Help! - Dell Laptop Getting Very Hot!

Hi all,

I have owned a Dell Inspiron 1405 for a little less than a year. I'm not much of a gamer but have recently become addicted to Tiger Woods 07 (great game). Anyway, my problem is that while playing, the laptop gets very hot - not just warm, but actually hot (though not scalding). I can feel the heat not just on the bottom of the computer but also where my left hand rests below the keyboard.

At the same time (one day after I first played the game), I received an error message that "my battery was reaching the end of its useful life." Certainly this is strange since the battery is less than a year old. I double checked, and my battery life was down from an average of 4.5 hours to just under 2 per charge. Dell is sending me a new battery for free, but I am wondering if these two issues might be related.


I have four brief questions: (1) is this normal / ok, (2) will this cause any damage, (3) if so for q 2, is there any way to prevent the damage, and (4) do you think my batter problem is related to the heat issue?

Thanks!

 

1.) How hot (you need to use benchmarking software such as NHC)?
2.) Heat destroys batteries, though I don't know if it beats them up that fast.j
3.) The hard drive sounds to be as though it's heating up.
4.) How dirty are your vents? Have you ever cleaned out the computer with compressed air?
5.) You may want to look at the cooling guide.
6.) Welcome

 

Welcome to NBR, jdmba2008.

The battery loss may just have been a problem with your particular one. The new battery may last much longer, even in the same conditions as the current one. However, have a look at the Battery Guide, as it explains alot about the batteries used in notebook,s and how to prolomg their life. Generally, heat and a high charge is not healthy for a battery. If your using the notebook on battery power for 90% of the time, it may be beneficial to take the battery out and store it in a cool place. It may be somewhat of an inconvenience, but it will certainly extend the life of the battery.

 

Vespoli,

Is there a guide on NHC? That sounds like a good way to determine if I'm running to hot. I will also clean out w/compressed air asap.

 

Zero,

Are you actually talking about running the computer w/o a battery? Can this be safely done?

 

Yes, it is totally safe. Some people who use their notebook on a desk, for most of the time, have removed their batteries, and run the notebookjust of AC power. It leaves a gap where the battery should be, but if put in a cool place, the battery can retain its life to be used some other time.

 

Good to know, thanks.