Elements: CPU overheats with Organizer

With the use of more of the CPU it might be wise to change your CPU cooler. A stock in the box will not keep your machine running cool enough, not to forget that the longer you run hot the faster it kills your CPU. I am going on a lot of assumptions since I don't know your machine build. Lightroom, Photoshop, PS 15, Elements all use more CPU real estate than previous versions so your CPU will of course run warmer but should not overheat even with 6000 photos in the catalog. Anything else running at the same time (background)?

Michael is guessing with assumptions because there is not much information.  As an engineer, I need more information.  How do you know if your CPU is running hot?  At what temp?  Are you in a hot climate over 98 degrees?  Is it showing high percentage load on the CPU?  Do you mean usage?  Is your OS freezing up?  When it comes to CPU's, computers have a cooling fan that is equal to its 110v power supply and it's only function is to cool the power supply. The rest of the computer operates at 5 volts and that is not hot. A fan can be located in the center of the board only because a computer might be built with a second power supply on the board if the board is built for high powered gaming.  CPU's operate in a range between 39 and 87 degrees. But, I need  more information before I will give my answer in a engineer's stand point.  I need to know what you mean - specifically.  Engineers work with accuracy.  Please reply.  As Michael says, 6000 files should not choke a computer which has 4 to 8 gigs of memory.  Tell me if there are other applications operating at the same time besides Photoshop.  I can run 4 different versions of Photoshop, a database built with SQL and still run 3 to 5000 photographs at once with an off-the-shelf dell. Your PSE 12 only needs 2 Gigs to run.  Why do you need to use 5000 photos at once?  

I want to add, there has been complaints about CPU usage being 90%.  Could be the application is not working with Windows properly as Windows displaces memory over the field evenly. Reduce your database size, use lesser photos at a time.  I want to know what that result is.  Just do it and go back to this forum.   

As you upgrade to PSE 15, your settings for PSE 12 and requirements are still there. Consider reinstalling PSE 15 without upgrading from 12.  Even if you have other PSE programs, PSE 15 will still operate on the same computer.  Experiment and report back.  Not all users have this problem.  

Steve,
The catalog of 600 photos is a simple sqlite database storing the exif data, the custom keywords and albums, the thumbnails. Very, very small (I have 60.000 items indexed, some have up to 200.000 - like in Lightroom).
Yes, there have been complaints about 90% usage. The organizer can have several types of background tasks to analyze the files in the library - for 'missing files' - newly imported files on the computer, visual similarity... but the most significant task is the face recognition initial indexing on large catalogs. That should not happen with an extremely small catalog like this, or even with a large catalog without face recognition enabled.

Steve/Mike Thanks for providing your insight. I cleaned my computer and the fan. which seemed to help. The CPU usage slowly declined from 60-80% range downward. I have Intel desktop utilities which was warning me of the CPU overheating. The threshold of 88 C was no longer being reached. My conclusion is that the CPU was very busy analyzing the data from the newly converted(from PSE12) catalog. Once the catalog was analyzed, the CPU usage (and the temperature) went down. CPU usage is now down to 1-5% range and the CPU temperature is now normal. Thought you might be interested. Thanks again. If things change i will update you.

Jim, (and Michael)   

Suggestion:  keep your database on an external hard drive.  You won’t need backup’s and it’ll be easier to change to another computer too.  Jim, check this - your 88 C is actually 56 F and that is a VERY cool operating temperature - actually lower than normal for CPU and power supply.  CPU’s seldom overheat.  There is nothing inside your solid state CPU that might heat up.  A CPU is really a big calculator, as computers only roll numbers.  A CPU does not need a fan.  Your fan is there for the power supply whether its built into the middle or on the end of the box, it cools in two different ways depending upon the computer.  Windows may have an overactive error system (left over from the Windows 3.1 days) but those errors are just in the system.  The fan is there for the power supply and a fan and power supply is compatible as they are built for each other.  A power supply receives 110 volts then converts to 5 volts and the board is a 5 volt system which rarely heats with its low current, as a power supply's job is to keep the power consistent.  The power supply is the same transformer that was inside TV's of yesteryear, built onto the picture tube and they heated up but they did not need a fan.  Even when a picture tube “burned out” it was really the transformer and then the transformer was charged up and (it) was good-to-go and would make a picture for the next 20 years. Getting an error message is not the end of the world, but is actually a new beginning.  CPU’s are changeable.  Some are hard-wired to the board but the board is changeable with only 4 screws holding it in.  It’s only the circuit boards plugged into them that needs to be changed over to a new board.  Boards cost $75 and are IEEE architecture standard.  It is rare that you would need to change a board.  It is so solid it rarely heats with only 5 volts.  I can build a whole computer for less than $220 including monitor.  Be  like me.  Ignore the error messages.  Life is simple than you think.  Computers are just a machine.  Like a TV they can be tossed.  Do your backup’s often and you won’t worry about your computer.  Keep them on an external hard drive.  Make sure it's a REAL hard drive and NOT a silicon "portable" drive.  It's like the silicon in a thumb drive, it needs to be charged every 2 to 4 weeks or you will lose data. I know you will keep it plugged in but don't be sorry, get a real drive with a real disc, not a portable (silicon).  Poor silicon is coming over from Japan that does not retain data very long.  Real drives plug into the wall and even if they weren't they would retain data on a REAL magnetic disc drive.  Do what an engineer does and you won't have any problems.  
Also, IF a CPU shows over-usage - it probably is not a problem.  It's just the CPU (still) calculating.  It may have a back list of calculations to do.  That is not over usage.  Again, CPU's do not freeze up or break down a computer.  An application like PSE cannot slow it down.  CPU's are designed to run numbers and your application is translating through a translator or in a PC through DOS and the machine language (binary) is just making the CPU run its numbers.  It's normal.