Worried about my CPU

[Helegad]

Hi guys!
I need some help, and it could be desperate. It's summer over here in Australia, and my laptop has randomly shut off in the middle of a game twice in the past week. I realized that it's getting WAY too hot, and obviously, the CPU doesn't like that. It's a Core 2 T9300 2.5GHz. I downloaded SpeedFan, and right now it's about 60-65C. The temperature outside is 25C according to my Vista widget. I don't think this is normal, as I've been reading around, getting info on the subject, but everyone has PCs and not laptops, so I haven't been able to get a proper opinion on the subject. However, I do know that you can burn out your CPU if the temp goes too high, and I really don't want that to happen, because according to NewEgg, my CPU costs $330 which I don't have right now. I've been shopping around eBay a bit, and I want to get one of those cooling pads, but I dunno if it'd actually work, cause it's just a few extra fans. I'm sure it would work better if there was like a little air-con inside the pad. Do these types exist?

Anyway, my question is: how can I reduce the temperatures, and do you think my CPU is about to melt?

PS: I accidentally alt-tabbed back into Hitman Blood Money as I was writing this, but when I alt-tabbed back to the internet, I caught a glimpse of SpeedFan... 74C Shit, something is really wrong.

[JcFFx]

I think some processors *can* go up to those temperatures... But I don't know about yours. If your computer is randomly shutting off, you should probably get it checked.

[A-J]

follow this layer diagram ..


laptop
----------------- <- thin layer of something water proof/resistant
large block of ice

and there you have it.

[News Bot]

60-70 is generally not good, but it won't exactly melt it.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/105994

Get this.

[Member_of_STARS]

Get yourself a laptop cooler. They run about 30 dollars. Just google for an image of what they look like. Basically, its a pad-like thing that goes under your lappy, has a vent or two. Depending on its built, it can reduce your temps by even 30C degrees. I build one for myself because I think commercials are underusing their potential, and my lappy runs ~30 idle and ~40 under load.

[Helegad]

A saw a gel mat that absorbs heat, but I don't know if that'd work properly or not.

I've rearranged my bedroom so that my laptop is next to my air-con, and that my aircon is blowing underneath the damn thing, but still, the temperature is 50C when I'm just listening to Kasabian on iTunes and typing this thing.

[riderkid]

i keep my room at about 50 degrees farenheit so all ym stuff runs smooth. even my 360. i only have problems in the summer when it gets really hot and my parents tell me to turn off my air conditiner to save money.

[JcFFx]

I've rearranged my bedroom so that my laptop is next to my air-con, and that my aircon is blowing underneath the damn thing, but still, the temperature is 50C when I'm just listening to Kasabian on iTunes and typing this thing.

I downloaded that SpeedFan thing for a while, but I had no idea what the numbers meant (there were like, 5 different temperature readings)

Which one were you looking at? One of mine said it was around the 50C area, and I wasn't running any games and I had a laptop cooler under it.

[Helegad]

There are only two temperature readings: Core 0 and Core 1. Since my CPU is dual core, the C0 and C1 obviously are each core respectively.

[Member_of_STARS]

A saw a gel mat that absorbs heat, but I don't know if that'd work properly or not.

Screw gel mats. Those are just as useful as those electric impulse ab trainers. You need a cooler which *blows air*. It doesnt matter if its made of metal, plastic or cardboard. It blows air, cools the bottom and feeds colder air into the intake.

The problem with commercial coolers is that they are working under their potential. Idealistically, there should be 4-5 inches from the fan fins to any obstacle, so the air can reach it freely.

I've rearranged my bedroom so that my laptop is next to my air-con, and that my aircon is blowing underneath the damn thing, but still, the temperature is 50C when I'm just listening to Kasabian on iTunes and typing this thing.

The air con would have to blow into the bottom, pushing the air inside the computer and cooling the bottom construction. If its just providing cooler air into the vicinity of the lappy, youll only gain a few C´s.

----

There are other possibilities.
1) If the lappy is over a year old, you need to open it and flush it with air to get rid of dust (or take it to service, if youre not savvy)
2) If youre a smoker, and smoke near your laptop, get it to service. Theres tar inside the cooling system and you will not be able to clean in yourself, make sure you tell the service guys that you want it cleaned throughly. There are tube in the cooling system which have to be cleaned aswell, tell them that you want 100% top job and youre willing to pay for it (you should).
Cigarette smoke will EASILY be respnsible for a temp increase ON IDLE, from 30 to 50 and 60. I had to deal with it, and its terribad.
3) Construction flaw. Plastic body and high grade parts are just a sign of terribad laptop design and even worse knowledge from the buyer (you). Dont worry, weve all been there, Im using one right now.
4) Something is broken.

So what should you do?

1) First get a lappy cooler. See if it helps. If it doesnt, proceed to 2.
2) Get your lappy to maintenance, explain the problem.
3) If all fails, sell the lappy and get a new one. This time actually make sure you know what youre getting and dont get jaded by those megahurtz and gigabytes of RAM, GPU and CPU. Numbers mean shit. You get what you pay for.

[Helegad]

It's a Toshiba A300 Satellite.

Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz
4GB RAM
ATI Radeon Mobility HD 3650

My sister's laptop is about 3 years older than mine, and it's reading a nice, cool 35C for each core (Centrino Duo T2200 1.73GHz). What's even more confusing is that she doesn't have the aircon as cold as I do, and the laptop is wedged in between all her drawing supplies and little trays, cabinets, etc. My laptop is RIGHT IN FRONT OF the aircon. Grrr, this is getting annoying. Service centres will probably charge me $100 or something equally exorbitant to clean it. I dunno if the fan is blocked or anything, but I have a suspicion that it NEEDS to be cleaned because it ain't blowing what it used to. Ah, this is annoying.

Yep, 55-60C idling today. Rediculous.

[Alexia_Ashford]

I just downloaded that thing, out of interest. I think the "HD0" one is the general temperature of it because that's the one that shows in the taskbar at the bottom. My Cores are at about 44 - 39C at the moment, bearing in mind I'm on a laptop at the moment and it's sat on my quilt, with no book, with the fan essentially blocked off. So I'm quite happy with that. My general temperature I think is 37C.

[Helegad]

I've started a thread on NotebookReview forums, and I'm hoping for a decent answer to my problem. Fingers crossed

[Member_of_STARS]

Youll get the same answer I just gave you.

Alexia- HD0 is your harddrives temp.

Anyway, Helegad. I dont see how you can compare a Centrino to a Core 2 Duo, Centrinos are way cooler. It would be as funny as me comparing my C2D equipped lappy to my friends Centrino and being surprised that his 5 year old, a whole generation weaker laptop has more battery life than mine. Two completely different processors. Like I told you, its NEVER just about numbers.

I wouldnt recommend you to open it yourself. Youll risk losing warranty. Just get it to service. There are some things you wont be able to do yourself, one of them is completely cleaning up the whole cooling system and reattaching it to your CPU, applying thermal paste and the works.

Dont be arrogant. Dont be stingy. Lappies cost a lot, and you dont know much about them. Let the professionals do their job. But before that, you should consider the steps I provided you with.

[Helegad]

I do know a fair bit about computers, and I'm 50/50 on being able to disassemble, clean, and reassemble the lappy without damage, but I'll take your advice and bring it into a service centre. Better safe than sorry.