Hardware Should I just get a new laptop?

[the_randomizer]

Lately, I've been very paranoid about the CPU when it's put under load, even in programs such as Bsnes it often reaches 80-82 Celsius, which is pretty dang hot and leaves me in a constant state of worry. Perhaps I got this machine without knowing full well how much more heat Core i7 CPUs output than Core i5 CPUs, I wish I knew about that before I bought it, now I'm stuck with it. Heck, I would probably feel better had I never installed Core Temp in the first place, as I'm finding myself having to open it up obsessively when using an emulator or otherwise intensive program. Granted, I do have a cooler so it does help it from getting to dangerous temperatures, but all the same, I'm at a loss and don't know what I should do. Should I sell it and spend the money towards a Core i5 laptop that doesn't generate nearly as high a temperature under load or what?

I want to enjoy running programs on this without worrying about generating heat that's a detriment to the hardware. Any suggestions on brands (besides Dell, Compaq or Apple)? Or maybe a way to trade the machine to get store credit for another one?'

I really should have done more research, had I known that this model (and CPU) were infamous for getting so bloody hot, I would have done more research.

 

[p1ngpong]

Get a good quality laptop cooling pad. (not a cheap one with a tiny fan)

 

[the_randomizer]

Get a good quality laptop cooling pad. (not a cheap one with a tiny fan)

I have a cooler right now, but I don't know how much I should spend for a really good one. The one I have is this one
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-NotePal-Cooling-R9-NBC-4WAK-GP/dp/B002MU1ZRS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358442739&sr=8-1&keywords=notepal cooler
But it's probably not the best I could do, but again, the temps are worrying me to no end. I often get 60 effing Celsius when using Chrome and not even using YouTube. They often reach higher-than-normal. I don't think the cooling system was intended for Core i7 2nd gen CPUs.

Current laptop Lenovo IdeaPad Y570. It handles gaming perfectly fine (Skyrim runs full speed, as does PCSX2 and Dolphin to name a few), but the temperatures, I don't know what to do). DAMN, but is 75-82 is scary

 

[p1ngpong]

By the way obvious question, how old is your laptop and when is the last time it was cleaned properly?

 

[the_randomizer]

By the way obvious question, how old is your laptop and when is the last time it was cleaned properly?

Ten months old, I got it in March 2012, and I last checked for dust two months ago and there was very little if any in the fans and other components. This is not normal, but then again, Core i7's are known to get pretty hot

But again, I wish I got a machine with a Core i5 instead. Dammit.

Any suggestions? High-end cooler, new Core i5 laptop? This is starting to scare me

 

[Sakitoshi]

core i7 mobile processors support up to 100°C if you say at full charge is reporting 80~°C then you will be fine, a friend of mine have a core i5 2450m laptop and go up to 90~°C he needs a cooling system otherwise he end up burning his fingers(yes, the heat is so intense that end up heating the keyboard and the processor is right below the WASD) and to add another example i myself have a amd a8 4500m and when playing borderlands 2 with the laptop on my lap ive read temperatures of 85°C, but i put my laptop on a flat surface and drops to 82°C, if you are to paranoid then buy a cooling pad but before buying anything take a look of the built-in cooling system to see how the air flow to choose a cooling pad that helps the air to enter/exit cold.

 

[Celice]

I'd say, you're going to have this same problem with an i5 mobile. Less temps, but you're using a laptop: it's going to have stifled air flow and cooling. Even my Athlon triple core gets up to 80 C whilst charging. But note that last part: charging can increase the temps of your laptop, as you're shooting power directly into the thing. If you play without a charger, or sometimes better, charging without a battery pack (no place to store the power), you can get lower temps.

But aside from that, the other natural problem is if you're going to run demanding stuff on a laptop, your heat is going to be excessive due to the design, moreso than if you were on a conventional computer case. Your best bet is to stop using your laptop for things like this. That, or adapt/accept the temps. You could probably cull a few degrees off but don't expect miracles. Expect to have the same happen.

