Laptop Heating

[KholdStare]

So I've always known that my laptop overheats easily and I cannot touch the bottom of it for more than 2 seconds without it burning. Because I was curious, I decided to search the web and found a program called Everest which could detect my CPU temperature. Now, Everest claims that my CPU temperature is 92 C. I don't know much about safe CPU temperatures, but I have an inkling that near-boiling temperatures are not very safe. So my questions now are:

1) What could be the cause of this and is it easy to fix?
2) If I continue to use this laptop until it burns out, will it cause me physical harm?
3) What is the typical CPU temperature for a laptop?

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Shadow Kira01]

First of all, what type of processor do you have?

And what type of games were you loading?

It does make a difference. Need a little information of the specs.

[justsomeguy]

1) The forums at notebookreview.com recommend opening the laptop to clean out the dust with canned air, and/or using a cooling pad. Zalman NC2000 and Cooler Master NotePal Infinite seem to be the popular models.

2) Generally burning yourself is not a good idea.

3) 70F to 80F should be normal.

[chikorita157]

Usually, this indicates that your heatsink might be obstructed by layer of dust. I had this problem with the Inspiron 9100 which overheated and performance started to slow down. You may need to unscrew alot of screws to access the fans and heatsink.

Also, while doing something intensive, make sure you have the laptop on a flat surface. If your laptop model have overheat issues, I suggest getting a laptop cooler.

My processor (Intel Core2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz) , which is overclocked to 2.8 GHz in Windows stays around 47C under low load and 66-70C on high load. I usually remove the battery when in overclock mode.

[Neat Hedgehog]

Oh man, that's way too hot. I really don't like anything over 60c since it stresses out the hardware (my e6600 OCed to 3.2ghz is only 40c idle, not even hitting 50c full load), but 92c is way too hot for normal operation. It could catch fire, especially if the residual heat overheats your battery as well, or just die if you keep running it that way.

Like the others have said, you'll want to dust it out. Using a vacuum sweeper or a regular air compressor isn't a good idea, because the air currents can generate static electricity and short your components. I've had it happen. So get some "canned air" for dusting electronics, it has inert gas that keeps it from generating static.

Getting the laptop apart is the only real tricky thing, but shouldn't be too bad. It's generally easy enough that I would recommend doing it yourself rather than taking it in to a shop because they will charge you an absurd price just for dusting it. Just make sure you have a container to put all the screws a stuff in so you don't lose them.

When you get to dusting, be sure to only use the can in little puffs, because it'll get very cold if you spray continuously and start spitting condensation on your hardware. Let it warm back up if it starts getting too cold, although you should be done by that time. It's pretty hard to mess things up unless you actually bash the can into the motherboard or something, so don't worry about it.

[holyalexander]

damn that is one hot laptop.. yeah the first step is to clean the heat sink...

[Zu Ra]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

1) What could be the cause of this and is it easy to fix?
2) If I continue to use this laptop until it burns out, will it cause me physical harm?
3) What is the typical CPU temperature for a laptop?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Until you solve this problem avoid using your laptop

1) Your cooling system is not working and its easy to fix

2) Though most BIOS come with auto switch off function if core overheats. Until you solve this problem avoid using your laptop . If the mechanism doesn't kick in the processor/motherboard will burn/melt and your laptop will be reduced to junk .


3) Core Temperature (can vary)

- Idling : 20-50 degree C

- Work : 50-70 degree C

- Heavy Load : 70-85-90 Degree C ( 90 for Acer/Amd)


But running constantly at 70+ temperature is a problem without heavy work load. The solution , Cleaning the Heat Sink this article will guide

* How to Repair the Cooling System (Fan, Heatsink) of a Laptop or Notebook

Though I would suggest take it to a technician/service center and explain the problem . Its safer that way and better option than you opening up your laptop .

[KholdStare]

Thanks guys for all the replies. I (never do this since I'm not hardware-proficient) opened my laptop up and I found a thick layer of dust separating my heat sink and fan. After that, the laptop operates normally.

EDIT: I love how my laptop blows air down and not to the side.

[Neat Hedgehog]

Good to hear that it worked out.

