Does Your M1330 Have a Heat Problem? [POLL]

Hey guys,

I'm sure this has been discussed at length, but I was hoping to get a poll for a (partially) representative sample of the knowledgeable M1330-owning public to try and single out the cause of the heat issues. I'm sure we've all seen anecdotal evidence from a wide range of owners, but perhaps this poll will add some statistical support to the claims.

By "I have a heat problem", I am referring to the palm rests getting uncomfortably warm, or the machine seeming unnaturally hot to you. I realize that this is a subjective assessment, but statistically that should even out regardless if enough people respond.

Thanks for helping us all with your input!

-Steve

 

bump for a great thread

 

My second M1330 (with X3100) arrived today, and from the outside, I didn't notice too much difference in heat compared with the M1330 with 8400M GS. The bottom can still feel uncomfortably warm, and the hottest spot is directly underneath the touchpad. Most of the heat seems to be evenly dispersed throughout the bottom. The top of the keyboard stays cool, and the palm rest heats up over time. The ambient temperature is 80.4F.

Number wise, temperatures are great. At the moment, the CPU is at 29/38, GPU 44, Memory 44, Chipset 50, Hard drive 40. I did not switch any sensors. The fan is not on at the moment, so numbers may decrease overtime.

I can't say that I have a heating problem yet, but we'll see. Overall, I am very happy with this M1330.

 

mine has burnt my legs before when i had it on my lap

 

Interesting. So that would lead me to wonder if the hard drive has any effect on the overall temperature, but then again the poll results so far would advise against that assumption. I sure wish some other folks with the X3100 would offer some input, but it looks like I may be in the shrill minority here in my choice (I ordered a powerful m1330 with an X3100).

Even so, after this poll has run for a few days, I will probably make another with a couple other variables addressed (instead of graphics/hard drive, I may try wireless card differences). Some people have surmised that it may simply be the southbridge leading to such heat. I had originally questioned whether this might be because of 8400M GS vs. X3100 differences, but that may not be the case.

I suppose let's just let this baby run and hopefully after several days we'll have a clearer picture of where the problems lie.

Thanks for all of the input guys.

-Steve

 

Any more X3100 users care to chip in?

Steve

 

What do you use to measure your GPU temperature and memory temperature?

 

hes probably using speedfan

There is no temp sensor for the gpu memory. Its probably using the thermal zone temps.

Use HWmonitor for easier comparison

 

Thanks for the input flipfire, it would help if we could all measure with the same tools I suppose.

Meanwhile, ShinyFalcon, first off, thanks for your initial (very helpful) impressions. If you are around, do you have any updated thoughts on the matter?

You're one of the few who seems to have decided on an X3100 so I am very curious. I, too, made that decision, and though it seems to fly in the face of traditional logic to have a very powerful laptop PC with only integrated graphics, I am starting to think I made the right decision after all. At the very least, it doesn't seem like any of the overheating/horizontal lines issues appear with the X3100, and if sensible/measurable heat overall is also lower with the X3100 and performance is not affected in non-3D application use, I think it's looking like a pretty good candidate at the moment.

I only wish we had more statistical support from X3100 owners in the poll. I'd like to see this thing get huge so that we have over 100 votes--at that point we could actually begin drawing some conclusions.

Steve

 

You could say that... and I did vote

 

18kfangui? Ambient Temp? Penryn or Merom?

Although it is feasible that an x3100 will only hit 44 @idle, it may also be that 18kfangui is reporting the wrong temp, so consider factoring in up to +10C difference, which still has you in the black (my 8400M GS idles at 70C when the fan is off).

 

Yes I was using I8kfangui, and the temperatures were very similar to my Inspiron 6000's (Intel 915) temperatures, so I think I can trust the readings. I don't know if the 6000 is even compatible with I8k. My specs are as follows:

Intel C2D T8300, 2 GB RAM, X3100, 160GB 7200 RPM, Bluetooth, Intel 4965 Wireless

I will say that the M1330 was my first laptop with dedicated graphics. I had numerous problems with it, from rather frustrating Aero experience due to downclocking (affects 2D work too), CPU whine, popping/stuttering music (graphics card problem), and the overheating. I also wasn't very happy with the structure of the LCD screen, since it flexes a lot at the bottom center, and I thought the design was weird. But who actually pokes their screen?

