Thinkpad T61, 96 C core temperatures

I'm sure there are lots of topics about heating concerns, but I've found mixed information with this computer. Some say temps higher than 90 are normal, but the terminal temperature is 100, and I feel like I'm getting dangerously close...

I hit that temperature fairly consistently while gaming. It usually sits over 90 C while raiding in WoW, which is probably the most CPU intensive thing I could do with it at the moment.

I just need an idea whether or not that's normal. Shouldn't be too hard to fix otherwise.

 

have you tried blowing it out and making sure the vents are not blocked? That does seem kinda hot...

 

Your cpu should not be that high. Your graphics card, might top out at 90, but your cpu cores should not get that high. Make sure you are not blocking any vents. You could also undervolt your cpu. Theirs a detailed thread on it in the hardware section.

 

You sure you don't mean F instead of C? Something's wrong if it hits 90 C. Pretty much anything you read says that this temp will kill your hardware. Fix immediately.

 

theres no way your laptop gets to 194 fahrenheit.

90c = 194f.

is your laptop hot to the touch? if not, its definitely 90f.

 

a Core temp does not mean that the laptop is externally that hot...Anyways 90C is still very hot. Wasn't there some issue with heatsinks not having the best contact? I know some people reseated their heatsinks and tightened the clamping pressure for better cooling, but that is not an "easy" fix.

 

well til i updated the bios, my brothers alienware would get to 130f and was very hot to the touch. just sayin...

 

Water boils at 100C. 90C is too hot - you can probably find some threads about inaccurate temp readings. Get a second opinion from another program. Since it's warm when you play WoW, it probably isnt 90F either (I get ~110 while playing video, and it's barely warm.)

 

I'll put in a vote for NOT too hot. Most of what I read has the temperatures like this.
-Renee

 

If it's a T61p, then that's in line for a load GPU temp, a little high, but in line. Your CPU shouldn't go much above 80 C under heavy load.

Mine often gets into the high 80's on the GPU, but it's also overclocked pretty heavily, so...

 

my t500 touched 90c once. undervolting the processor reduced the temp by over 20 degrees. i guess it is common for tp to reach 90c.

 

I'm voting too hot as well. My X200 is only 33C under light load.

 

Well, I think that you should send it to EasyServ in Memphis TN for service

Make sure you have the latest bios--there has always a tradeoff between fan noise and temperature--especially in SFF and laptops--if more people have issue with heat rather than noise, the fan speed will be adjusted upwards in a newer version of the bios.

90c is too hot. The solder loses physical strength with elevated temperatures. If the board is under any flex or tension it becomes more likely for you to lose contact between chip and board. That is what happened with the T4X series when you (and I) lost video. Most chips will run perfectly (after burn in) on less voltage. (It is much safer to assume that if you are getting a reported temp of 90c that there are tiny spikes of HIGHER temperature that are unreported than the opposite.)

Never just "blow" the vents--you just spread the dreck around inside the laptop and increase the chances of conductive dust getting under surface mounted chips where it is really hard to get out. That's when you get strange behavior and errors which are really difficult to find--and most repair facilities will not go through the trouble to: strip, wash, rinse with distilled water (then diluted alcohol,) then dry using hepa-filtered air--a problematic motherboard/planar. They will just swap parts and charge you a fortune.

Never increase the clamp pressure on a heatsink! You can flex the board and cause problems later.

When servicing/cleaning any computer: Always have a ground strap on you and on the MB. Do not allow the fan to "freewheel" when you blow air through the heat sink. Always blow AWAY from the MB. Do not remove the heatsink without having the correct compound and the knowledge as to how to use it. Do not attempt to use any liquid unless you REALLY know what you are doing. Always check to see if there is software which controls the fan noise or speed FIRST when investigating heat and or shutdown issues (I spent a whole day cleaning and testing a system only to discover problem software as the cause of the issue.)

Yes, there were laptops in the past where the "fit" between the heatsink and the different chips was inconsistent because of Quality Assurance issues and technicians were forced to "hack" hardware to correct the problem. It would take hours to do correctly and one simply had to have faith that the clamp pressure was "good enough" to get conduction and not enough to flex the board. It is far better to order a new heatsink and hope that the new one has been re-engineered for a better fit. Please don't use heat conductive glue or JB-Weld on your heat sink!

Eric

PS: In the past, using premium heat sink compounds like Arctic Silver on any OEM heatsink made a big difference--I don't know if there is still that great a difference in heat conduction/displacement in the newer equipment. Where I am, all I work on is old carp; so I don't have any personal experience with current hardware.

 

Excellent post.

as long as you use TP fan control, undervolt the CPU and keep it on solid surface without blocking the vents. the machine will be okay