 

[the_randomizer]

I'd say, you're going to have this same problem with an i5 mobile. Less temps, but you're using a laptop: it's going to have stifled air flow and cooling. Even my Athlon triple core gets up to 80 C whilst charging. But note that last part: charging can increase the temps of your laptop, as you're shooting power directly into the thing. If you play without a charger, or sometimes better, charging without a battery pack (no place to store the power), you can get lower temps.

But aside from that, the other natural problem is if you're going to run demanding stuff on a laptop, your heat is going to be excessive due to the design, moreso than if you were on a conventional computer case. Your best bet is to stop using your laptop for things like this. That, or adapt/accept the temps. You could probably cull a few degrees off but don't expect miracles. Expect to have the same happen.

Currently have it running on AC power only, but I do use it when I go to my parent's house, so charging isn't an issue related to temps. What you're saying is that these temps are nothing to get overly concerned with then? I want to game, use emulators, etc as they run just fine, I just get paranoid for no reason, but in the time I've had it, it never reached the threshold. I believe many laptops now use desktop CPUs for performance.

 

[Rydian]

Well laptops and high power unfortunately don't mix very well to begin with, as you've found. That's why most people that do any serious work (what the system would consider serious, I mean) either use a desktop, or some high-dollar well-designed piece of machinery (like installing Windows on a Macbook Pro, that's a surprisingly-popular route for programmers, or going with some business-class Lenovo).

If you do intend to get a new one (cleaned the old one properly and it just has improper cooling design) then you might want to look for something with a lower clock speed and/or lower number of cores. Performance per clock is more important to keep the clock rate down to keep heat generation down, and if you don't need four cores (even modern emulators rarely use more than two) a dual-core should be easier on the cooling... and of course getting a machine designed well to begin with is going to be one of the biggest helps. A $900 Lenovo business laptop may have the same specs as a $600 Dell (for example), but most people learn eventually that the better design is just worth it.

Anyways since modern CPUs will underclock themselves when they get too hot (possibly a cause of your performance issues?), I suggest taking it somewhere that can take it apart and give it a deep cleaning just in case.

 

[the_randomizer]

Well laptops and high power unfortunately don't mix very well to begin with, as you've found. That's why most people that do any serious work (what the system would consider serious, I mean) either use a desktop, or some high-dollar well-designed piece of machinery (like installing Windows on a Macbook Pro, that's a surprisingly-popular route for programmers, or going with some business-class Lenovo).

If you do intend to get a new one (cleaned the old one properly and it just has improper cooling design) then you might want to look for something with a lower clock speed and/or lower number of cores. Performance per clock is more important to keep the clock rate down to keep heat generation down, and if you don't need four cores (even modern emulators rarely use more than two) a dual-core should be easier on the cooling... and of course getting a machine designed well to begin with is going to be one of the biggest helps. A $900 Lenovo business laptop may have the same specs as a $600 Dell (for example), but most people learn eventually that the better design is just worth it.

Anyways since modern CPUs will underclock themselves when they get too hot (possibly a cause of your performance issues?), I suggest taking it somewhere that can take it apart and give it a deep cleaning just in case.

Well, I originally thought of getting a desktop, but that wouldn't work well for me since I like being able to hang out with my parents over the weekend (I like to bring a laptop so I can play games and use their infinitely more reliable internet connection, the one I have at my apartment complex sucks big time). But then I decided to get a laptop because of portability. Fortunately, despite the high temperatures, I've only seen it throttle the CPU once but never again, but didn't quite reach the TJ maximum of 100 Celsius. While I didn't want super high-end, I got something mid-range, originally priced at $1100, I managed to get a coupon reducing the price to $840, and considering the hardware it had, it was a good deal; Core i7 2670QM, 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB HDD, GT555M 1 GB GDDR5, I can run Skyrim pretty well on here I must admit.

