Feverish Laptop
Fred, Thanks for the newsletter. The searchable archive more than paid for the subscription for years to come. I just bought a laptop and am using your suggestions to get it set up the way I want it.
This brings up 2 burning questions for me. One a burning smell and one a burning issue.
My laptop feels warmer than I think it should on the left side (not the battery). It also smelled a bit of burning electronics, more at first (maybe it is "burnt in" now). I installed SpeedFan and ran some tests. Here are the results (HD=hard drive temp, CPU=CPU temp, all in Celsius):at cold start HD=22 CPU=28
after 30 minutes of doing nothing but log in HD=43, CPU=56
after 10 minutes of CPU/HD intense work (virus scan) HD=47 CPU=67 !!!
after 20 more minutes of scan (when scan complete) HD=53 CPU=56
after 40 minutes idle HD=53 CPU=58
after 22 minutes with cover closed HD=42 CPU=42
It is only a month old. I took it to Staples where I bought it and they couldn't find anything. HP says they will take it and repair it. I am thinking I should do this, but what is "normal" operating temperature on a laptop? My desktop, which of course has greater fan capability, never gets above 45 degrees for either reading. Thanks, Blair Hamren
The two most-common hot spots on a laptop are the battery and the hard drive. (The CPU gets hot, of course, but it's usually well ventilated.) My guess is it's the hard drive's heat that you were feeling through the case.
Each manufacturer sets the acceptable max temps for a PC or laptop components. Usually, drive vendors warn against temps over about 50C (120F), so your readings in the low 50's C (high 120's F) may have been a little too toasty. But the only way to know for sure is to check either the vendor's tech sheets OR the actual hard drive manufacturer's spec sheets. You may be able to determine the drive make and model from software (e.g. http://www3.sympatico.ca/gtopala/about_siw.html , http://www.majorgeeks.com/download181.html , etc.) or you can eyeball it: Hard drive access on a laptop is usually via a door or flap on the bottom or side of the unit; you may need to remove a couple of screws to get at it, but you most likely won't have to take the whole thing apart: Usually, laptop hard drives are designed for reasonably easy access.
Likewise, either the laptop maker OR the actual CPU manufacturer can tell you what the correct operating temperatures are for that chip. Many CPU makers spec max temps of around 70C (158F), so your temps were probably close to the max, but may have stayed below the imminently dangerous area. But again, you'll need to track down the specifics for your exact make and model.
Please also note than "max" temp is very different from a recommended temp: With electronics, the cooler, the better. A component may not fail immediately at a "high normal" temperature, but sustained high temps will almost surely shorten the component's useful life. For the best longevity of any electronics component, you want it kept as cool as reasonable.
With my laptops, I use whatever speed-controlling software tools the vendor includes, plus CPU-throttling software, fan management software, and a lapdesk. By not having the system work harder than it has to, and by having the fans kick on at slow speed at relatively low temps, and by using a lapdesk to ensure good airflow all around the laptop; the laptop never gets all that hot in the first place, and usually stays comfortably cool. For example, my newest laptop CPU maxes out at about 116F (47C) in sustained full-throttle operation; and the hard drive usually floats around 95F (35C).
More info and tools:
Free Temperature Tools
http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-03-30.htm#2
Temperature Tools For Dell and Other Notebooks
http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-04-10.htm#7
Curing and *Preventing* Laptop Overheating
http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-02-17.htm#1
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Other
Permalink
