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High-Specd Dell Laptop Poor Performance due to Overheating!!HELP!!!

  • 18-12-2005 01:23PM
    #1
    mcirl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭


    I have my DELL INSPIRON 9100 LAPTOP since OCT 2004 & for a while it has been slowing down due to the processor heating up like crazy!!
    I reinstalled windows XP Pro but it was no good :(

    Im wondering is the cooling system malfunctioning as it starts roaring (the Fan) after about 5 mins from turning on the Laptop.

    It's def not Spyware / virus etc!!

    IT's high Specd : P 4 , 1 GB Ram, clock: 3.2Ghz, 80 GB HDD so it shouldnt be slow!!

    I'm really stuck wirth this prob so i would really appreciate any help / tips!!

    thanks

    mike


Comments

  • #2
    Hobbes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    What speed is the hard drive? do you keep a CD in the drive all the time?


  • #3
    mcirl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭mcirl2


    Hobbes wrote:
    What speed is the hard drive? do you keep a CD in the drive all the time?

    Thanks 4 d reply!!

    I think it's around 6000 rpm!

    The thing is when u boot up first it is ok, runs v well, it's v quiet and fast but once you open 2 or more apps (not heavy usage 1s) or after about 5 mins the Fan starts roaring ( very very loud and the computer slows down)
    i dont keep a cd in d drive, hardly ever actually


  • #4
    Mutant_Fruit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,943 ✭✭✭Mutant_Fruit


    by any chance are you putting the laptop on a surface thats blocking the airflow to the vents?


  • #5
    mcirl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭mcirl2


    Mutant_Fruit wrote:
    by any chance are you putting the laptop on a surface thats blocking the airflow to the vents?

    Oh yeah i keep the intakes very clear, they are big so it's unlikely they are blocked!!

    Would it be a problem with BIOS??????


  • #6
    Ciaran500
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,225 ✭✭✭Ciaran500


    Does the fan speed increase even if you don't do anything on the laptop?

    How old is the laptop? Have you tried getting some compressed air and cleaning out the vents?


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  • #7
    mcirl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭mcirl2


    Ciaran500 wrote:
    Does the fan speed increase even if you don't do anything on the laptop?

    How old is the laptop? Have you tried getting some compressed air and cleaning out the vents?


    Yeah it does, even if you boot up , it will be good for 5 -10 mins max and then it the fan goes crazy. I've cleaned the outside of the vents fully, would it be blocked inside.

    The laptop is about 14 months old.

    thanks


  • #8
    TabulaRasa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33 ✭TabulaRasa


    The dust covers things like heat sinks, fans etc. The best way to fix this is to get a can of compressed air and perhaps a light paint brush and carefully clean all of the internal components. This will probably involve taking off the top (keyboard side) of the laptop so make sure you have the right tools and remember to have something to keep all those pesky screws in.

    Good luck!


  • #9
    mcirl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭mcirl2


    TabulaRasa wrote:
    The dust covers things like heat sinks, fans etc. The best way to fix this is to get a can of compressed air and perhaps a light paint brush and carefully clean all of the internal components. This will probably involve taking off the top (keyboard side) of the laptop so make sure you have the right tools and remember to have something to keep all those pesky screws in.

    Good luck!

    the Fan is constantly on, is there a setting to change this??


  • #10
    Mutant_Fruit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,943 ✭✭✭Mutant_Fruit


    the fan turns on because the chip is hot. If you turn off the fan, the chip melts. You have to figure out WHY the chip is running hot. Probably dust buildup, or you're running an app in the background thats using 100% CPU time. Hit ctrl-alt-del and see if there is anything using a lot of CPU time.


  • #11
    Balfa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,709 ✭✭✭Balfa


    Mutant_Fruit wrote:
    Hit ctrl-alt-del and see if there is anything using a lot of CPU time.
    Except, of course, the system idle process, it's supposed to use up whatever percentage is remaining after the tasks that actually are using the CPU. And it's designed to keep the CPU cool. In fact, if it's not running, that would be a bad thing and might be what's causing the problem, but I don't even know if you can prevent it running, so that's probably not it.


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  • #12
    mcirl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭mcirl2


    Balfa wrote:
    Except, of course, the system idle process, it's supposed to use up whatever percentage is remaining after the tasks that actually are using the CPU. And it's designed to keep the CPU cool. In fact, if it's not running, that would be a bad thing and might be what's causing the problem, but I don't even know if you can prevent it running, so that's probably not it.


    Yeah only the system idle process is running and i wont turn dat off!!

    the problem i think is actually the fan cos the laptop is not actually that hot to touch (underneth) but the fan never goes off, just roars like a turbine engine.

    I updated the bios to the latest but still didnt fix it:(


  • #13
    BrokenArrows
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,548 ✭✭✭BrokenArrows


    I really sounds like dust build up to me.

    Dell laptop fans are really easy to take out. Just unscrew the screws and pop it out. Give it a good clean.

    Also it may be that your fan settings are just screwed up.
    Download this temperature monitor for your laptop:
    http://www.diefer.de/software/i8kfangui220.exe

    Run it and monitor what temperatures you are getting for your CPU and GPU. Post them back here.

    Take the temperatures when you first start and when the fan starts going crazy. My laptop temperatures are usually about CPU 45C GPU 60C when idle.


  • #14
    Wertz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,909 ✭✭✭✭Wertz


    BrokenArrows wrote:
    I really sounds like dust build up to me.

    Dell laptop fans are really easy to take out. Just unscrew the screws and pop it out. Give it a good clean.

    Also it may be that your fan settings are just screwed up.
    Download this temperature monitor for your laptop:
    http://www.diefer.de/software/i8kfangui220.exe

    Run it and monitor what temperatures you are getting for your CPU and GPU. Post them back here.

    Take the temperatures when you first start and when the fan starts going crazy. My laptop temperatures are usually about CPU 45C GPU 60C when idle.


    I was just about to recommend i8kfan as well.

    That pentium is a mobile desktop CPU so it will run hot even at a low load, but it really does sound like you have something blocking an intake, or that perhaps the fan itself has problems like a bearing gone bad or something slowing down the revs.

    The app BrokenArrows pointed at will monitor your internals and will also give you direct access to both the fans and allow you to control their speed directly.


  • #15
    hobie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,338 ✭✭✭hobie


    Just make sure you have a complete backup of everything you need ..... I had warning symptoms a couple of years ago and spent all my time on trying to figure out what was going on and not on taking a good solid backup just in case :(

    If you ever think something is going to "bite your ass" take a good backup ....
    iqlcew.gif


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