The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    GPU temps high

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by oogabubchub, Jul 5, 2011.

  1. oogabubchub

    oogabubchub Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    20
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Hi, I'm on an M17x-R1 and I feel like my GPU temps are excessively high. I was just running Monday Night Combat on max settings (frames per/sec were buttery smooth) and I was getting temps of 100+C on my one GTX260M in Hybrid SLI. The vent grills were wiped clean recently and I blew dust off the fans (just lung power...no compressed air, though I have done that in the past). Plus, it's sitting on top of a Zalman laptop cooler.

    When I'm just browsing the web (not watching videos or anything), the GPU's idle around 57C.

    Does this all sound typical? I've had the laptop for 2 years and never opened it up to clean out dust. My apartment is very dusty due to proximity to the beach, so maybe compressed air shots are not sufficient.

    Sidenote: Q9000 CPU has been overclocked to 2.4GHz.
     
    oogabubchub, Jul 5, 2011
    #1
  2. NateN34@gmail.com

    [email protected] Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    20
    Messages:
    187
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Your "lung power" does not have near the force of a compressed air can.

    Use a compressed air can...
     
    [email protected], Jul 6, 2011
    #2
  3. eldub0844

    eldub0844 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    25
    Messages:
    100
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I had the same issue with my R1. THIS is what was clogging my fans and causing the high temps...

    [​IMG]

    You have to open up the unit and clean it up bro. Compressed air, toothbrush gently to the heatsink fins and you'll be back in business. My temps never go above 62C now :D

    Ohhhh, I also re-did the thermals on my cards. Shin-etsu paste and fujipoly for the RAM, while I was at it. :eek:
     
    eldub0844, Jul 6, 2011
    #3
  4. oogabubchub

    oogabubchub Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    20
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Holy crap! Looks like it's time to open 'er up. Were there any guides that used for opening it that you could pass along?
     
    oogabubchub, Jul 6, 2011
    #4
  5. Simplified

    Simplified The Most Awesome

    Reputations:
    428
    Messages:
    766
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Search on "m17x teardown" on youtube. There is an official teardown video with a part 1 and part 2.
     
    Simplified, Jul 6, 2011
    #5
  6. TraptPatriot

    TraptPatriot Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    80
    Messages:
    220
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    That's a lot of dust!
     
    TraptPatriot, Jul 6, 2011
    #6
  7. eldub0844

    eldub0844 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    25
    Messages:
    100
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Well, I'm not trying to scare you, but that's what was causing my temps to go nuts. Here are two of my favorite guides:

    YouTube - ‪M17x Teardown Video1 of 2 **READ SAFETY PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO REPLACING PARTS** (Official Video)‬‏

    YouTube - ‪M17x Teardown Part 2 of 2 **READ SAFETY PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO REPLACING PARTS** (Official Video)‬‏

    :p
     
    eldub0844, Jul 6, 2011
    #7
  8. oogabubchub

    oogabubchub Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    20
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Thanks everyone for the help. I ended up taking the laptop apart and it was just like your picture - caked in a blanket of dust. After cleaning it out, I had a massive 30C drop while playing Monday Night Combat. It went from 100C to 70C. Now I can play maxed out and not have to worry about my GPU frying :D
     
    oogabubchub, Jul 6, 2011
    #8
  9. The0ne

    The0ne Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    37
    Messages:
    229
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Lol, I couldn't help laughing. You guys really need to check your laptop more often! You've spent the money, take the 5min to blow/clean it out once a month or once every 3 months lol
     
    The0ne, Jul 7, 2011
    #9
  10. Huniken

    Huniken Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    332
    Messages:
    582
    Likes Received:
    610
    Trophy Points:
    106
    Holy Alien! That's too much dust to handle!
     
    Huniken, Jul 7, 2011
    #10
  11. eldub0844

    eldub0844 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    25
    Messages:
    100
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Good News!! Glad to hear it man !! :D
     
    eldub0844, Jul 7, 2011
    #11