Compal JHL90 - temperature issues - technical help appreciated!!!

Hey guys, I'm new in here, and I'm from Germany, so please forgive me some of my english mistakes

First of all, there is an equal thread in the "Sager Section" --> Link
Please dont delete or sth because doublechecking is always better in my opinion. Thanks!

Problem:
My laptop is way too hot. And i dont know why -_-"
CPU Idle: ~47°C (115°F) average
GPU Idle: ~80°C (176°F) average
HDD Idle: ~38°C (100°F) average

This is just Idle !!!
I didnt want to check the load Temps, because I think it would just damage sth.
My dad was playing League of Legends with it and had some graphic errors like pink lines...

1. Try: Checking fan settings in the BIOS - there are no settings ö.Ö none at all! (Ideas why? Or is it just a ty BIOS?)
[PHOENIX BIOS, never updated]

2. Watching the fan:
Startup - revs up, runs about 20 secs - stops.
About 70°C GPU it kicks back in and runs stable. GPU Idle Temp stays at 80°C for about 30 mins (writing parallel)

3. Cleaned fan + grid. no dust or sth in there at the testing state. (free airflow)


I modulated the fan (extended those 3 holes, where its soaking in the air) + backplate (holes) a little bit a long time ago to improve the airflow and ventilation. (see attached pics)
Cuz in my opinion the temps were too hight that time. If I remember correct I gained about 6-10°C
So I dont have a clue why the temps raised that much now.



Questions:
Someone has an Idea why the temps raised that much?
Updating BIOS - has the new BIOS those settings tab a "normal" BIOS has?
Shall i update the BIOS?
I think I have to disassemble it and redo the thermal paste, am I right?
Any ideas?


Thanks for your help!

 

I am not familiar at all with the JHL90, only with the FL90, but they are similar, I guess.

Why could the temps raise:
Dust: but you cleaned that already.
Fan not working: but it does

What else could it be then:
I think your CPU temp is okay, it only might seem higher, because the heat pipes are troubled by the heat from the GPU.

And I think the GPU is the problem. What's in there? NVidia 9600M GT? These are a lot more stable then the 8X00M series, but still, they might fail. There are also reports I think where a failing GPU increases its temps on the way to an ultimate defect. So this might be what's happening here.

AS the temps were lower before, I doubt a BIOS update will help. Did you update drivers recently? That could have an effect, too, I guess.

A good thermal paste would also work. Maybe think of undervolting the GPU (this is some advanced stuff!), which would help as well.

Otherwise, try to raise the the laptop a little, by putting something under it, to increase air flow. Also, an external fan via USB can help.

Try that, and report back if anything changes.

Good luck

 

Yep it is a 9600M GT with 512 MB DDR2 RAM
I agree with you that the GPU causes higher temps at all spots.
Drivers are running a bit already, didnt update since - a year maybe?
I will try this after repasting, too.

Ok, so the BIOS update wont help. Thats ok for me, because I was a little scared of doing it
How can u undervolt the GPU, never did something like this.
At my desktop PC I lowered the stepping a bit to get less heat, but it is an ATI/AMD card...
So some help here would be awesome

Raising the laptop - already tried, wont help that much, just dropped maybe 3-4°C...
Thought about a USB fan or sth already, but I think more likely the thermal pads suffer because of their age.


I diassembled this piece of sh** last night.
Whoever planned this laptop, hiding the graphics card underneath EVERYTHING should be killed -_-
Well, I bought some thermal pads (not sure if its the right word) 1.5mm diameter...
I have to wait for them because I need them for the graphics card and some parts (maybe voltage converters) beyond the CPU.


I think the discolouration of the cooler could come from the heat of the GPU, but I am not sure about this...

 

Ok. Btw, I did not say that a BIOS update will not help, but I very much doubt it.

Reapplying thermal pads is good. Also reapply thermal PASTE (it performs better than pads) on the CPU and GPU chips.

Btw, NEVER run your system in the half-reassembled state on battery, it kills FL90s, maybe also JHL90s. Always power up using the power cord.

About undervolting. I have an ATI 4650 in my FL90 (Nvidia 8600M GT broke down years ago). There is a tool for the ATI cards, but I am not sure if something like that is available for NVidia cards.

I'd reapply thermal stuff first, see where this leads you, and go from there.

Good luck!

 

Ok, maybe I will try a BIOS update later on...not sure...

