High CPU temps on an F3J, please help

A few days ago I bought an Asus F3JR-AP071 from an online store. I liked the configuration and the price was OK. The CPU is an Intel Core Duo T2450 2GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 133 MHz FSB, 31W TDP, Socket M. The motherboard chipset is Intel 945PM. I received the laptop without an OS, so I installed Windows XP (no service pack). I used the drivers and utilies on Asus' site. I installed only the OS, the drivers and a few monitoring utilities, nothing else. I have the laptop on my desk, on a plane wooden surface, plugged to AC power; the temperature in my home is around 35-40C (well, it's summer). After around 20 minutes the laptop's CPU gets very hot. I tried placing the laptop on a few books, but the temperature is still high. Also, the monitoring applications report different temperatures. NHC and NB Probe report lower temperatures, while Speedfan and RM Clock report higher ones.

Here's what's happening:

In Notebook Hardware Control, if I choose "Max battery" at "CPU speed settings", the external/internal CPU clock drops to ~420MHz. Also, with a 6x multiplier and 0.95 volts, it reports a CPU temperature of 50C.

Starting NB Probe, it shows:
- CPU temperature: 50C
- CPU speed 100%
- CPU fan: 4000 RPM
Why the heck is CPU speed 100%??? BTW, CPU usage is 1% in task manager.

Anyway, after I start Speedfan, I get:
- Core0: 59C
- Core1: 63C
Also, it doesn't detect any system fan.

Starting also RMClock, choosing Power Saving profile, I get the following:
- current multiplier: 6x, voltage 0.95V
- for CPU 0: core clock is 798.97MHz, throttle is 798.97MHz, core temp is 59C
- for CPU 1: core clock is 798.97MHz, throttle is 798.97MHz, core temp is 63C
NHC continues to report a CPU clock of ~420MHz, updated once per second.

The bottom of the notebook in the CPU area isn't very hot, it's around 42C. I can also hear the fan running, even if it's not noisy. The air coming out through the back is pretty warm, but not hot.

If I let the CPU run at full speed (2GHz), the temperatures in Speedfan get in the middle seventies. I'm afraid to run Prime95, the temps will probably go beyond 80.

So what a heck is going on? Why the different temperatures? What exactly are these programs measuring? And why are the temperatures so high? I was expecting something below 50 in power saving mode, not over 60, when I'm not even doing anything on my laptop!

The laptop is made in China. Is it possible it was incorrectly assembled, with poorly applied thermal grease? If I try to reapply it, does this void the warranty?

Anyway, I'm extremely dissapointed in Asus. I chose them because of their reliability. I bought an F3 instead of an A6 exactly because there were many reports that the A6s get too hot. Based on the reviews and the information I've got, the F3s seemed fine, with CPU temperatures of maximum 62-65C under extreme stress. I really didn't expect to get such high temperatures in idle mode.

Everybody who has an F3J model, could you please post your laptop model, the CPU temperature detected by Speedfan, if you're on battery saving mode or not and mention also your ambient temperature? I'm trying to find out at least if these temperatures are normal. I know that I can use a laptop cooler, but I'd prefer it wasn't necessary. There are many laptops out there that run pretty cool without needing a laptop cooler.

Also, is there any way I can control the CPU fan? There is no option in BIOS, Speedfan doesn't detect it. I don't think it would change anything, it's already at 4000 RPM, but I'm curious. How do you control it on the other F3J models?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestion.

 

Those temps seem about right.

 

I'm assuming you are a first time notebook owner? As mentioned, it's about right.

At basic usage, most temperatures are usually 49-55, under stress, it can peak to 67-79, depending on your usage factors(what you are doing, the desk, ventulation, etc.). Since you are in a pretty warm room, it'll raise up the temperatures a bit.

Remember, it's a notebook, it's small, limited cooling system. Even if you buy another brand, it's not going to change anything.

 

Currently the notebook I'm on (Dell D400) is running normally, and the CPU temp is 90C. Granted, this is an ultraportable with an inferior processor and cooling system to yours, but even if yours gets up to 80C or so, its not bad.

 

Thank you all for the fast answers.

