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How hot is too hot?

Discussion in 'Techno-Magic' started by Faraaz, Jan 1, 2006.

  1. Faraaz Gems: 26/31
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    My laptop is running right now at 55-59 degrees C. Is this too hot? I noticed that when I'm running software at a CPU load of about 15%+, it spikes up to about 65 degrees C. Is that alright? Or should I be using something to cool it down further?

    FYI, at startup it runs at 43 degrees C.

    Is this normal?
     
  2. Wordplay Gems: 29/31
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    IIRC, 50'C should be the average, but it depends of the model. Some simply run higher than others, but it might be a good idea to invest to a better case/CPU cooler to drop it down ~5'C.
     
  3. Shrikant

    Shrikant Swords! Not words! Veteran

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    65`C is definately too hot. Even if your laptop is more than a year old, still a consistant above 50`C working temperature is un-natural.
    Did you get a hi-fi graphics card installed? If not and the system spec is according to original specifications, you should have it checked.

    When my desktop got overheated, cleaning the dust around the SMPS and cooling fans helped. Hope your warranty does not get void for poking around in your laptop.
     
  4. Faraaz Gems: 26/31
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    Its a 3.2 GHz P4 with 1 Gig RAM and a 256 MB Radeon 9800...

    I was playing Warcraft today, and it was pretty much stuck at 62 degrees.

    I cleaned out the cooling fan vents which were completely caked with dust to get these figures. Earlier, before I had cleaned them out, I was running at 72-75 degrees standard... :eek:

    What can I do with a laptop to cool it down?
     
  5. Dalveen

    Dalveen Rimmer gone Bald Veteran

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    Use it in the fridge?
     
  6. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

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    If it's a laptop...you're pretty much screwed on lowering your CPU temp.

    Unless you "under-clock" it...works the same way as overclocking a CPU...just backwards. :rolleyes: If you can set your CPU to just under 3GHz, and lower the core voltage by just a hair, you should see a drop in your temps, while not noticing much of a difference in performance. :thumb: :rolling:
     
  7. Abdel - Bhaal Spawn Gems: 13/31
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    You are also using a Intel CPU which tends to run hotter than AMD. That could also be part of the reason why it runs so hot.
     
  8. Erod Gems: 14/31
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    Cleaning the dust is about the only thing that you can do. The heatsinks can be completely covered in dust. If you cannot open the laptop, use compressed air to blow the dust away. Just be careful that you do not damage the fans.
     
  9. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

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    While it's true that the Intel P4, especially the prescott core, runs hotter than an AMD cpu, the temps he's been seeing are not even normal for a P4 overclocked to 4.0GHz!

    I still think is has something to do with the fan/heatsink. If you drop your laptop, there's always a chance of knocking the heatsink off the CPU...since it's a laptop, it might still be touching the CPU, but perhaps not enough, to fully cool it. :rolling:
     
  10. Yirimyah Gems: 11/31
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    I thinik you guys might be thinking based on desktop machines. There's not as much room in a laptop. Air cooling requires air movement, and there's not as much open space so it restricts said movement.
     
  11. Ziad

    Ziad I speak in rebuses Veteran

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    Some AMD cores also run very hot. I've got a Barton core (Athlon XP with FSB 400) and it runs on average at 60C. I got really worried, until I read reviews where it would easily stay around 75C on idle, and peak at 85C (!) on heavy load. Apparently it's still stable even at 85, and does not get irreversibly damaged until you reach temperatures in the range of 110-120 (which I don't think you could reach without pulling off the heat sink anyway)

    Barton and Prescott cores (AMD and Intel respectively) are notorious for overheating. On the other hand, they do tend to get damaged at much higher temperatures, so I wouldn't worry too much about 65C. If you want to do something about it, you could get a "laptop cooler". It's basically a pad with fans that you attach under your laptop, and from what I've seen it does help.
     
  12. Faraaz Gems: 26/31
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    Hmm...I'm running at 59-61 idle, and 65-66 when playing games...which is mostly Warcraft and F.E.A.R at the moment.

    Is there any significant detrimental effect in the long term at running my laptop at these temperatures? Or can I afford to continue using it at this temperature?

    I got the I8KFanGui utility from Dell's website, and I've got my fans running at max speed at all times and I've cleaned out the vents.

    Beyond that, I don't know what else I CAN do... :(
     
  13. Ziad

    Ziad I speak in rebuses Veteran

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    As I said, get the laptop cooler :)

    Technically there should be no problem running a CPU at 60ish. But because everything is so crammed in a laptop, you may be heating other components that tend to be quite sensitive (hard drive springs to mind). Also, power units tend to be prone to misdemeanor if they overheat, and you really don't want a capacitor in your power unit to blow up.
     
  14. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

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    I read an article recently that running a hot laptop in your actual lap can cause fertility issues with men. :eek: So one very good option that Ziad mentioned is to get one of those "Laptop coolers". They have one or more fans that blow cool air across the bottom surface of the laptop...just make sure you get a model that blows air *UP* at the laptop, and not sucking down and away…that could restrict airflow moving into the CPU fan (that would be bad).

    Also, make sure you're not putting the hot CPU, or any other part of your laptop that gets hot, directly on/over your crotch...we need all the SPers we can get! :shake: :rolling:
     
  15. Faraaz Gems: 26/31
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    @Kitrax: LOL...I think I'll be fine using my desk... :D

    However, I've got a warranty on my laptop, so if anything DOES blow up, shouldn't be a problem to get it replaced.
     
  16. Ziad

    Ziad I speak in rebuses Veteran

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    It's not a problem, but it does tend to be a hassle. Besides warranties don't last forever, and with mild overheating, problems tend to show up on the long-term rather than immediately. Better safe than sorry :)

    One more suggestion if you don't want to buy a cooler. The ambient temperature does affect how efficient your cooling is. My heater was off all day yesterday (since I was away for 2 weeks, I turned it off before I left), and the peak temperature dropped to 57C instead of the 65C I was usually used to. So, you might for example want to place your laptop on a table away from the heater and see if you can get the temperature down 5 degrees (50-55 isn't so bad)
     
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