Hyperthreaded P4 2.8 overheating when Mastercam running

[Conrad K.]

I've been supporting a tool-making shop that has been using Mastercam for many years. Currently they're on 9.2, and I've been supporting them since 7.0 so we've been around the block a few years. My expertise is hardware & software not CAD/CAM.

 

Just upgraded the design machine to a P4 2.8ghz hyperthreaded, 1gb of RAM, lots of bells & whistles. The CPU is running the recommended fan and is Intel made & sold. I might add, that I'm having the same problem with a P4 3.4ghz so it's not just this machine.

 

Here's the problem. The machine will run perfectly normally with a CPU temperature holding constant at 55deg Celsius, with the fan turning at 2500rpm. No problem.

 

The instant Mastercam is loaded, the CPU temperature goes to 80deg C, bells & whistles go off, the fan revs to 3800rpm ready for takeoff and never comes back down, all in less than 2 minutes.

 

The instant we close Mastercam, less than 45 seconds, back down to normal.

 

I've always know that Mastercam is a CPU hog but this seems just a tad excessive, aside from being hot enough to fry eggs.

 

What have I missed, or is this just the way it is? I have ordered a larger CPU fan, but we're almost at the top with the one we have!

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum Conrad.

 

 

 

In a previous thread it was mentioned that the hyperthreading should be turned off for MasterCam.

 

Linky

 

HTH

[Conrad K.]

Thank you very much, will try that tomorrow. I don't think it'll impact the SolidWorks they're running on the same machine...

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

SOmething else, I run a Laptop with a P4 3.4 GHz w/ HT. When running V9 and previous, I try to leave a WIndows Dialog Box open when at all possible (Solids Manager, Operations Manager, Level Manager, etc...) this keeps things cooler. I run ALL my toolpaths out of the Operations Manager to help things along also.

 

In my laptop, I can't seem to be able to turn off the HT. So far it's not been a problem for me.

[KCollins]

A CPU hog is probably an understatement. As has been said many times on the forum, Mcam 9 basically uses the entire CPU while it is running. I used to run into this same problem with OpenGL screensavers on windows a few years ago. When the monitior on my server flipped to a screensaver it killed the network performance...took a while to figure that one out....Regardless with the price of gas this year your winter heating bills will be smaller...gets a little chilly just open up another instance of Mcam 9

[Mike Mattera - TFM]

The answer is simple..... Update to X.

 

Mike Mattera

[within a thou]

Updating to X is easy convincing your boss to allow ya the down time to learn how to use it is the hard thing

[mcpgmr]

--------------------------------------

The answer is simple..... Update to X.

--------------------------------------

 

Hey I have to pitch that idea to my boss !

 

Like that would ever happen.

[gcode]

quote:

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Mcam 9 basically uses the entire CPU while it is running.

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I don't think this is true.

I frequently run V9, Solidworks, Predator VCNC

Cimco Edit and Windows Explorer all at the same time.

That would not be possible if V9 was using 100%

of the CPU. The fans do run all the time under these conditions though

[3rdstring]

What about adding an extra case fan?