Overheating laptop

mustbemad

Hi everyone,

So I've broken my laptop :sad: I have a toshiba satelite that's about 3 years old now. It started shutting down every time it started to do anything more taxing than browsing the internet so I installed some temperature monitoring software and discovered my cpu's were hitting 84C just browsing the internet :sad:

I tried using some compressed air to blow any dust out of my fan but it didn't do anything so I set about the mammoth task of opening my laptop to get to the fan. I eventually got to the fan and managed to extract the fluff and dust. While I had it open I thought I had better apply some new thermal paste which I did. I put it back together to test it and the core temp was now 32C - 34C idle. Success I thought until I tried to run minecraft :sad: core temp up to 39C so still ok but the GPU temp rose to over a hundred degrees within a few minutes and the laptop shut down :sad:

Unfortunately I don't remember seeing if the gpu was going that high before I opened the laptop so I not know if it was already doing that before I started fiddling with it. So I took the laptop apart again and cleaned off the gpu and re applied the thermal paste. I made sure everything was connected properly but the GPU was still the same. The laptop was still running fine at this point, I could browse the internet and the GPU was about 60C. I did a bit more googling and discovered the problem could be driver related so I uninstalled the vga driver. Big mistake :sad: now I can't even turn the laptop on as before windows has a chance to load, the fan starts whirring like crazy and the laptop shuts down :mad:

This happened immediately after I removed the driver but just in case it was a coincidence, I cleaned and reapplied the CPU/gpu thermal paste yet again but still no luck :sad:

Does anyone think there is a way back from this? I can't reinstall the driver because the laptop won't stay on long enough?

Sorry about the epic post, I just wanted you to see what I had already tried.

MBM x

poppellerant

Can you get the laptop into safe mode? If so, that might give you a chance.

I know you said the laptop is a Toshiba, but which specific model? You can usually get this information from a sticker underneath the laptop. Also what make and model is the GPU? Ie: Nvidia Geforce 610M. The model of the laptop might help to reveal this.

To me, it sounds like you might have been over cautious when screwing the heatsink back on. I don't mean to say that the screws should be as tight as you can get them, but don't don't be scared either - if you put the screws on in a criss-cross way, you shouldn't damage the chip. When I say criss-cross, I mean screw the bottom-left in, then the top-right, then the top-left, etc.

mustbemad

Hi, thanks for replying. It's a toshiba satellite p300, the gpu is an ATI mobility hd 3650.

I'm pretty sure the gpu is screwed back in firmly, there is a sticker on top of the gpu over the slot to connect it to the motherboard that says 'press here' it seems to be connected properly.

I wasn't able to get into safe mode even when I was able to boot into windows, doesn't safe mode only load with the basic vga driver I have now? Maybe that's why it wouldn't boot up :sad:

MBM x

securityguy

mustbemad wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the gpu is screwed back in firmly, there is a sticker on top of the gpu over the slot to connect it to the motherboard that says 'press here' it seems to be connected properly.

No, the issue is how tight the heatsink is to the processor or GPU. They need to be screwed very hard, or the clips need to be forced home completely. The top surface of the package and the bottom surface of the heatsink are flat, but over time not _that_ flat, and thermal paste isn't as good as getting them into intimate contact. You also need to be careful of using more thermal paste than necessary: the idea is that it fills small voids and scratches, not that there's a continuous later. If the heatsink has warped, which they can do, then unless you can screw it down hard enough to flatten it, a big gob of thermal paste won't be enough, you'll have to get a new heat sink.

I wasn't able to get into safe mode even when I was able to boot into windows, doesn't safe mode only load with the basic vga driver I have now? Maybe that's why it wouldn't boot up :sad:

That sounds likely. In which case, boot it off CD.

Mondez

securityguy wrote: »

No, the issue is how tight the heatsink is to the processor or GPU. They need to be screwed very hard, or the clips need to be forced home completely. The top surface of the package and the bottom surface of the heatsink are flat, but over time not _that_ flat, and thermal paste isn't as good as getting them into intimate contact. You also need to be careful of using more thermal paste than necessary: the idea is that it fills small voids and scratches, not that there's a continuous later. If the heatsink has warped, which they can do, then unless you can screw it down hard enough to flatten it, a big gob of thermal paste won't be enough, you'll have to get a new heat sink.

I'll second this, I was gifted a "broken" laptop with the symptoms exactly as described here. I took it apart and the heatsink that covered the gpu was basically very thin metal in most places and wasn't lying flat even when securely screwed down. A bit of gentle bending later to get good contact with the GPU and I had a fully working i5 Samsung for nothing more than a bit of time and effort.

NiftyDigits

Satellite P300 is more than five years old now. Time is going by more quickly than you imagine. What is the full model number? Satellite P300-133? Did you upgrade to Windows 7?

Have you tried booting up using an Ubuntu Live DVD in order to test the hardware?

poppellerant

Okay, I've taken a look at Toshiba's discontinued products and have found 5 Toshiba Satellite P300's with an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 graphics adaptor.

As the servicing instructions can vary from model to model, I've listed all 5 for you to choose. Again, this information should be available from the sticker underneath your laptop.

1. P300-150
2. P300-172
3. P300-1C9
4. P300-1FN
5. P300-1GL

mustbemad

Hi, thanks for looking that up, it's the p300-1c9.

So I tried the Ubuntu live cd, unfortunately the laptop shut down before it loaded up :sad:

I am so annoyed with myself for removing that driver, at least the laptop switched on before I did that :mad:

If anyone can think of a way I can get that driver back on I would be so grateful!

MBM x

poppellerant

It's not the driver. You installed the driver for Windows and only your installation of Windows will use this driver. That driver is only loaded when your installation of Windows is starting up and not before.

What I'm trying to help you understand is that the driver is nothing to do with your laptop shutting down when loading Ubuntu. Just by your mentioning it shutting down when trying Ubuntu reinforces my opinion that something is quickly overheating.

Out of interest, is the fan running? Have you heard it? Have you felt for any warm air coming out from where it normally does? Have you visually inspected the fan to see if it's turning? Try turning the machine on and look underneath and keep an eye on that fan.

I've got a feeling you might have forgotten to plug the fan cable back onto the motherboard. Or you've unplugged it and not realised. With you cleaning the fluff out, it's quite easy to assume that the lack of noise is because the laptop isn't as hot.

mustbemad

Hi, thanks again for the help.

So tomorrow I will take it apart and reseat everything again, I could probably do it in my sleep now!

I am pretty sure the fan is turning though, just after it is switched on, the fan seems to be blowing up a storm! It was so weird how it switched off immediately after deleting that driver though. Oh well, I'm sure I will get there eventually!

MBM x

poppellerant

mustbemad wrote: »

Hi, thanks again for the help.

So tomorrow I will take it apart and reseat everything again, I could probably do it in my sleep now!

I am pretty sure the fan is turning though, just after it is switched on, the fan seems to be blowing up a storm! It was so weird how it switched off immediately after deleting that driver though. Oh well, I'm sure I will get there eventually!

MBM x

While you're in there, take some photos to upload here. Ideally before you put the laptop back together, in case somebody spots something wrong.