Effects of CPU speed on heat and fan noise

Hi guys,

There seems to be a lot of debate on whether to use 4700/4800 vs 4702for the smaller clevo gaming laptops (like the W230ST). Some have reported that because the 4702 has a lower TDP and uses 37 watts, it results in a cooler laptop with less sporadic fan outbursts than the 4700/4800 that uses 47 watts. I could be wrong, but from memory I think HTWingNut's review found that the 4702 does reduce laptop heat on the W230ST?

On the contrary, some clevo resellers have told me the 4702 results in reduced performance, and no noticeable difference in laptop heat/fan noise so they don't offer the 4702 CPU.

I have decided to get the W230ST model for work and gaming but unsure about which i7 processor: 4700, 4702 or the 4800.

Has anyone got any further experience on this topic they can share?

Thanks
Andy

 

This discussion is related and might help http://forum.notebookreview.com/hardware-components-aftermarket-upgrades/721000-i7-4700mq-47-watt-vs-i7-4702mq-37-watt.html

 

You can expect a lot from these gaming notebooks, but there is a limit. I'd probably go with a cooler CPU in a smaller notebook, but that's me. If you want the 4800M or more then get a 15"/17" notebook. 15.6" doesn't seem that much bigger compared to a very thick, heavy 13" Clevo.
- It only has ONE heatpipe for the CPU. And shares the same fan/radiator with the GPU. 4800M is not a cool running CPU. Want more power, get a bigger notebook, that's how I see it. Just like for me, want more power? I'll have to build a desktop.
- Seems to me with limited cooling and limited power available, you're not going to get the most out of the 4800M. I use a modified 240 Watt PSU for my P150EM to keep up with OC'd 675MX and OC'd 3740QM. Between the two, pretty sure they are pulling 160 watts during intensive gaming. If you're going to spend that kind of $$$ on a 4800M, I hope you can get the most out of it. If not, save your money and go with something cooler.

I resorted to buying new all copper CPU heatsink and an improved P157SM GPU heatsink to keep my notebook's temps stable. That's my take on it. If you going to spend the $$$ on fast hardware, you gotta spend the $$$ on a system and cooling system that can get the most performance out of it. Otherwise, save your money and go with something cool.

If I had to spend the kind of money you did on a 13.3" machine, I would have opted for an Alienware M14 in a heart beat over Clevo's offering. Without even thinking about it, I don't need any second thoughts or read any forums or reviews. Alienware support, upgrade support, and cooling system is just better than what Clevo wants to offer right now, for whatever their reason is. I don't get it. Even Asus has better cooling and more power and better design and better build quality... At least when Asus screws you over with upgrading, at least you get a better machine than Clevo right now.

Heh, that's probably what I would do, just get an Alienware M14 and stuff that with a beast CPU, it can handle it.

 

Great, thanks for the link ajnindlo, and the feedback Zymphad.

I was split between the Clevo 13inch and the Alienware 14 inch but decided to go with what is smallest, lightest, most portable and powerful enough to play games, hence the Clevo W230ST. For me, the negatives of the Alienware 14 is the size and weight, I can get a p150sm for very similar size/weight with a GTX780m. But going back to the discussion, you've definitely convinced me I don't need a i7 4800 CPU for the W230ST...now its really a choice of getting either the 4702 or the 4700...

I just have 2 questions:

Am I right in saying that regardless of the 4702/4700/4800 CPU, if you simply do web surfing and document editing, the laptop temp should be almost identical right? Because the CPU doesn't need to go into turbo for basic tasks. Only when the laptop does more intensive work like gaming does throttling kick in and that's when you can get real issues with heat with the faster CPUs like a 4800 vs 4702?

Or...would there be a small difference in temp even with basic laptop use due to the higher base clock values for the faster CPUs (eg. 2.7Ghz for 4800, 2.4 for 4700 and 2.2 for 4702).

Thanks guys

 

Yes, for web surfing they should be in a low power 800mhz mode most of the time. The Haswells have the latest power savings built in. Windows 8.1 is supposed to help as well, I don't know how much.

Personally, I would get the i7-4700mq. It has the power if you need it, and I think someone in the other thread said you can use the Intel software to force it into a low powe mode all the time.

 

TDP does not tell you what the temps may be in a straightforward way. What matters is whether the cooling system is designed for the higher TDP; so if it is designed for, say a 37W TDP component, and you install a 47W TDP component, then the temps will be about the same until you hit peak load. Once at peak, then the 47W TDP will absolutely run hotter.

 

Just undervolt the 4700mq, it makes a huge difference
Allows me to run prime95 on 2.79-2.99GHz with 4C/8T at 82 degrees Celsius with 26 degrees Celsius ambient temperature
BTW, gaming doesn't stress the CPU that much, it's much more likely that the GPU's at 100% and the CPU's not. The 765m will most likely bottleneck first and hence limit CPU utilisation as compared to a 780m.
Thermals of the alienware 14? Considering I've heard that it does throttle, hmmm. I'm not too sure which is better.

 

Anyway, here's some links http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo-reviews-owners-lounges/725922-htwingnuts-sager-np7330-clevo-w230st-review.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo-reviews-owners-lounges/732353-mythlogic-chaos-1313-clevo-w230st-4702mq-mini-review-comparison-full-voltage.html This one here should be especially relevant.