I would have to say that the source of the problem was most the heat sink design. I was really tempted to do the heat sink mod, and I would have definitely kept my first M1330 since I pretty much figured out most of the problems I had with it. The lower temps seemed very promising.

The day I opened my second M1330, I was very satisfied. My first check was to see how responsive Aero was. It was responsive, but Winflip was slightly laggy with many windows. I am also using the Bluetooth mouse, so the lag I see may be from the mouse itself. Not a problem for me at all. My second check was to check if I can reproduce the stuttering audio issue. I have not encountered any popping yet. The "CPU whine," while I can still hear it, is reduced significantly.

I would say that I made the right decision as well. I left my desktop to the gaming, and I honestly don't play any demanding 3D games anymore. Laptops were meant for portability, and I was always against integrated when I looked for my laptops. Gratefully this isn't the case anymore. I'm very interested in the external graphics, and that will really change things for me.

I hope I addressed all questions, so feel free to ask if you're curious about something. If you want my topic on the audio stuttering issue, it's here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=252235

Off topic, but is it just me, or can I not look at my threads/posts in my profile anymore?

 

i8kfangui has to be calibrated on the newer models.
It's more accurate on older models.

 

Shiny, thanks a lot for the updated impressions. In just a few short days, I will be joining you in this purchase (my model is practically identical to the one you listed). It's great to hear that you're happy with your purchase--this makes me confident that I've made the right decision.

I assume this also means the heat is very reasonable while sitting on your lap, versus the 8400M GS? Or are the differences there indiscernable?

Thanks again, and thanks to everyone else for taking the time to cast a vote. Even though so far, the only thing we can derive from this poll is that almost no one on this board has purchased an m1330 with integrated graphics!

Steve

 

What about poll options for those of us with the 64GB SSD?

 

Yes, I have heat problem with 8400M GS and SSD<-where is this choice?

 

It was pretty hot when the fan wasn't running, and since controlling the fan is much more reasonable, I can turn on/off the fan at will. If the fan kicks in by itself from high temperatures, you can no longer keep the fan at a constant speed (low, high, off), as the hardware will automatically reset the fan to low/high every five or so seconds. I always keep my fan at low anyways, so that I always have control over the fan.

And yes, it should be comfortable enough on your lap. I haven't tried doing so myself, but I can experiment if you need me to.

I'll try the other two programs and compare the temps.

 

...

 

So I8kfangui does this for you? Perhaps I'm not as well-versed in laptop technology as I thought I was. I didn't know it was possible to easily control the fan on an m1330.

Terribly sorry for my incessant questions!


Also, to those asking where the SSD option is, I didn't know that many people had those! I'm sorry for not including one; if I could edit it in, I certainly would... but that isn't possible.

Either way, I would venture a guess that probably only 5% of the market actually shells out the cash for that option. It's very expensive, though I'm sure it is well worth the price if you are willing to pay.

It's starting to look like the heat problems arise primarily from the graphics card anyhow. But we'll keep watching the poll... this is actually quite interesting.


SO FAR:

Though it's certainly too early to be drawing conclusions due to the ambiguity of the question (it's mostly a subjective thing, but that should even out as participation increases...), it seems like around a 50/50 split among owners of m1330 laptops with the 8400M GS (just a little over half thus far have reported heat problems). However, so far, 0% of m1330 X3100 owners have reported heat issues. I personally hope this trend keeps up as it will represent a solution (at least partially) for future buyers of m1330 laptops: simply purchase the Intel X3100 integrated graphics as opposed to the 8400M GS. Of course, this has been known for a while, but let's see if this poll quantifies it.

Steve