Perhaps I'm simply being too paranoid to the point where I can't even enjoy using an emulator or PC game without having to habitually check the temperature every five minutes; I just might uninstall Core Temp so I'm not tempted to scrutinize the CPU. My GPU however, is perfectly fine an gets nowhere near 60 Celsius under load. I think I will call Lenovo tech support and see what I can do, as I doubt I can send the machine in to have it looked at. Maybe I should have done more research and I regret not doing so, because I should have gone with a CPU that can handle intensive programs like Dolphin/PCSX2 and so on, as I hear they generate less heat. Well, it could have been worse, I could have bought an overpriced Macbook Pro or Compaq. The other issue is that I'm not really in a position to purchase a new laptop (financial obligations, rent, school, etc) but a last resort if need be. I want this machine to last as long as possible, I really do and for the price I paid, it's pretty potent and gets the job done well.

The laptop cooler I have does help keep it safer levels and is made out of aluminum which helps with heat dissipation, but there might be better coolers out there that I could look at.

The one I have now is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master...e=UTF8&qid=1358466873&sr=8-4&keywords=notepal

But I might get this instead, that is, if it will help cooling more than it does now
http://www.amazon.com/Gaming-Laptop-Cooling-Turbine-SGA-4000-KKNF1/dp/B004G603E2/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1358466932&sr=1-1&keywords=laptop cooler

Edit: Just found out those cooler fans are replaceable.

 

[Rydian]

Actually the Macbook series uses the Core i series and Nvidia GPUs, and doesn't have cooling issues.

Of course, to get the same specs it'd be like $500 more... but hey, that's gaming laptops for 'ya.

 

[the_randomizer]

Actually the Macbook series uses the Core i series and Nvidia GPUs, and doesn't have cooling issues.

Of course, to get the same specs it'd be like $500 more... but hey, that's gaming laptops for 'ya.

Meh, not a big fan Mac OS due to lower game compatibility than Windows 7 and the whole Apple sheep mentality that Macs aren't PCs. I'd rather go with Dell if I had a choice between the two (worked for Dell tech support at a call center, and after the calls I got, it gave me reasons not to go with them). I thought Macbook's had bad heat dissipation, but I guess they fixed it, but I digress. Anyway, any suggestions on more efficacious laptop coolers (like that CM Storm SF-19)? Should do a better job since the fans are replaceable and can be moved around to where the machine gets the hottest and is designed with gaming in mind.

Granted, I am aware that Lenovo isn't the best brand out there, but it's far from the worst. I should note that the CPU has Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 so depending on what's being executed, it can fluctuate between 2.2 to 3.1 GHz, so for Dolphin and other intensive programs, it works out well without being a detriment to its lifespan.

 

[Rydian]

I mentioned installing Windows on the Macbook Pro for a reason. It's natively supported, Apple gives you the drivers and everything.

Lenovo's fine if you're not buying a piece of shit. I keep adding the word "business" after them for a reason... their business models are great, but they also started doing what Dell and all them do, catering to the people who want cheap machines by building shit and selling shit.

 

[RchUncleSkeleton]

This is just my opinion but I would stop worrying and keep the laptop you have.
Lenovo and Asus are two of the best mainstream pc manufacturers out right now.
Any laptop with a dedicated GPU is going to run hotter than something with onboard graphics, but I wouldn't worry about the temps unless the computer starts shutting down due to them being to high, which I believe is a safety feature built in to most modern bios setups.

Btw, a Mac is actually a PC in terms of hardware ever since they started using Intel processors...hell you can even install windows or linux on them. That said I would rather just own a typical pc and install Mac os if I needed it via the hackintosh method.

 

[Thanatos Telos]

I mentioned installing Windows on the Macbook Pro for a reason. It's natively supported, Apple gives you the drivers and everything.

Lenovo's fine if you're not buying a piece of shit. I keep adding the word "business" after them for a reason... their business models are great, but they also started doing what Dell and all them do, catering to the people who want cheap machines by building shit and selling shit.

