3720: Is there something wrong with it? Hot; Fan; Battery

I've owned an 3270 for about two months. It is my first ever notebook so I don't have a lot of knowledge about them. I have three areas of serious concern.

1-The fan runs ALL THE TIME, even when powered by electricity! The fan did not run all the time when I first got it.

2- When using the battery only, the 3270 runs so hot that I can not hold it on my lap. It runs 54 degrees celsius with the AC plugged in. When I unplug the AC adapter, within about a minute the temperature goes up to 59 degrees C! Then it fluctuates between 59 & 61 degrees C. From the little I"ve been able to dig up on this, these temperatures seem abnormally high. No vents are obstructed, I'm working in a 76 degree Fahrenheit air conditioned room, and the laptop is raised on a platform with slats on it. In other words is is not even on a flat, solid surface.

3- The battery life is poor. I hardly use the battery but the few times I do, it gets only about 1 1/2 hours. I used to get close to 2 1/2 hours just a six weeks ago. I can't even watch a 1 1/2 hour DVD without it conking out. We use this notebook for writing email and surfing the web (broadband); no great processing power used.

Is there something wrong with my notebook? btw, I've calibrated the fan and battery twice. Thank you.

 

try doing the calibrations under the bios could help the fan being on all the time, as for the battery, i don't really know.

 

Since you have so many new issues, I'd first look to see if anything's running that shouldn't be. That could explain all of this. If you look at the active processes see if you can find anything that's not system oriented or not otherwise recognized. You might also run a spyware and virus scan.

 

Thanks for the replies. I've calibrated both battery and fan.

I'll try the virus and spyware scan.

What I'm also trying to determine is what is "normal" temperature range for a notebook. Is the 3270 within an acceptable range? And do the fans of most Averatec notebooks run all the time?

I've read that the Averatec brand runs hotter than others brands but I still don't know if mine is in an acceptable range. This type of information would really help me determine if I should send it in for repair.

The reply I got from Averatec tech support doesn't help clarify the situation:

"The fan constantly running could potentially be a problem. The system fans are meant to run whenever needed. They can run all the time or not at all depending on the situation it is currently in."

First they say the "fan running constantly can be a problem", then they say the fan can run " all the time or not." <sigh>

As an aside, I read some of the excellent FAQs at this forum but, unless I missed it, I didn't see anything about temperature.

 

There have been reports here or in the Averatec unofficial forum where some have reduced the heat problem by redoing the heatsink contact grease on the cpu. But that is a job for a technician. I wouldn't recommend the average user doing this.

You also "discovered" the other weak feature of the Averatec - viz. short battery life even after only two months. Mine was also down to 1.5 hours after 6 months - it might have occured earlier but I did not check. I now have the battery removed when I'm using the laptop on AC.

The constant fan is definitely tied in to the high heat you're feeling so this may mean sending it in for warranty service. The only other option is to used a powered cooling device rather than the passive one (the rack) that you now have. The Targus Chill Mat with two fans should alleviate the heat a little but of course does not get to the root of the problem.

 

The thing I've been trying to determine, which I haven't been able to find an answer, is if the temperatures are normal for a notebook, or if they are excessive. I was hoping someone here would be able to provide the answer.

The heat ranges from about 56-61 degrees C. The other day when I tested and used only battery power while running a video clip, the temp went up to 70C. As soon as I stopped the video, the temperature began dropping.

Again, what is the normal range for a laptop?

If mine is in the normal range, then there is no point in returning it for repair. Thanks again.

 

It is more likely to have the fan on when plugged in since the CPU is running at top speed. AMDs do run warmer than Pentium Ms. I'd definetly turn off anything you don't need running in the background.

 

I don't know what is the normal range for the heat. But if it is now hotter than when it was new and you're doing the same things now as you were when new, then something is going wrong. How are you measuring the temperature?

 

I'm using mobmeter, which was recommended either in this forum or the unofficial averatec.

Generally speaking zazonz, my 3270 runs better when it's plugged in...fan and heat level.

I'm beginning to think this is all par for the course and that my model is just a medicore notebook in a very thin body. I should have done this before buying instead of relying on online reviews, but I've looked at a few friend's and relative's new notebooks. They may be a little heavier and slightly larger, but they are quiet by camparison and you can actually use them on your lap without sweating. AND you can watch a full length DVD without the battery being depleted, which has been impossible with the 3270 even when starting with the battery fully charged.

If you only think thin and lightweight, I suppose you can consider the 3270 inexpensive. But when I see what others have bought for about the same money feature wise, I think it's expensive.

I can live with it, but if I'm ever in the market again for a notebook in won't be an Averatec unless things more than drastically change. I'd be more than willing to pay more money for a small, lightweight notebook which runs cool, quiet and has a much better battery life.

btw, what is "Rep power," listed near our screen names?