Is it a Dell or Alienware?
Maybe over heating?
Maybe over heating?
WTH is going on w/ my laptop? UPDATE
My laptop has been acting up the past couple of days and I can't figure it out. Every night about the same time it starts running real slow. If I watch a video (both online & off), it lags so bad that the video image stops, but the time keeps going. I haven't been able to watch a DVD on it in forever.
But tonight, it's started shutting off randomly on it's own. When I start it back up, it doesn't do a scan disk or anything, just starts up normally, but takes forever. Will a laptop shutoff if it is starting to overheat? The bottom is almost too hot to the touch, so that may be it...
One time it shutoff, I was playin a game on Nick's site (and I had a really high score, which it didn't save), and the other I was doin a virus scan.
I've run Microsoft AS, Ad-Aware, Spyboy S&D, AVG VS, etc. The AVG DID find a virus, Java/OpenStream, or something, but the comp shutdown before it finished, so I didn't get to remove it.
Any suggestions oh mighty computer guru's of the PS.com BB?
But tonight, it's started shutting off randomly on it's own. When I start it back up, it doesn't do a scan disk or anything, just starts up normally, but takes forever. Will a laptop shutoff if it is starting to overheat? The bottom is almost too hot to the touch, so that may be it...
One time it shutoff, I was playin a game on Nick's site (and I had a really high score, which it didn't save), and the other I was doin a virus scan.
I've run Microsoft AS, Ad-Aware, Spyboy S&D, AVG VS, etc. The AVG DID find a virus, Java/OpenStream, or something, but the comp shutdown before it finished, so I didn't get to remove it.
Any suggestions oh mighty computer guru's of the PS.com BB?
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
Fans went out on you, no doubt. Take it to a repairman, laptops are complicated out the azz. If you wanted you could always put a room fan or something on it temporarily.
If it is a Dell with a p4 I guarantee it is overheating. The fins on the heatsink get coated with dust and will cause that. You can get some compressed air and blow through the vents and clean it up alot, but the best method is to pull the case apart and using rubbing alcohol clean the heatsink.
Another good idea is to download I8Kfangui. It loads and sits in the system tray and show the CPU temperature at all times. http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/index.html
If the laptop is still under warranty call the manufacturer and have them send you a new motherboard. If you overheat it very much it will mess up your memory chips, and motherboard. If you have a P4 you shouldn't have to worry about replacing the processor as they throttle themselves back to keep from frying.
Another good idea is to download I8Kfangui. It loads and sits in the system tray and show the CPU temperature at all times. http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/index.html
If the laptop is still under warranty call the manufacturer and have them send you a new motherboard. If you overheat it very much it will mess up your memory chips, and motherboard. If you have a P4 you shouldn't have to worry about replacing the processor as they throttle themselves back to keep from frying.
my desktop was doing that a couple years ago when it was like 95 out, and my exhaust fan in the case died. it would just shut off. not sure if your laptop has it, but my pc board has an option to shut off at different temps, you can select which one you want. it also has an option to beep when it gets a couple degrees from that temp, so you know to save work and shut down.
Well the fan is working fine, and it hasn't shut off all day. I think maybe it just overheated. I think I'll try and pull the case apart this weekend and clean it out.
Thanks yall :bigthumb:
*EDIT* I installed teh fan thing you suggested Brent, and it's sittin steady at 70. What's too hot?
Thanks yall :bigthumb:
*EDIT* I installed teh fan thing you suggested Brent, and it's sittin steady at 70. What's too hot?
the same thing and happened to mine a while back, i pulled it apart and cleaned the heat sink and fan and now it runs fine
On 2005-11-30 16:10, tx50cj3a wrote:
Well the fan is working fine, and it hasn't shut off all day. I think maybe it just overheated. I think I'll try and pull the case apart this weekend and clean it out.
Thanks yall :bigthumb:
*EDIT* I installed teh fan thing you suggested Brent, and it's sittin steady at 70. What's too hot?
70C is a little warm. I think P4's start throttling at 76C or close to that. My laptop with a P4 stays around 52-55C.
just curious do laptops run warmer than desktops? 70 degrees is pretty darn warm even for my prescott which is known to run warm. i would think anything above 65 (while having a load on it)would be bad
On 2005-12-02 07:29, okiebronco wrote:
just curious do laptops run warmer than desktops? 70 degrees is pretty darn warm even for my prescott which is known to run warm. i would think anything above 65 (while having a load on it)would be bad
Laptops do run warmer because they are just harder to cool. When they put a P4 chip meant for a desktop in a laptop then you get real problems.
Ok, just an update. I pulled the case apart and cleaned it out. I have had the fan inside the case on high all day, and it hasnt gotten over 109 deg F (43 deg C) and I've been running it for 3 hours solid now. The heat is no longer unbearable when I have it on my lap, and the fan is putting out 2x as much air as it was before I cleaned it.
its amazing how much better things cool when they are clean 
oke: :bigthumb: :rotfl:
oke: :bigthumb: :rotfl:Yeah, hopefully you fixed the problem. I believe the reason it starts running slow is some laptops are setup so when they get hot, they first run the cpu at a lower speed to produce less heat and if they get too hot they shut off.
On 2005-12-02 14:20, okiebronco wrote:
its amazing how much better things cool when they are clean
I know, hard to believe huh. Is that why that trailer queen you call an EB never overheats? :idiot:
Yea, weak, I know...
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
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