Yeah, don't you just love the airflow design? I really don't understand why they have laptops exhaust air downwards these days. It's designed to sit on a flat surface, why would you want it's airflow directed to where it's most likely to be the most restricted? My old Compaq laptop from about ten years ago had a more reasonable airflow system, imo. They had a bank of mini fans about 1 inch tall, and they were mounted on the back of the laptop, near the I/O ports. Then everybody seemed to go "thin crazy" and tried to make everything as cramped and skinny as possible. I dunno, that just seems like a bad idea when your system is also packing a lithium ion battery pack. It's like putting your PC in a 4x4 room next to a furnace.

[chikorita157]

Most PC laptops I have seen and used come with poor airflow system... especially the Dell Studio XPS 13/16(which I don't own, but heard about) which the screen actually blocks the vents. Also had overheat problems with the Inspiron 9100 and 6000 which actually killed the system... You can't put any PC laptop on a nonflat surface and expect it not to overheat since most have the fans on the bottom.

Atleast the Macbooks don't suffer these problems since the vents aren't on the bottom and comes out from the side of the screen and it runs alot cooler, even in Windows... It's a step up and you can actually use it on a bed, but don't try doing anything intensive while having it like that... or it will be really hot.

Laptop Manufacturers really need to get on the ball and make better airflow design.

[Jill Valentine]

When the problem is resolved buy a (Macbook Cool Stand) it's comes with two or 3 fans to cool your laptop (any kind of brand not only for Mac), believe me it wont disapoint you. Mum has it and it works perfectly

[Zu Ra]

I using a Toshiba and luckily it has two slots for ventilation sideways and bottom . For bottom based ventilation the solution gets bizzare, an add on . Actually know someone who uses this one



Here is a list of external cooling systems. But turns the notebook into a desktop.

[Jill Valentine]

Originally Posted by Geta Boshi

I using a Toshiba and luckily it has two slots for ventilation sideways and bottom . For bottom based ventilation the solution gets bizzare, an add one . Actually know someone who uses this one



Here is a list of external cooling systems. But turns the notebook into a desktop.

Lol i use the kind which is see through with blue lights underneath when you connect to your laptop

There are so many different kinds of cooling pads

[chikorita157]

I do overclock my computer since I have the ability to do that and I never had any tempertures over 70 degrees, but when setting the fans to high speed, it's alot cooler under Windows.

The problem is that no one shouldn't have to buy a cooling pad/stand inorder to use their computer, unless you are doing some intensive mobile gaming for extended periods. It's no excuse for computer manufactures not to make efficient air flow design so that dust won't block the heatsinks or something obstructing the bottom vents so that the computer won't overheat. Cooling pads to me is extra and unnecessary weight you have to carry around and most laptop computers are already heavy enough.

[oompa loompa]

Hey y'all

So, as my dear old laptop will soon have aged a respectable 3 years, she no longer runs quite as perkily as she did in her younger days. I'd very much like to keep it running for another half a year, or possibly a year before I get a new one, especially because it runs most stuff quite well, and I don't quite have the money to buy another laptop.

So anyways,

I was wondering if you could give me any advice with buying a good laptop pad/cooler. I have a 15.4'' laptop, so do I by default have to buy a pad that is of the same dimensions? Different sites give different opinions, i.e. A few posts on gamespot claim USB controlled pads are just not worth it, and you need AC ones, yet newegg and cnet's highest rated pads are USB.

Over the years I've come to really trust the crowd at animesuki, hence here I am again asking for advice here.

Does it help at all? (Over-heating is a bit of a problem ). Do you guys have any experience with this? Theres also all kinds of stuff about thermal paste and heat extractors and its just a lot of much to waddle through

If any of you generous, generous folks would actually recommend me a laptop cooler, I'd be eternally in your favor. I'm looking for the most powerful one, I couldn't care less about it being bulky or making noise

[synaesthetic]

Why was this zombie thread resurrected? It's only tangentially related...

Anyway, laptop cooling pads!

This one is much loved over at NotebookReviews.com forum:

http://www.amazon.com/ACC-NT-CRYO-LX.../dp/B0014GVZS0

[oompa loompa]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

Why was this zombie thread resurrected? It's only tangentially related...

Anyway, laptop cooling pads!

This one is much loved over at NotebookReviews.com forum:

http://www.amazon.com/ACC-NT-CRYO-LX.../dp/B0014GVZS0

Well, it is a heating issue and I always dread starting new threads when there is one that might include the topic.. though I guess this might be a tangent.

Anyhoo, I don't want to risk trying to clean out teh fan and heatsink myself.. do you know how much itd cost to get that done?