turning T500 even quieter

Hi, got a T500 few days ago (2243 type, with p8400 cpu and integrated graphics running with XP). Though during standard use it is pretty quiet, I'm still thinkin to get it run even more quiet. It stays fairly cold now (and my thermaltake ixoft almost doesn't have anything to cool) so I assume a bolder thermal policy is possible. I have a couple of questions:

Would turning of one core in bios reduce the heat and consequently reduce the fan activity? And what are the risks of this procedure?

What software apps (preferably free ) can be used to modify the fan behavior directly or indirectly through reducing the heat (undervolting etc)?

 

I don't think disabling a core in the bios would affect the voltage to the processor. If only one core heats up under full load, it's still gonna be a decent amount of heat. I'd say you have far more to lose performance wise disabling a core than you do to gain heat-saving wise.

 

I don’t know if XP has this capability, but you can control the processor power management in the Power Options of Vista and limit maximum processor utilization. Outside of this, you can also try going into the Power settings of the BIOS and adjusting the Thermal Management settings (adjusting the SpeedStep settings might have an effect as well)—and I think you might be able to shutdown one of the cores in the BIOS too, but I wouldn’t do this as your OS is configured for SMP right now.

 

I'd say undervolting the processor (ahem, now I think RMClock is not compatible with Montevina processors).

Anyways could you post your new laptop temperatures idle/load as a comparison against older T61 machines.

 

RMClock undervolting with Montevina processors work with my P8400 in Sony SR.

 

I am very curious about the noise levels of the T500/T400. Aren't they already the quietest full-size notebooks on the market?

I am trying to switch back to windows, actually, from my macbook pro....this laptop is virtually silent already, and I'd like to find a laptop that's just as quiet.

 

Switch back to Windows?!? Not so loud—the Mac fetishers will be all over you.

 

Well given my limited first hand experience all I feel competent to say is that my T500 is sure pretty quiet, yet my old travelmate 4072 is a bit more quiet with dynamic switching on (but it has Pentium 735A CPU). That is using only thinkvantage or acer utility to alter the heath and noise generated, and without additional tweaking.
Still gotta try undervolting and measure the temps.

IMHO it is right now quite difficult to find full-size notebook as quiet as macbook pro, and with similar config (e.g. GPU).

 

I checked the core temps in RMClock (unsurprisingly it didn't recognize p8400) for idle and light use (browsing, IMing) and they were virtually the same. On AC power and 6x multiplier (req. voltage 1.250) it was 31 Celsius, on battery and 6x multipl. it was 27. Room temp was 26 Celsius. Thermaltake ixsoft was all the time under the comp, but I strongly doubt it noticeably reduced the core temps.

RMClock does not allow me to undervolt, but I guess there the answer is to wait till Montevina is supported.

What surprised me a bit is that the fan never went off (in BIOS I have thermal management set as adaptive for both AC and battery). If the measured core temps are correct, then I believe it is possible if not to stop the fan, then surely to reduce its rpm. Yet I dunno whether that is possible at all.

 

I gotta wonder...as I sit here typing on my T500, how much quieter could it really be? This is by far the quietest and coolest running laptop I've ever used, and I've used/owned 4 others over the years. This T500 is virtually silent even when I try to push it.

Either you have rabbit ears or a defective fan.

 

to pastafraian: it is quiet, but the fan is still noticeable in a quiet room. And since my old travelmate 4072 is still noticeably quieter, I think its worth the effort to make the t500 more quiet. I hope my fan is not defective, but sure I find it strange that it operates noticeably all the time given how low the core temps measured by RMclock.

Does your fan ever turn off?

 

Hello,

mostly integrated graphics models of TP´s are louder, with always running fan than discrete graphics models.
I think it is due the bad powermanagement of discrete graphics, but thats only an idea and some hands on experience with integrated models t60 and t61.
Also some W models have the same problem, accounting a board member of lenovo forum and W model owner.
Greets

 

Well, I guess it is not because of power management, but bc of thermal management policy, as the notebook stays generally very cold anyway (30C or lower for CPU cores in light use and power saving options). I think a bolder thermal policy is possible and I would be delighted just to lower the rpm (since the fan is generally quiet and not annoying). It seems to me that the thermal policy is just too conservative now (maybe bc the hardware is new on the market...).

It would be splendid if a newer BIOS would bring an option for a bolder thermal policy. I guess Speedfan (or TP Fancontrol) does not support new thinkpads yet, am I right?

 

Intel says the P8X00 series processors are good up to 105C.

 

actually, the temp reading in rmclock is off, its reporting a lower temp than it really is. Try coretemp to get a more accurate reading.

 

Coretemp shows rather similar core temps as rmclock: 29-31 Celsius. Under some conditions the indicated temps are higher as compared to rmc by 2 degrees Celsius. (Similarly to rmc it does not recognize the cpu). What differs quite a bit is the displayed VID: for energy saving profile (both programs indicate running on 6x multipl.) rmclock indicates 1.035 V and coretemp 0.925 V.

 

can you post some pics of your t500

 

unfortunately I cannot, got only 0.6 mp camera (on nokia 6020) and no infra installed on the t500