Gaming Is my laptop too hot?

W.I.C.K.E.D.

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Here are the specs...

Model
Brand COMPAQ
Series Presario
Model CQ61-420US
Part# WA976UA#ABA
General
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
CPU Type AMD Athlon II M320(2.1GHz)
Screen 15.6"
Memory Size 3GB DDR2
Hard Disk 250GB
Optical Drive DVD Super Multi
Graphics Card ATI Radeon HD 4200
Communication Modem, LAN and WLAN
Dimensions 14.89" x 9.93" x 1.38" - 1.62"
Weight 5.90 lbs.
Other Features Kensington MicroSaver lock slot
Power-on password
Accepts 3rd party security lock devices
CPU
CPU Type AMD Athlon II
CPU Speed M320(2.1GHz)
CPU L2 Cache 1MB
Display
Screen Size 15.6"
Wide Screen Support Yes
Resolution 1366 x 768
LCD Features High-Definition BrightView
Operating Systems
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Graphics
GPU/VPU ATI Radeon HD 4200
Graphic Type Integrated Card
Hard Drive
HDD 250GB
HDD RPM 7200rpm
HDD Interface SATA
Memory
Memory 3GB
Memory Spec 2GB x 1+1GB x 1
Memory Type 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM
Memory Slot (Total) 2
Memory Slot (Available) 0
Max Memory Supported 4GB
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type DVD Super Multi
Optical Drive Interface Integrated
Optical Drive Spec LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
Communications
Modem 56K
LAN 10/100Mbps
WLAN Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN
Ports
USB 3
Video Port 1 x VGA
Audio Ports 1 x Microphone jack; 1 x Headphone jack
Audio
Audio Integrated Sound card
Speaker Altec Lansing speakers
Input Device
Touchpad Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical scroll Up/Down pad
Keyboard 101-key compatible full size keyboard with integrated numeric keypad
Supplemental Drive
Card Reader 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
Power
AC Adapter 65-watt AC adapter
Battery 6-cell lithium ion


Right now when I'm just on the internet the temperature hovers around 60 C. When gaming it goes up to 70 C, but I've never noticed it going higher than that. I know this really isn't a gaming laptop, I'm just wondering if I should be worried because the laptop isn't even 2 months old.
 

BORTZ

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Cant say.
I have a MacBook Pro that turns into the sun if i use it for more than an hour at a time.
However, the whole thing is metal so it all a heat sink so i know im good.
Does it feel really hot?
 

Coto

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Sometimes laptops collect dust or fluff in air vents.

My laptop is a Core 2 Duo 2,0 GHZ + Intel GMA965 VGA chipset 2GB RAM + Windows 7 Ultimate

And idle stays at 30-40° and while gaming can reach up to 60-70°.

But before, when my sister gave it to me, it would reach easily 80° IDLE. Guess what? When I opened it, i took a CARPET of fluff xD, trust me. Then I cleaned everything inside pretty well using a toothbrush, just later to use a vacuum to take out any dust remaining.

Works like a charm for me!

However, you´ve got a AMD + a good VGA chipset, which both generate lots of heat, so it could be normal.

Another fact, try always to use your lappy in flat surfaces as they´re built to disipate heat mechanically- through fans which CAN´T and MUST NOT be covered up.
 

W.I.C.K.E.D.

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Well, I have a foldable lap desk and a cooler that it rests on....I just noticed earlier when my wife was on it that the air blowin out the side given time could of singed my leg hair...j/k. It was running at the 70 C at the time though. I know laptops typically run hot, but if I gotta send this thing to HP (yes, I know they suck) I'm lacing this bitch up with some c4 before fedex picks it up.
 

W.I.C.K.E.D.

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Coto said:
However, you´ve got a AMD + a good VGA chipset, which both generate lots of heat, so it could be normal.

Another fact, try always to use your lappy in flat surfaces as they´re built to disipate heat mechanically- through fans which CAN´T and MUST NOT be covered up.

This thing has some of those weak ass fans on the bottom, but the main intake is on the back right under the screen hinge and the fan expelling air is on the side.
 

Coto

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W.I.C.K.E.D. said:
Well, I have a foldable lap desk and a cooler that it rests on....I just noticed earlier when my wife was on it that the air blowin out the side given time could of singed my leg hair...j/k. It was running at the 70 C at the time though. I know laptops typically run hot, but if I gotta send this thing to HP (yes, I know they suck) I'm lacing this bitch up with some c4 before fedex picks it up.


Nuuuu. Hp computers really suck...

Specially Notebooks.

I had a compaq f500 (those awesome series who han NVIDIA VGA chipset WITHOUT a fan nor dissipator, JUST BELOW WIFI Chipset...)

I am NOT ever going to purchase a compaq again....


DELL stands just the 1st place for me, along my trusty inspiron 1525 ; )
 

W.I.C.K.E.D.

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So nobody honestly knows if that's too hot?

Edit: I've only built desktops, would it be possible to install an aftermarket fan in the laptop, something with a little more kick? I don't care if it's louder. I'd rather have more reliable and headphones were made for a reason.
 
D

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Uhhhh laptops are pretty compact, I watched a dell technician take my M15x apart to do a motherboard replacement a few weeks ago. That being said, if you're worried about going into the 60-70 Celsius range the best and easiest thing to do would be to get a laptop cooler and work on a flat surface. Generally, I think around 60 Celsius is an average intensive temperature.

I would, however, get a bit worried if it went into the 80's. Then again, it all depends on the threshold limits that your processor/GPU can tolerate. Personally, when my old XPS M1530 hit 70 celcius I felt like it was burning a hole in my jeans, which is when I decided I needed to do something about it.

