HPdv3t - Intel P7550 running consistently 88C-94C - problem?

Sorry for the choppy subject line, folks.

So, this laptop has been a bit of a nightmare since I got it in September 2009, freezing up about once every three hours during September and October, but I sent it back to HP, and they said they fixed it by replacing the motherboard.

Everything went ok for a while, but it still froze unexpectedly from time to time.

Fast forward to the last several months. It freezes about once a day, sometimes more and sometimes not at all (I spend about four-five hours a day on it). I downloaded CPUID Hardware Monitor based on a suggestion on a DV3t overheating that BlackHawk7 had gotten in a separate post, and, after starting the program, I opened up Word, Excel, my chrome browser with about 8 tabs open, itunes, and adobe reader (that´s about my normal load actually, as a masters student). It has been over 90C for the last hour, peaking in Core #0 at 94C and #1 at 97C. The fan has been on the whole time, which is probably not surprising.

It's still under warranty until this September. Thoughts?


DV3t

P7550 @ 2.26GHz
4GB
integrated graphics
320GB HDD

 

There is definitely a problem. Any particular software running at a high CPU %? That said it still should be that warm. Could be some bad thermal paste application by HP.

 

I think it didn't like your response. Both cores just jumped to 98C.

Chrome looks to be oscillating between 07% and 18%. Could that be it?

 

It would have to be running 90% + for a long time for it to reach a high temperature, even then it should be that hot. I'd send it in for a check if it is still under warranty.

Just for comparison, I cleaned the vents of my HP 8510p (business notebook, with dedicated graphics card) one time and I forgot to plug the fan back in. Sure it ran pretty warm, but it had no slow downs at all for the entire day of browsing and office work. I didn't notice it at all until I opened up a game later that night and it instantly crashed lol...

 

OK - it hit 100C and immediately froze. Maybe that is the cutoff.

I'll call HP. Thanks a lot. What should I tell them? Do normal tech reps navigate this issue fairly frequently?

Just in case, here's the most recent log I have (right before it hit 100).

Hardware Monitors
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hardware monitor ACPI
Temperature 0 94°C (201°F) [0xE58] (THRM)

Hardware monitor Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo P7550
Temperature 0 98°C (208°F) [0x2] (Core #0)
Temperature 1 98°C (208°F) [0x2] (Core #1)

Hardware monitor SAMSUNG HM320II
Temperature 0 50°C (122°F) [0x32] (Assembly)
Temperature 2 50°C (122°F) [0x32] (Air Flow)

Hardware monitor Battery 1
Voltage 0 12.54 Volts [0x30FF] (Current Voltage)
Capacity 0 47520 mWh [0xB9A0] (Designed Capacity)
Capacity 1 46440 mWh [0xB568] (Full Charge Capacity)
Capacity 2 46440 mWh [0xB568] (Current Capacity)
Level 0 2 pc [0x61] (Wear Level)
Level 1 100 pc [0x64] (Charge Level)

 

And by "froze," I mean that the screen fades very quickly to black and then the system just sits there. Sometimes, if I unplug it and close the lid, it will sleep after five or ten minutes, and sometimes it won't and I have to hard reboot it.

 

I'd tell them the system is overheating and shutting off during normal usage. They will probably tell you to try a couple of different tests and what not. Since it's still under warranty, I wouldn't try to open it it and apply some self fixes. Might as well use the warranty whilst it's still active.

 

hint: if a system with a warranty isn't working, shutting off, etc, etc. call for service.

 

The other time I sent it in, it took three weeks to convince them that there was a problem, and then they returned it improved but not fixed.

I posted thinking that someone might enlighten me by saying that this was a recurring problem with the dv3t or that it sounded like a specific problem (like bad thermal paste application, the possibility suggested in the helpful responses of Johnny T).

If you think this post is a waste of time, please feel free to pass over it without posting. You're of course also free to post sardonic comments, but the quoted addition to the discussion was unhelpful.

 

you need to undervolt your CPU... try the undervolting guide.. i use to have 60-70C idle and 90-100C load but nver froze.. so when i undervolted , temps dropped so much that i idle on 40-50C and load nver goes above 85C...

try the undervolting guide..

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...arket-upgrades/235824-undervolting-guide.html

and do the below tweak so RM clock works...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/gat...ide-get-half-mulitplier-rmclock-possible.html

undervolting will dropn ur temps a lot.. not worth sending to hp as the notebook is so lousily designed so nothing can be done..

also , get a notebook cooling pad so u can cool some more but undervolting will do.

 

No. Whilst I agree HP's Pavilion line does not have the best cooling design around, no notebook should reach that kinda temperature under the uses jsoell described above. Whilst the solutions mentioned above will cool down the notebook, ultimately the problem lays elsewhere.

 

first of all... check to make sure you have the right thermal spec set in the hwmonitorw.ini file, the CPU_0_TJMAX value needs to match your processor which should be 90.

Otherwise your temp value is going to be way high.