD, I don't think playing in offline mode will make a difference, although there's no harm in testing.  The CPU temperatures alone would definitely account for the heat you've noticed.  More importantly, those temps are far too high.  A processor shouldn't be allowed to run that hot, especially not if it's happening so soon into a game session.  It also shouldn't idle at 53º; I'd expect something only a few degrees above room temperature.

Please clean your CPU fan specifically, as it can get clogged with dust as well.  (I think hwinfo has a reading for the CPU fan speed, but that may depend on your motherboard.  It's worth checking at any rate.)  If you happen to have a liquid cooler, then there's a different conversation, but again hwinfo may provide some relevant data.  If the fan itself isn't the issue, you may need to reapply thermal paste—it can easily dry out after a few years, especially if you kept the original factory-applied stuff.

[Trippie25]

@puzzlezaddict Hey I got it all cleaned out and it's running much better! Max temps are now only getting into the 50's. Idling around room temp. as well. I wanted to thank u very much for your help. Have yourself a great day!