Recently my CPU temp has been increasing violently and with no apparent explanation. I have set the CPU fan speed to the maximum through both SpeedFan and the BIOS. I have placed a household fan directly next to my CPU at full blast but to no avail. No matter what I do, the temperature eventually reaches the point where the system automatically shuts itself down. At this point I'm pretty much about to lose my mind. Here's a screencap from SpeedFan http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5553/itfeelslikesomethinshea.jpg Core 2 Duo E6850 @ 3 GHz, Corsair 2 GB RAM, Raptor X 150 GB HD

Sounds to me like you installed the HSF incorrectly.

the what Core 2 Duo E6850 @ 3 GHz, Corsair 2 GB RAM, Raptor X 150 GB HD

HSF = heatink with fan. In other words, the CPU cooling fan. It could be dust clogged, or not securely locked in place, too much thermal paste used, not enough paste or none at all, etc

I see, thank you for the suggestion. I bought this computer from cyberpowerpc (dear god, never buy anything from them) and have had to send it back for "repair" several times, and every time I've gotten it back it seemed to have some new issues, along with a number of dents and scratches. I've been aware that at least one of the fans in my case doesn't work at all, but frankly I don't know what to do about it. I know of no PC repair shops in my local area and I have only the most basic computer assembly knowledge. Core 2 Duo E6850 @ 3 GHz, Corsair 2 GB RAM, Raptor X 150 GB HD

I've read both good & bad things about cyberpowerpc. I know that their products are tested regularly in many top computing magazines & the reviews are mostly positive. I'm not sticking up for them but if your case was damaged, it was more than likely during shipping than at cyberpower. And if it got banged around enough to cause scratches & dents, who knows what may have become dislodged inside the case? Open it up, make sure all the cards & cables are fully seated & check that the HSF is mounted securely.

Yeah, I have done so many times and have found nothing loose. Although hilariously enough when I got my PC back from another repair session I found that both my CD and DVD drives were disconnected. Maybe it's just some kind of dust buildup in an area I can't see that's causing the overheating. Core 2 Duo E6850 @ 3 GHz, Corsair 2 GB RAM, Raptor X 150 GB HD