OVERHEAT???

[XWrench3]

My wife just bought a used HP-Compaq laptop off from ebay. this is our first laptop, so we knew there would be some adjustments getting used to it. i am not sure, but i think it is overheating, causing the computer to shut down. she has only used it a few times, and 1&1/2 hours is the longest she has had it on. when she has the laptop open and running, it works fine. but if she shuts the screen, it turns off, and will not come back on until it sits for roughly 45 minutes or so. she says that after a while, it gets pretty warm. warm enough that it is uncomfortable sitting on her legs. is this pretty common with laptops? or is there an issue with it that needs to be looked at. i have seen "cooling pads" that are being sold. i do not know if they are for the computers benefit, or for the persons though. if it was just uncomfortable, and did not turn off. i would be much less concerned. but with it turning off, and refusing to power back up, that makes me think something elese is wrong. i know on our desk compouter, we need to remove the side cover to clean the insides of dust and accumulated dirt. does this need to be done every year with a loaptop as well? is it as simple as removing some screws, and lifting the bottom case apart, then blowing it out with compressed air?

 

[MindoverMaster]

What temperatures are you getting? Use HWmonitor. Get the free version. Post up a screenshot.

Heat is a common problem with laptops. It has little space for the heat to expand, unlike desktops. The only way the heat has to go is out the side vents. So that is why all the hot air makes the bottom hot.

Cooling pads are meant to do both. Cool the underside of the laptop, and protect your lap. There are different types, though. There are ones that are meant to be used on a desk, or just in your lap.

I personally use this: Newegg.com - Targus Lap Chill Mat Model AWE55US

It's whisper quiet, and keeps my laptop at a constant 40C.

For dust removal, all you need to do is spray some canned air into the side vents. This is the most crucial place for heat dissipation. Opening the laptop is very hard to do. There are several layers you need to open. Unless you are a professional at it, I would not recommend it.

 

[XWrench3]

well, she could not figure out what to do, so i just went up, and downloaded and installed it. it would not let me copy and paste the screenshot. maybe the computer needs to be restarted? anyway, this is what came up....
TZ0 75C / 166F
TZ1 71C / 156F
TZ2 59C / 138F
TZ3 36C / 96F
TZ4 80C / 175F

INTEL CORE DUO

CORE 0 71C / 157F
CORE 1 72C / 159F

ST980825AS
ASSEMBLY 40C / 103F
AIR FLOW 40C / 103F

COMPARED TO MY DESK MODEL (I USE A DIFFERENT TEMP PROGRAM) THAT SEEMS PRETTY HOT. IT HAS BEEN IN USE NOW FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR. SO IT IS FULLY "WARMED UP"! LOL. (sorry about the cap lock) so, what do you think, is it frying inside? do we need to operate it ONLY inside of a meat locker? sit it on a big, waterproof bag of ice?

 

[MindoverMaster]

The CPU temps are way too high. I think the shut off temp is 80C for that.

Try getting a cooling pad. It might not cool it where it should be, but it will prolong your laptop usage.

 

[XWrench3]

so is there something wrong with the computer itself? what would cause high temps? i notice she is running it on the a/c adapter. if the battery is bad, would that cause it? we do not really know anything about laptops. if there is a problem with it, we may want to return it.

 

[XWrench3]

and what kind of temps are acceptable? you said 80c is shutoff, and this is at 71 &72.

 

[MindoverMaster]

The most likely problem is the CPU getting too hot. See how much percentage of your CPU you are using, in Task Manager. Could be one or a group of programs that is eating your CPU, therefore make it overheat.