M17x R4 with HD7970m very hot on bottom

I have an M17x R4 with HD7970m and 3610 CPU, and I've noticed the bottom of the laptop where the 'name plate' is gets uncomfortably hot when just doing things like net surfiing, or even if it's not doing anything and just sitting there idle. And if I'm gaming, it gets even hotter, almost to hot for me to touch without burning myself. I've discovered that this heat is coming from the grey/silver colored squares(not sure what they are) just below the vRAM on the card.

I've observed(or rather, felt) this on two different M17x R4s with two different 7970m cards. I also had a Clevo P150EM with a 7970m for a while, and while that part of the card gets rather hot if I touch the heatsink covering it, the heat doesn't seem to transfer to the lid on the underside of the laptop. This happens whether or not I have Enduro enabled, and the temp for the GPU part of the card appears normal.

So is this normal? Is it just a simple flaw with the design of the lid that allows the heat to more easily transfer to it?

 

First things first, why is it on your lap that much

What are your temps at? Is it overclocked or on heavy load while you noticed it heat up? It will get considerably hotter on your lap then on a table..

 

I sometimes use it on my lap for websurifing and the like if I don't have a table available. Though I don't use it in my lap that often, but since I noticed the heat issue, it makes me paranoid so I check it a lot.

Idle temp for the GPU part is around 58-59, under load around 67 or lower...not sure how hot it gets at the name plate, but as I stated, it's almost hot enough to burn me as I can only hold my finger there for a few seconds before it gets to painful.

It is not overclocked, and it gets very hot under load, but as I stated in my post, still gets uncomfortably hot when just idling. And when I have it in my lap, I make sure not to block the air vents.

 

The temps under load are just fine, but if I'm not mistaken the idle temps seem pretty high :S

When did you get the laptop? I think it's time to open it up and clean the vents and fans...

 

idle temps are high but ok.
The HD7970M idles very high.

Mine also idles on 50 - 52 but without a laptop cooler pad, i use the coolermaster U3 i have temps of 38Degrees idle! On load little bit lower.
Don't worry, i think the airflow just sucks, i you use something of a fan between you cpu and gpu cooler (there is a hole) you temps will be alot lower on idle.

 

The vents and fan is clean, the laptop is only a few months old and I don't use it that much. My concern isn't over the temp of the processor part of the card, it's the heat generated from what looks like small power transformers.

http://media.bestofmicro.com/XoticPC-Radeon-HD-7970M,4-U-351390-13.jpg The 5 grey squares, one on the corner of the 'L' of the RAM chips, and the other 4 just to the right of the chips.

They get very hot, espicially under load, and I already had to replace one dead 7970m card. My question to the others of this forum who may have this card is this: Does the underside of the laptop where the name plate is(which is right above the heat sink where those power transformers are) get painfully hot when under load?

 

Yes, but it hasn't caused any issues. I've had mine since May and have had the 7970M overclocked and Folding for 24 hours/day for many days at a time.

 

Even with the 6990m, mine has always been extremely hot on the nameplate (even with light use). It seems to be an inadvertent heatsink, and in this day and age it's probably in Dell's interests to fix it up ASAP with the culture of litigation.
A long time ago I actually got some light burns from it when I was gaming for a couple hours with it on my lap, so don't be stupid like me. Cleaning out the vents had no significant effect on temps (though I was amazed by how much dust it collects in there, so definitely do this from time to time).

 

Ok, so apperently is IS a design flaw in the design of the lid...at least it's good to know it's not something wrong with the card. I had a Clevo with the same card, and while that part of the heat sink also got rather hot, the heat didn't transfer enough to the bottom to make it more than slightly warm, even under heavy use. Guess I'll just have to get used to it, then.

 

Do they have thermal pads applied to them?

I'm not sure how the thermal pads are applied on the 7970m card in an m17x-R4, but in my R2, with an 7970m those area's you describe are covered with thermal pads.

This is the pad placement I use myself:
View attachment 91352

Maybe you can win a lot if it doesn't have the pads there in an R4 (I believe it has less thermal pads originally)

 

Yeah, the pads are there, so it's not that

 

I have an r4 with a 680m. It does the same thing it freaks me out. My idle temps when internet surfing and playing youtube videos are anywhere between 50 to 56C. Again the bottom where the nameplate is gets super hot that place probably because its metal. I wonder what is above the name plate that it gets hot like that.Also usually the right corner of mine gets hot where the exhaust is.

 

Do u guys have the same issue, one grey square, what you can see on the photo few posts back isnt covered by thermal pads, i must say i have no issues but it got me worrying.....


Sjoerd

 

I believe it's the MB Voltage Regulator(s). There is the little vent right next to the plate to let some air in.