Yes, I'm a first notebook owner, I realise a notebook isn't a PC, I'm in a warm room but still, the temperatures seemed pretty high to me. From what I've read I agree that at basic usage, most temperatures are around 49-55, and over 60 under stress. This guy says that the highest CPU temperature he's ever seen on his F3Jc is 61°C under heavy load. I've read that the temperatures on several F3T/F3Tc were around 52-55°C under normal use and slightly over 60°C under load. I get over 60°C in power saving mode, over 70°C at full CPU speed but very light use, and probably over 80 under high stress. It seems a bit too much to blame on a warm room.

Also, I've read many accounts about Dell Inspirons 6400/e1505 running around 45°C under normal use and 50-55°C under load. Some laptops have a better design than others. Asus laptops may be more reliable, but the more I find out about them the more I think they run hotter than they should.

There's an entire thread comparing laptop temperatures here, if you speak czech.

 

Just finished testing. Ambient temperature is 35°C. When idle in power saving mode (800 MHz, 0.95V), core temperatures in Speedfan are around 60-63°C. When idle in performance mode (2GHz, 1.26V), temperatures are 70-75°C. Under high stress, when running 2 Prime95 instances, the temperature goes up to 88°C.

Asus F3J owners, could you please post your temperatures?

 

BTW, the temperature of my desktop Athlon64 3700+ CPU stays stable at ~ 45°C under light use, in Minimal Power Management mode (~1GHz, 1.1V), with the CPU fan stopped and only the case fan running at low speed (case temperature ~40°C). I know that in a notebook everything is tightly packed, but still, almost 20°C temperature increase over my desktop, with the laptop fan running at full speed? That seems way too much.

Doesn't anybody have a theory why this happens? Should I blame the Core Duo CPU? Unefficient cooling system? Poor manufacturing, incorrect assembly?

I also have the impression that most people expect laptops to run hot, so they don't notice that their laptop is actually hotter than it should be. There is a thread at the Thinkpads forum where several people complain about high CPU temperatures on their new T60 (they are way lower than mine, BTW). Also, while I've read that most Dell Inspirons 6400 run pretty cool, some users also report high temperatures. Some reapply thermal grease, check for dust, but they still get high temperatures. Why is that? What exactly is wrong with their laptops? Why the difference from other users with the same model?

 

I was having the same problem with high temperatures. I noticed the fan was running a lot more often, and the surface was getting hotter - so I decided to do some investigating.

Little background
*I've owned the laptop for 6-12 months and had an Inspiron 9100 before this (which is massive, has 2 fans, and constantly got clogged with dust)
*My temperatures BEFORE this (with speedfan) were idle: around 60C and under load around 80-85C.

Anyone that tells you "this is normal" or "this is fine because it's a laptop" is wrong, and damaging their system. Those temperates are with a pretty standard cooling mat, so I can't even imagine it without.

I took the back panel off of the laptop and took an airduster and blew it out a bit. Not too much dust came out - but I did notice the cooling pipes ran to the back vent, where they take in the cool air running through and distripute it to the GPU and CPU. So, I took the fan out, then took the metal casing off, and cleaned out the back vent. It had quite a bit of dust in it, so I took a paper towel and kept going out it to get the dust out. Now the results.

Idle: 25-30C
High Stress: 47-53C

That, is normal. I'd suggest doing the same if you have heating problems with your F3j - take the fan out, take the casing off, and clean out the vent where the air runs. You'll know you got it because there is a metal bar running from the vent to the GPU core. I hope this works out for you.

 

My F3JRs Idle temp is around 85-90C
under stress it goes to 90-100C

Thing is i dont wont to open it as this will void the warranty?

 

Opening a chassis, and most things you would do inside once that happens, doesn't void your warranty. Breaking the little sticker seals inside while you're doing it, that may be over cpu screws etc, does void it.

 

Thanks for the information

Not sure wether i trust myself to do it to be honest. I'll see how long asus say they will take with it.

 

Ive opened it up... cleaned the fan out.

Not helped much, which bit is it i should take out?

Also can u identify for me what 1 and 2 is.

thanks

 

1. gpu
2. cpu
3. WLAN, probably

 

Thanks for quick reply.

Cleaned out the rear metal cooler, using a cotton bud.

Its running at around 60 degrees, thats difference of around 30 degrees

 

Goo in cooling system overheats notebook. Cleaning fixes problem..... Ta Da!

Common story lately, but glad it fixed your issue.

 

But wasn't this system a few days old? How could there be dust? Or maybe it ran in the store...

Anyway, yeah, when people ask "my notebook is running hot" usually the answer is "it's clogged with dust".