Scotch tape. Really Alienware??? Scotch tape?!

So about a week ago I posted on this board ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=439375) about my old version alienware m15x and its scary high temperatures. I've had this laptop for over 6 months but never really bothered checking temperatures, I just figured if I kept it on my cooler (where it always stays) it should be just fine. Well I got in to the whole folding@home thing and installed the gpu client, then decided to check how my gpu was handling it. I was shocked to see, that on my zalman cooler, my temps jumped straight up to 107 degrees C! It had a high of around 111 and never got below 99 on load. When it was just sitting there, gpu and cpu doing nothing, it stayed around 55 degrees. I checked the fans, and they were blasting away at over 5k rpm. SO it had to be something else. I ordered a thing of OCZ freeze and it just came in today. Upon taking everything apart, bam there was the problem. A stick of scotch tape over the heat sink between the gpu and the thermal compound. Im kind of new with this, so hey maybe it helps and that's the way its supposed to be, but somehow I doubt scotch tape, for all of its uses, has that great of thermal characteristics... So anyway I'm kinda pissed, cuz even tho it works, continued temps over 100 c has to have done irreparable damage... and oh by the way, at 99% (folding@home,not a benchmark or stress test thing) load for about 45 mins now, and the highest my gpu has been is a whopping 61 degrees C. I've attached pics of the offending tape (no offense to the scotch brand, very useful for all things not thermal) and the processor. Also, is that bubbly wrap on the processor bad? lol. Anyhow, that's the end of my rant, not too happy.

Sorry for the crappy pics, I didn't have my camera, just my phone

 

linked to the wrong thread lol. the thread i posted is here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=439375

 

that is some serious alienfailware.

 

lol definitely....


crazy that the tape isn't melted though.. not that I don't believe you!


you should complain.. tell them that your temps have been obnoxiously high for 6 months because of this and that they should extend your warranty for at least that amount of time for free

that's what I'd do at least

 

You are so late.
I found my tapes 13 months ago.

Nothing new here. What's next?

 

lol i was just about to link the 2nd post from the bottom

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=5605038&postcount=77

 

Btw, the second picture op post is normal.

The tape was either on the cpu core or on the thermal pad before installation by the tech. The tech forgot to peel it out. Just simple as that.
Your cpu core might have permanent damage as well as other nearby components.

Do some rants, it might help.

 

yeah i figured that it was just left on and they forgot to take it off... I thought they did a check of the computer b4 they ship it? Do they not check temps... yeah I'm definitely gonna take this up with alienware after my finals week craziness is over.

 

Their reason of not checking temp is because the programs aren't compatible with M17. lol

 

what do they do when they have it on? do they even have it on long enough to get it up to temp?

 

Don't worry. The tape on your heatsink looks like it's actually an accident an Alienware's part. Toshiba actually uses tape to secure cables and on the heatsink intentionally.

LINK

The tape is the stuff with the red arrows on it.

 

@ Shadow: well, I know its their fault and they left it on accidentally, but guess who now has had an expensive computer running with a scorching hot gpu for 6 months unknowingly? That's why I worry. Sure I should have checked temps earlier, but why? I paid $1700 for a 'quality' brand (in their defense, I've loved this laptop and this has been its only problem, until I reach the day after my warranty ends and my hinge breaks I guess). Plus I haven't read many favorable opinions on alienware customer support, although I do realize I'm not gonna hear the good side on a forum.

Also, fusion I have a m15x, not m17, but same thing I guess, we both had tape on our GPUs! And I bring up the check thing cuz Alienware mentions that they do turn it on and check function in a whole elaborate way, although I can't find that now.

 

What is that green/orange-ish plastic on the second picture? My 3870's had the same.

 

The green/orange-ish plastic is heat resistant, to try to keep the heat from the GPU from spreading, and to ensure all the heat is concentrated to the GPU where it's connected to the heatsink.

I think. Nothing to be concerned about, I know that.