Newegg offers a good variety of laptop coolers, some of which are definitely worth looking into!
These can be found by just searching for notebook coolers in the newegg search engine. Among the various notebook-cooling brands, Zalman is the one major brand which sticks out the most with the best reviews, and it's the one I chose for my own heating solution.


Code:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=notebook+cooling&x=0&y=0

Personally, I went with a Zalman-1000, as shown above, and I haven't had any problems nor worries since using it. It does emit a slight humming, but it's only so noticable when you have media or gaming running, but you can also tell that it's running. For the most part, I just keep it running on the low levels.

Edit: Laptops are always going to run hotter than desktops, that's what you get for putting the components in such close quarters. Anyway, I've found that the positioning of the vents makes a huge difference depending on the structure of the laptop cooler. In my M15x, the processor and the GPU are positioned, respectively below, where my left and right-typing hands are. Though this area usually stays around 40-50 degrees, the bottom really heats up. The reason I mention this is because for the Zalman-1000 cooler, that's where the heat-intake fans are to expel the heat outside the bottom of the cooler. This usually keeps the heat-exhaust from the actual laptop vents (behind the monitor) down to a minimum.

I think the best solution really a cooler that's tailored to the laptop, because for example, a macbook, does not have great cooling, as someone else mentioned, they become miniature suns [they don't have great vents], which pretty much means that all the heat builds up inside, so a cooler really isn't going to help. It's also important to keep the dust bunnies away...
 

Originality

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60-70 is just fine for a laptop, especially if it's one with anything less than a proper (sometimes expensive) cooling system. If you've only got 1 air vent and a few inlet holes on the bottom, then don't worry about it even if it peaks as high as 80C. All you have to do is, if you think it feels hot, use a laptop cooler (not for the laptop's sake, but your knees or the desk or where-ever you keep it).

Just for comparison, my HP Pavillion tx2550ea (tablet) has an AMD Turion X2 Ultra 64 and an ATI HD3200. When idle (basically power saver mode), the temps sometimes get up to 55-65C. When gaming (basically high performance mode) it easily gets up to 85C. I also clean the vents out every month because I know it will block up no matter what I do. As a PC builder, I don't like computers go run above 60C in any condition, but I've gotten used to the fact that laptops run much hotter. In any case, it has thus far survived being that hot through occaisional gaming sessions (which tends to last hours). On the plus side, once I finish gaming I always set it back to power saver, which gives a drop in 12C over a few seconds. That continues to fall over time as the rest of the system cools off.

Best way to cut down the temperatures I know of - crack it open and replace the thermal paste (if it has any). Anybody will notice the difference (both in temperature, and in sound from the fans). EDIT: Am0s reminded me; the best way to tell if it's too hot or not, is to listen to the fan. If it is too noisy all the time, then probably it's getting a lil bit too hot (although, the threshold tends to be between 90-125C, depending on the parts).
 

Am0s

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I did a bit of searching around and some people have had high temps as high as 100c, I guess the only thing you can do is what originality said, if the temps go up too high too fast for you then, maybe you got a blocked vent or something, or maybe get a better laptop cooling mat thing, or get a deskfan and point it at the laptop vent, or or by opening up the laptop and applying some arctic silver or something
 

Elritha

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For an Athlon that kind of temperature is normal while under heavy load. If it gets too high the laptop should shut itself down to protect itself anyway (90-100ish)
 
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Mine is a COMPAQ Presario Model CQ70-211EM.
It once went up to 82 C, went i was gaming it was fine though no lasting damage done to it.
 
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GentleFist

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if you mean the graphics tempereture its even okay if it goes up to 90, but usually non oc cards have a temperature of 70 c whilst gaming i think
 

Jotokun

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60c is rather hot, on a desktop that would be too hot if the machine was idling. On a laptop, its probably ok. My compaq presario C700 idles at 65c, which always freaked me out but seeing other posts here, it appears thats common among compaqs. My current Dell laptop idles around 40-45.

I dont know about AMD cpus, but modern intel CPUs will safely run as long as they are below 100c.
 

Coto

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Edhel said:
For an Athlon that kind of temperature is normal while under heavy load. If it gets too high the laptop should shut itself down to protect itself anyway (90-100ish)

Most BIOSes are set up to 100c as temperature limit. After that mostly PC will shut down.

(edhel i thought before on typing this, but you stole my words haha)


Again, no matter what, if you have some GREAT FAN COOLING SYSTEM, or if you have A VERY GOOD AND FLAT ENVIRONMENT for your lappy...

They NEED TO BE CLEANED UP FROM INSIDE AT LEAST 4 TIMES A YEAR. Otherwise, you´ll get +20° EASILY, by meaning, while it´s idle mode.

I may have 50 posts, but while i´ma 21 year old boy, i work with computers since 14 years aprox.. So my acknowledge says: just keep it clean, fluffs free and try using a Temperature sensor software.

If problem still persists, try keeping turned on during night and do some RAM/CPU Stress benchmarks. If it didn´t shutdown whatever the reason, then it´s completely normal for it to keep such temp, otherwise, you may have a defective laptop.

Just keep your warranty handy
 

Njrg

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A heatsink stops being a heatsink when it too is at an extreme temperature. I have an old laptop that gets so hot in an hour just from internet browsing that the air thats being sucked out is approaching 140F. And thats just the air temperature.

Back when my PC wasn't wireless, I used this laptop alot. I would use my hands to absorb much of the heat coming from the bottom and from my RAM, as dangerous as that sounds.
 

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