Problem is - the CPU and GPU cooler can be applied with thermal paste, but the RAM + voltage converters can only be assembled with thermal pads, because there is a gap of at least 0.5 - 1mm between the plate of the cooler and the components...

1. Any idea what that thing located left of the GPU and below the CPU is? north-/ southbridge?
For that you need a pad too.

2. What thermal paste do you recommend?
I got this one : Keratherm KP92 Kerafol KP92 10 W/mK [-60 - +200 °C]
It is better than all Artic Silver pastes, and its coming from the industrial sector, so its not that expensive, and seems to work quite well^^


Lets wait untill they deliver the Pads. [They have a thermal conductivity of 7 W/mK, so they arent that bad at all ]

 

Yeah, sure, for memory etc., you need pads, but for chips, you could use both, pad paste is far better there.

As I said, for mem, etc, you need pads.

Never heard of your paste, but as long as it works ... I use Zalman, but 1° more or less, that's not the problem. Lets first try to get it down by 10-20°, shall we

Good luck

 

Hey guys!
Sorry for letting you all wait.
Needed a little more time as i thought. The Mail transport was veeeery slow -.-

Status now:
Repasting - DONE
New thermal pads - DONE
Cleaned everything - DONE
Reassembled everything - DONE

Result of all my work here - I give up.

Idle temps are like before:
CPU Idle: ~44°C average
GPU Idle: ~78°C average || Load: ~ 100°C+ (dont want to stress it more...)

I have no fu**ing clue why the temps are that high...

Could it be possible that the graphics card is broken or something, and therefore heating up like hell?
I mean, it is still working as far as I tried, but something has to be broken, because this is definitely not normal. Right?

Any ideas?

grEEtz, snow

 

Yeah, as already stated above, this could be a reason. I remember reports of people claiming that there temps went up high, then the GPU gave in. Of course, I cannot guarantee, that this is the same what's happening with your GPU.

You could ditch the old card on ebay (or the whole laptop?), and get an ATI card. If you do not plan to play games, I'd go for an ATI 3400/3450/3470. Used for 30€, no issues with heat at all, but hardly any gaming, of course. I used those with great success in many FL90s.

Good luck

 

hmm, sounds possible to me...
sucks anyways -.-

I need a card with some game performance equal to the 9600m GT maybe ?
Ideas?

 

What comes to mind is the ATI 4650 (which I have in my Compal FL 90). On ebay, now, maybe for 100€, maybe more, maybe less.

For the FL90, you cannot just plug in any card. NVidia won't work, unless if it is the identical one (for you, 9600M GT FROM COMPAL). Compal's card come *without* VBIOS (which is on the motherboard), so just putting any Nvidia 9600M GT might also not work for the JHL90 you have. But you would find that out yourself.

Therefor, for the FL90, only ATI cards are a realistic option.

Question is, do you want to invest into an ... 5 year old laptop?

What I did after my 8600M GT failed in my FL90 (and then an ATI 4650) is to buy a defective Acer 6530G with an ATI 4650 from ebay for around 150€ (had either broken LCD or bad motherboard), pulled the ATI, sold the rest. Gave me a used card for free, but of course is a bit risky if you go for a defective laptop to pull the card from ... might also be faulty. But it worked twice for me ...

I guess it's upto you on how to proceed - I told you what I know.

Good luck!

 

I might have an ATI 4650 for sale, soon. I am also sitting in Germany, so I could offer you that one. It's already undervolted, also a little overclocked as far as I remember.

The card works perfectly, should have extended life time due to undervolting. Runs at ~80° under heavy load, 60° in idle. I do not really use my FL90 anymore, so I will downgrade the GPU and CPU, and sell these and the laptop separately. So if you need a Intel T9300, too, let me know. However, I this will take two more weeks or so. I thought I tell you, in case you are interested.

Cheers

 

Hi Dr.
Do happen to still have the ATI 4650 for sale?

 

Yes, indeed, I have.

 

Nice!
I'd be interested in buying it. How much (days/hours) it has been used as overclocked, or do you think it is irrelevant?

 

I really cannot give a statement on how this would effect life. But I actually think, it was not overclocked, but only undervolted.

I will not sell it within the next two weeks, as I am away from home.

Furthermore, I might just sell it on ebay, as I do not want to ask a price ... no idea what it would be worth ...