T400 and Windows 7 Issues

Hi,
I've had problems with Windows 7 ever since I installed it when it first came out, and I finally got around to doing a clean install but with little improvement.
Basically, the battery life has been horrendous and it seems like the computer is drawing a ton of heat because the bottom of the laptop gets extremely hot. I've used system update for all the latest drivers and disabled switchable graphics using just the integrated.
I think the heat over time has destroyed my battery because I now get <1 hour even with power-saving settings, but am hesitant to buy a new one until I figure out what's wrong.

Please help!

Thank you!!!

 

Have you configured the Power Manager? What does it report under the Battery Information, you may need to do a battery reset and configure the charging thresholds so it doesn't wear out the battery when the system is plugged in and off frequently.

Also ensure you're not using Maximum Performance mode as that draws the most energy and more heat. If the laptop still feels toasty then check the temperature readings using programs such as Core Temp or HWInfo32. If its idling in the mid 60s then its advised to give the fans and vents a good clean. If push come to shove you may need to apply a fresher set of thermal paste to cool the chips down after prolonged use.

 

Hmm thats weird my t400 still gets 8+ hours and runs cool after 3+ years. Have you tried dusting the computer out at all? If you have check the heatsink and fan to see if its still working.

 

As stated above, it is highly unlikely that Windows 7 install and your problems go hand in hand. Try blowing out all the dust in your heatsink/heatfins/fan. Also consider a repasting job, Lenovo/IBM has excellent service manuals for dis-assembly of your machine.

Also what are your full load, idle, and ambient room temperatures? A laptop may feel hot but it may not be actually dangerous.

 

Hi, thanks for all your replies:
I generally use "power source optimized" as my power plan. I also keep the option selected "optimize battery for lifespan."
Here's my current stats on the battery:

Full charge capacity: 19.27 Wh (Design is 56.16!)

Plugged in:
Current: 0A
Voltage: 12.33 V
Temp: 39C

On battery:
Current: 1.58A
Voltage: 12.19V
Wattage: 19.25W
Temp: 39C

Also, I don't really know how to use coretemp, but i downloaded it and here's what it says:
Tj Max: 105C
Core 0: ranges 75-80C (Low: 48, High: 82)
Core 1: ranges 75-80C (Low: 48, High: 83)

Any recommendations? How and what should I clean/dust?

Thanks so much!

 

Doing something wrong there.

Go into Device Manager. Do you see two display adapters?

 

That does seem a bit high if it ranges 75-80c on average. I would recommend opening the unit and give the CPU fan a good dust off with a can of compressed air. A fresh set of thermal paste would also be ideal here too such as Arctic Silver 5 or similar.

Have a read of the T400 Hardware Maintenance Manual for instructions on how to open your unit. Since the chassis of the T400 is similar to that of the T61 you could even use my Thermal Paste Guide as reference too.

 

What is your ambient? If it is like 15-20C then you are in trouble. Most T400 come with Penryn processors if not all and really shouldn't exceed ~60-70 even with a terrible paste job.

 

Is the fan running at those temperatures? If/when it does get that high, the fan should be running at full blast, so it should definitely be audible. If, however, you hear nothing at all even in a silent room and there's no hot air being blown out, your fan may have died (or possibly clogged with dust and jammed, but unless you're working in a very dusty environment, that's less likely).

 

Your battery is at FAR less then half capacity. Meaning at full charge youre at best going to see 34% of what it was when new. So lets say if you got 10 hours when it was new youll only get 3.4. So take what you got when it was new and multiply it by .34 and that what youll get now AT BEST.

The heat is definitely bad thouhg and I would recomend looking at the manual and dusting the computer out. If its not dusty then I would look to the fan being faulty.

Right now working my t400 pretty decently in a bag with minimal airflow Im sitting at 36-40c and I dont think Ive seen much hotter even though my t400 is well over 3 years old. The great thing about thinkpads is they dont get very dusty inside. But I would definitely still dust it out and check to see how the fan is working.

 

Here are some shots of an average day with my t400.

Whats open?

-Iceweasel web browser streaming pandora and other tabs
-terminal
-random utilities
-calc
-2 ubuntu server VMs
-1 windows 7 VM
-3 RDP sessions
-software center

The system is still responsive and max temps are at 58 and 56. This is the definition of overloading a box.