Running hot...

[i845_]

Hi guys.

This is a generic question related to hardware.

What is the safe operating temperature range for a mobile Core 2 Duo microprocessor?

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

I got myself an Acer Aspire 5920-6AG16Mi notebook on the 4th of Oct. Since I mostly use the in-built wireless adapter to connect to the Internet, it was only on the 2nd instant that I noticed that my wired NIC was not working.

I sent the machine back to the service center. They returned it to me yesterday, with a new motherboard inside (I know, cause the DMI information has changed considerably.) After a while, I found out that the wireless kill-switch wasn't working. The tech-support guy came and replaced the pressure plate underneath the switch. All's well now.

I'm, however, getting this feeling the notebook is running considerably hotter than before; the underside is quite hot to touch, and the trackpad gets heated up as well. Besides, the exhaust fan simply keeps spinning up and down without any apparent rhyme or reason.

(evening) I was browsing the WWW on Firefox, running the machine off batteries, on my bed. The laptop ran very hot.
(a few hours back) I did a video conference with my brother while on AC power (~ 2 hours). The laptop was cool, and was placed on a glass table.
(now) Had some food, am browsing again on AC power; the laptop is quite hot now. The laptop's on my bed. The fan is whirring erratically.

Obstructed vents? I'll move to my study and report.

Any ideas? Everest on Windows shows the following info:

Sensor properties:
     Sensor type: ACPI, CPU, HDD

Temperatures:
     CPU: 50 °C (122 °F)
     CPU #1/Core #1: 48 °C (118 °F)
     CPU #2/Core #2: 46 °C (115 °F)
     Hard disk (WDC WD1600BEVT-22ZCT0): 46 °C (115 °F)

Voltage values:
     CPU Core: 0.96 V

The microprocessor on my notebook is an Intel Core 2 Duo T7500. (2.20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, Merom, Socket P (478), Stepping G0.)

Thanks.

[trilarian]

The temperatures posted are well within spec and are actually running cool for that processor type. The spec sheet for that CPU has the max temperature at 100°C. The general rule that I've gone by is keep your CPUs under 65°C to prevent shortening the life cycle. The closest I have to that chip is a Core 2 Quad Q6600. If I don't overclock at 2.4GHz, I sit around ~42-46°C. When I overclock to 3.2GHz, I sit around 55-60°C under full load.

As for the laptop itself being hotter than normal, I'd suspect that it was assembled differently than it was taken apart. You already mention a different motherboard - can you see anything else different? Was there any type of metallic sheet, heat sink, etc. there before that is not now?

What I *think* is the case, is something was either left out or presumed not needed with the new motherboard that was directing the flow of heat away from the back plate. So, in effect, the computer is still running the same, but it now feels hotter. These types of things are hard to pinpoint without being able to physically look at it.

[i845_]

@trilarian

Just a couple of seconds of running the latest Mersenne Prime Generator sends the temperatures soaring:

HD: 42 °C
CPU: 67 °C
Core 0: 59 °C
Core 1: 59 °C

Now I understand that's a benchmarking test, but are the temps supposed to rise that fast?

[JayMan8081]

I run a MacBook that has a Core Duo proc in it and it routinely has temps in the high 50's with only a web browser and email app open. So under full load that temp seems about right. Also the temp will rise as fast as you are pushing the processor, so if you peg both cores at 100% usage then yes the temp will rise rapidly.

[trilarian]

Yea, that seems about right. I have the advantage of a full case, so I have a massive heat sink with a circular coiled fan to dissipate a lot of heat. I went that way so I could squeeze an impressive 33.33% overclock with just air cooling. Even under a benchmark your cores are under the 65°C threshold. What would of been nice, though, is to have a reading from the same benchmark prior to bringing it in to compare with.

[i845_]

The second set of temperature readings were taken using SpeedFan 4.37. Under normal conditions, SpeedFan reports temperatures in the range of 45 °C - 50 °C.

I guess trilarian's right --- I'd better get the heat dissipation/cooling system checked.

[Satanic Atheist]

For i845

I also run a Core2 Quad Q6600 but mine is located in a server-base and therefore I need it to run cool and reliably. I originally ran it with the stock Intel cooler and had it idling at 47-49 degrees C which, I thought, was fairly cool for such a powerful processor. Still, this machine is unattended for four months at a time so I took measures to lower the temperature even further so I installed a CoolIT Eliminator processor cooling system. I do not overclock (server - needs uptime and reliability) and now, it is running at 30 degrees C under moderate load (it's busy doing stuff) but will normally idle at around 21 degrees C. That's even considering it lives on top of a hot water tank!

Anyway, getting back to the question about temperature:

Laptops (IMHO) are finicky things and can either run hot or cold and largely seem to choose what they do on their own (sounds like my ex, but still, I digress). I use an IBM Thinkpad T42 laptop and if I'm doing a video processor run (which takes several hours) the heat coming out of the exhaust on the side has made a Zippo lighter (note: metal) too hot to handle but the machine seemed fine by it. I'm not doing a video run at the moment and the table where the exhaust is is not even slightly warmer than the rest of the table.

The only laptops for which I am aware that there are heat issues are the Dell Alienware line of machines (particularly the earlier ones) which simply crashed. I would bet that most machines these days (including laptops) have the failsafe mechanism that shuts them down/turns off the processor to prevent damage to it in case it gets too hot.

I know that this laptop DOES get hot (especially when running on batteries, for some strange reason) and can make holding it on your lap somewhat uncomfortable, but if the machine doesn't seem to mind, then I wouldn't worry about it too much.

If you do want to keep it as cool as possible, though, I would recommend blasting it through with a can of compressed air to clear out the detritus and fluff that will (inevitably) coalesce inside it. Just remember to send a blast of (cold) air into nothing before using it to avoid condensation. There are no propellants in these cans (just compressed air) so there's no risk of combustion. Just don't use them upside down!

James

PS. I know you will use it upside down just to see what it does... Oh well.

[i845_]

@Satanic Atheist

I'm currently on a college-sponsored field-trip. Shall try out your ideas on my laptop as soon as I get back home.

/goes to turn a can of compressed air upside down and press the plunger... ;-)

[Satanic Atheist]

As for the can of compressed air:

Just don't do it to other people. They don't like it that much (as I found out). Especially if they don't know what it does/is...

(And are smoking at the time and think it has propellant in it...)

James