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M9750 Temperatures - Diagnosing the problem

post #1 of 6
Thread Starter 
I am concerned about my Area 51 m9750's operating temperatures. The application I use to check my machine's temperatures Speed Fan, shows that its CPU and GPU temperatures are rather high. I am worried that, should this issue be left unaddressed, my system could become damaged.

Both CPU's (C2D T7400) idle at 67-68 degrees Celsius. Under a heavy load (i.e. wPrime), the temperature stabilizes at 77-78 degrees Celsius. When I first got the machine 19 months ago, the CPU idled at around 45-48 degrees Celsius: much lower than it is now.

The GPU idles at around 70 degrees Celsius, and when gaming the temperature rises in the 80s, give or take a bit depending on the game.

Fan Behavior
When the computer is idling, the fans are either off or extremely quiet. It is only when the CPU is placed under stress that the fans turn on and that I can feel the hot air coming out the two rear ventilation grills.

Other Information
I spray the ventilation grills with compressed air about once a month to expel dust buildup. On occasion, I wipe the LCD screen with cleaning wipes made for that purpose, as well as clean the keyboard and the rest of the chassis. Not too long ago I unscrewed the panel on the bottom of the laptop and removed any dirt/grime from the fan directly. In short, it doesn't seem likely that the issue is due to a buildup of dust.

Also, I do not use the machine on my lap; it is only used on flat surfaces. If I am at home, I use an aluminum notebook cooler/stand for maximum ventilation.

Finally, I'm not sure if it makes a difference, but I shut down the computer every night to give it some rest.

The strangest part is that the machine has been running smoothly (i.e. haven't gotten a blue screen in over a month), and it doesn't even feel hot. Without Speed Fan, I might not have known that the temperatures were anything out of the ordinary.

Specifically, my question is...
What should I do? Is there any way to set my fans to turn on even when the computer is idling? (I know the fans work, otherwise the system under full load wouldn't only be 10 degrees hotter than the temperature when idle)

Or should I not worry about the issue until my system starts gives me problems?

None of the above?

Thank you very much for reading. I know it is a lengthy post, but by providing thorough information I hope that I can receive an adequate solution.
post #2 of 6
I have never had my m9750 idle around 45 degrees... as soon as i boot up the CPU will be around 50 degrees but after internet use etc it stays around 60 degrees... when gaming my CPU will go to about 65 degrees.... the GPU will hit around 75 degrees while gaming...if you wanted to you could apply thermal grease to your CPU and GPU...

when measuring my temps I use notebookhardwarecontrol for CPU
and ATITOOL for GPU temps....

When i am using Speedfan it shows my GPU running at 70 degrees which its not...i use ATItool and it shows 60 degrees..
Speedfan shows my CPU as 57 degrees and my Notebookhardwarecontrol shows 59 degrees....
I am seeing a difference in temp readings between XP and the new Windows 7 OS
post #3 of 6
Thread Starter 
60 degrees and 68 degrees is still a pretty big difference.

Would underclocking my CPU be advisable?
post #4 of 6
you shouldnt have to underclock you CPU you just need to reapply the thermal grease and replace the heatsinks this should solve your heating problems... the heat pads over time dry out and start cracking and your temps will increase...
post #5 of 6
Thread Starter 
That sounds logical. However, I'm not quite sure how to and where to apply thermal grease. Do you happen to have a link to a reliable, instructive guide for that procedure?

Also, could this potentially void my warranty?

Thanks for the assistance, littlefrankus.
post #6 of 6
if you are under warranty alienware can walk u through the process let me find the article that someone posted awhile back for the m9700 but its pretty much the same process just the heatsink are different shape....

here it is:


This is what you will need to reapply thermal grease:

and a raze blade and a paper towel....
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