More heat over time?

Wedge · **Posted:** Sat Aug 30, 2008 2:25 pm

I have a Gateway laptop model MX3215. It is only 2 1/2 years old. This may sound silly (i'm not sure, that's why i am asking), but i swear that this thing gets far hotter than it used to.

The only hardware issue I have encountered is with the build-in WiFi. It quit working some time ago and the quickest and cheapest solution was to insert a wireless network card in the expansion slot.

I don't know if this is contributing a great deal to the laptop's temperature, but I am completely puzzled as to why this laptop gets too hot to sit on my lap without a buffer of some sort. It was not like this 2 1/2 years ago during it's "new" phase.

So do laptops get hotter over time? Is this a recognized phenomenon with laptops, or is it likely a specific hardware issue at hand?

p.s. (the fan runs constantly these days - this wasn't always the case).

nici · **Posted:** Sat Aug 30, 2008 3:50 pm

It's very likely that there's dust accumulated inside the system, which does not help heat transfer and so would lead to higher temps. If you can't open the system, you could try carefully blowing some of the dust away with pressurised air. I can't really think of any other reason for this than dust.

m0002a · **Posted:** Sat Aug 30, 2008 6:24 pm

It could be the software relating to the wireless network card. It may be preventing the system from running in Cool n Quiet mode (or what ever the Intel equivilent is).

I would look at a CPU monitor (and other monitors such as the performance monitor in the Windows Task Manager) to see what your CPU % used is and what processes are using the most CPU.

cloneman · **Joined:** Sat May 21, 2005 9:48 am **Posts:** 433

definitely dust. I blew compressed air on my rear vents and my temps dropped by 25 degrees C!!!

SebRad · **Posted:** Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:56 am

Hi, Iâ€™m with the dust explanation too. i find just blowing in the exhaust vents can release a lot of dust. Other thing I've seen in laptops is fluff where they are often on laps etc with the intake vent on the bottom sucking dust, fluff etc. Removing fluff usually means taking thing apart. Often you can get just the fan or heatsink out without too much difficulty and find a layer of fluff all across the heatsink fins.
Another explanation is the "progress" of software demands much more CPU power/time than it used to. In past you opened a web page and the CPU was idle while you read it. Now all the banners and adds around a page can take a significant amount of CPU power all the time!
Good luck, Seb

ovo · **Posted:** Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:07 pm

this is a really old topic but is still an answer Im trying to find, I have a macbook thats about 4 years old and it was getting really hot and noisy, it used to be cool and silent for about the first year.

taking it apart and cleaning it out and even re applying thermal grease didnt change anything, I even use arctic silver 5 on it.

what else could be making it so hot?

NeilBlanchard · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:46 am

A clarification: it is the *temperatures* that are increasing over time, and not the heat.

Trav1s · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:26 am

ovo wrote:

this is a really old topic but is still an answer Im trying to find, I have a macbook thats about 4 years old and it was getting really hot and noisy, it used to be cool and silent for about the first year.

taking it apart and cleaning it out and even re applying thermal grease didnt change anything, I even use arctic silver 5 on it.

what else could be making it so hot?

I would suggest looking into the applications that auto load on start-up. While not as bad as a PC a Mac can suffer the same start-up overload. The extra programs load the processor and it produces more heat. I don't remember how to do it without a mac in front of me. I will try to remember to post something later. If I forget please remind me :oops:

ovo · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2011 7:52 am

Trav1s wrote:

ovo wrote:

this is a really old topic but is still an answer Im trying to find, I have a macbook thats about 4 years old and it was getting really hot and noisy, it used to be cool and silent for about the first year.

taking it apart and cleaning it out and even re applying thermal grease didnt change anything, I even use arctic silver 5 on it.

what else could be making it so hot?

