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    M17x R1 GPU 104 Degrees!

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by X3r000, May 17, 2012.

  1. X3r000

    X3r000 Newbie

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    Im running the Nvidia 260m card and for the most parts it runs fine, my idle temps are good high 40s and in low end games everything runs fine aswell. However the problem arises when i go to play games like Battlefield 3 and more recently Diablo 3 the games run smooth but the laptop gets hot.

    When in these games i reach peak temps of 104 degrees and the left hand side only of my laptop gets realy hot to touch. The CPU temps are high 79 degrees but nothing too serious.

    I notice in particular when in these games it the GPU shader clock that rises from 400.0 mhz to 1350.0 mhz so maybe this is the issue?

    I know i should take apart the laptop and give it a good cleaning with some compressed air, but im afraid of breaking my laptop by accident which is something i really cant afford to do.

    anywho i did post pics of the HWiNFO reading but for some reason it made the other threads crash.

    Any advise on this would be greatly appreciated :)
     
    X3r000, May 17, 2012
    #1
  2. Caladdon

    Caladdon Notebook Evangelist

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    How long have you had the M17x?
    104 Degrees is far too high and is well within the danger zone parameters.
    Until we identify the problem do NOT game on this laptop.

    Does the fans kick in when you game?
     
    Caladdon, May 17, 2012
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  3. X3r000

    X3r000 Newbie

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    The fans is running at 100% and is really noisey, and ive had the m17x about 2 years now, the laptop usually shuts itself down usually when it gets too hot, but it never s itself down in game...

    I shall not game for now then untill i fix the issue, should i consider bringing it down to a PC shop and asking them to put more thermal paste or something on?
     
    X3r000, May 17, 2012
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  4. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    Hello, X3r000, more paste is not the solution in your situation.

    From what i understand, your system has a hard time cooling itself under load and that can be due to clogged heatsink fins:


    some thermal compounds are no longer effective above certain temperatures such as yours so you'll need to change it.

    What you can do is either disassemble the system yourself after reading the manual and watching these teardown videos:
    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) - YouTube

    Remove the dust bunnies from your fins and change the thermal compound.
    This next video was made by one of our forum members, it's a guide on how to replace the thermal compound on a M17x R3 GPU. After reaching your cards, you can follow his steps on how to clean and apply thermal compound. You can choose not to spread it yourself and let the heatsink spread it while you tighten it.
    Alienware M17X R3 Re-pasting Guide and 6970 re-pasting guide - Newegg Promo Code - YouTube

    If you think you can't do it, take it to a computer repair shop.

    In any case pay maximum attention with the disassembly.
     
    katalin_2003, May 17, 2012
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  5. X3r000

    X3r000 Newbie

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    Okay i think i'll take it down to a computer repair shop, how much roughly should i expect to be charged so i know if they are trying to rip me off or not?

    And thanks alot for the quick replys, much appreciated guys <3
     
    X3r000, May 17, 2012
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  6. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    It really depends, i have no idea.

    Listen, if by any chance you live in France, i'll do it for free.
     
    katalin_2003, May 17, 2012
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  7. Crocodile Tears

    Crocodile Tears Newbie

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    Removing dust is key
     
    Crocodile Tears, May 23, 2012
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  8. Joe85

    Joe85 Notebook Deity

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    Wow, what a guy. +Rep
     
    Joe85, May 23, 2012
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  9. menengroth

    menengroth Notebook Consultant

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    Been experiencing the same myself in Diablo 3 with my 260m's, tried updating to newer drivers but 301.40/.42 cause my external monitor to cease working... so back to 290.53.

    Going to have to open it up and give it a clean when I get home from work which admittedly I haven't done in a very long time!


    edit: FPS is perfect btw.
     
    menengroth, May 23, 2012
    #9