I'd second that. When I had Windows installed on my Mac, it ran pretty well. Downside is no Win 8 support.

 

[the_randomizer]

This is just my opinion but I would stop worrying and keep the laptop you have.
Lenovo and Asus are two of the best mainstream pc manufacturers out right now.
Any laptop with a dedicated GPU is going to run hotter than something with onboard graphics, but I wouldn't worry about the temps unless the computer starts shutting down due to them being to high, which I believe is a safety feature built in to most modern bios setups.

Btw, a Mac is actually a PC in terms of hardware ever since they started using Intel processors...hell you can even install windows or linux on them. That said I would rather just own a typical pc and install Mac os if I needed it via the hackintosh method.

Well, okay, I must admit it is hard for me not to be worried, these temperatures (Core i7, nVidia GPU, etc) are to be expected. I haven't experienced shutdowns in the time I've owned, I doubt I will anytime soon Should I uninstall that Core Temp program so I don't continuously find myself having to use it in an OCD fashion? I do have a cooler and it does keep it from reaching devastating heat levels.

If I ever did get a desktop, would you recommend?

Spoiler

Here are some ideas, but they probably aren't that great.

CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

GPU - nVidia GTX 560 (Fermi)2 GB GDDR5*
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121446

RAM - 8 GB Kingston HyperX Blu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104262

HDD - 1 TB Western Digital HDD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131792

Tower: - RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WBP http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156062

PSU - OCZ ModXStream Pro http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017

OS: Since I have an MSDN license, I can get it for free.

Grand total: $954.93, still less than $1000.

* I don't need a super high-end GPU, but at the same time, one that doesn't suck.

I'm positive I can get better hardware for cheaper.

 

[J-Machine]

If you are particularly good at disassembling laptops I would try either swapping the HDD for a cooler running one (like a SSD inside then externals for data) or replacing the thermal paste with arctic silver. Good thermal paste can go a long way and yet nobody bothers using it.

 

[the_randomizer]

If you are particularly good at disassembling laptops I would try either swapping the HDD for a cooler running one (like a SSD inside then externals for data) or replacing the thermal paste with arctic silver. Good thermal paste can go a long way and yet nobody bothers using it.

I don't trust myself dissembling the components enough to want to do that. Now, if I can find someone who know what they're doing, then yes, I've no doubts that arctic silver would help a lot, so I'll ask said individual. Would you recommend that cooler I mentioned as an alternative method?

 

[J-Machine]

I don't trust myself dissembling the components enough to want to do that. Now, if I can find someone who know what they're doing, then yes, I've no doubts that arctic silver would help a lot, so I'll ask said individual. Would you recommend that cooler I mentioned as an alternative method?

I personally wouldn't bother since you already have one that has a body designed to aid in heat dissipation and I'm not sure just how much more awesome an extra fan would be. If someone can correct me I'm all ears though.

 

[RchUncleSkeleton]

Well, okay, I must admit it is hard for me not to be worried, these temperatures (Core i7, nVidia GPU, etc) are to be expected. I haven't experienced shutdowns in the time I've owned, I doubt I will anytime soon Should I uninstall that Core Temp program so I don't continuously find myself having to use it in an OCD fashion? I do have a cooler and it does keep it from reaching devastating heat levels.

If I ever did get a desktop, would you recommend?

I won't tell you to uninstall it, that's your decision. I had it on my last pc build and only used it during the initial phase and never used it again.

As far as building a new desktop it all depends on what you'll be satisfied with.
I recommend you shop around and make sure to read reviews and checkout some benchmarks between components in the same price range to get the best dollar to performance ratio.

You should be able to get something similar to what you're looking for anywhere from about $450 to $700 depending when and where you shop. Newegg doesn't always have the best deals so check out tigerdirect also and keep an eye on techbargains, slickdeals and fatwallet. If anyone has any other sites to suggest please do so.