I would suggest looking into the applications that auto load on start-up. While not as bad as a PC a Mac can suffer the same start-up overload. The extra programs load the processor and it produces more heat. I don't remember how to do it without a mac in front of me. I will try to remember to post something later. If I forget please remind me :oops:

Im pretty sure its a hardware problem as it happens even after a clean install

Its common, I have a few friends with various macbook models and after about a year of use they just start to run hotter and the fans spin up under less load more often.

Im really stumped as to how this happens even with a clean out and new thermal paste but Im also surprised not to read more posts about it on the net.

Trav1s · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:04 am

Which model do you have? Got Applecare?

ovo · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:18 pm

Trav1s wrote:

Which model do you have? Got Applecare?

2.4 ghz core 2 santarosa

Its 4 years old so no care gona happen here.

Apple would just say its operating with in safe limits which is true, I just remember how cool an quiet it was unless under heavy load when new.

Its always over 40 c and regularly idle's at over 50 c.

On a warm day sometimes I dont want to use it because I know it will break me into a sweat, as I am coming to believe that all laptops do this in the end I want to find out what the cause is so I can either fix it or just accept this and arrange to just up grade regularly. I hate the idea of just buying a new machine every year like a good little consumer as Im quite attached to my macbook, Ive thrashed it everyday for over 4 years and its never let me down, anyone who says they are over priced doesnt understand what 'value' means IMO.

Tho I am about to buy a new one the problem still needs an answer as I bet money that after a year it will show signs of the same thing.

ces · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2011 6:22 pm

ovo wrote:

Trav1s wrote:

Which model do you have? Got Applecare?

2.4 ghz core 2 santarosa, Its 4 years old so no care gona happen here.

Apple would just say its operating with in safe limits which is true, I just remember how cool an quiet it was unless under heavy load when new. Its always over 40 c and regularly idle's at over 50 c.

On a warm day sometimes I dont want to use it because I know it will break me into a sweat, as I am coming to believe that all laptops do this in the end I want to find out what the cause is so I can either fix it or just accept this and arrange to just up grade regularly. I hate the idea of just buying a new machine every year like a good little consumer as Im quite attached to my macbook, Ive thrashed it everyday for over 4 years and its never let me down, anyone who says they are over priced doesnt understand what 'value' means IMO.

Tho I am about to buy a new one the problem still needs an answer as I bet money that after a year it will show signs of the same thing.

Seems to me it can only be one or a combination of the following:
1. accumulation of dust
2. reduction of TIM compound efficiency over time and use
3. greater load on the cpu from more programs running
4. slow degradation of the connections throughout the board over time and use
5. Fan getting louder as a result of wear

Seems to me there can be no other explanation.

EDIT

NeilBlanchard wrote:

Or, the temperature sensor is now wonky?

NeilBlanchard · **Posted:** Sun Mar 20, 2011 6:32 pm

Or, the temperature sensor is now wonky?

jbw · **Posted:** Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:30 am

+1 for going beyond just blowing dust out of the vents. I'd take the keyboard off and make sure you clear the entire cooling path.

I had a Dell Latitude D600 that was overheating. After four years, a "wall" of dust had formed near the fan that was so thick that I thought it was a piece of foam rubber at first. A dust blaster wasn't going to get rid of that and, at worst, would have just spread the dust around the inside of the chassis.

Get out your mini screwdriver set and give your laptop a thorough "under the hood" cleaning.

TravisT · **Joined:** Tue May 17, 2011 7:30 am **Posts:** 4

I have a Macbook Pro that is about 4 years old and it gets really hot. It's average temperature is about 50 degree celsius but if I run Skype or other video software like YouTube, it will get really hot. I installed a fan control software that monitors the temps and I can increase the fan speed if I use Skype to keep it somewhat cool. Do you have a plastic case or an aluminum case Macbook? I know my Pro has the aluminum case and it gets hot because part of its function is to pull the heat from the inside to help cool it. I'd still like to get a cooling pad for it. Does hhgregg sell laptop cooling pads? I know they have computers.

More heat over time?

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