Notebook temperatures/cooling

[eli2k]

I have a Vaio laptop/notebook that is using a desktop CPU chip instead of a mobile chip [GRV550]. I don't plan on going anywhere much with it - I'm in a college dorm right now so I'm basically using it as a desktop replacement. Is it okay to leave it on for a long time? Something like maybe 12 hours a day continuous with just the LCD/hard drives turning off - so no standby.

What is a safe temperature for the CPU so it lasts longer? I saw the temperature was at 150 degrees F when the CPU was maxed out (eg during games or loaded a large program). Then normally it's about 130 degrees F and right now I have a fan sitting next to it so it helps keep the temperature at 110 to 120 degrees F. What's a good temperature for it?

I was planning to get one of those laptop cooling pads - with a few fans on the bottom. Do those things work? Or should I just stick with what I have and even forget about putting the fan next to the laptop? Someone told me to put stuff under the notebook so you can get more airflow thru the bottom.

Thanks.
-Eli

-Eli

 

[RaPTuRe]

It is perfectly safe. It is even ok to leave it on all day. You shouldn't worry about the temperature, of course the higher it is, the lower the lifespan of your notebook, but it will be long since outdated before it dies. All notebook CPUs since the Pentium 3-m have had excellent thermal management. If your CPU does approach a very high temperature (say you are running Seti or something), then the CPU will first set all your fans to maximum, if the temperature still rises, it will step down to its lower power mode (i.e. SpeedStep on Intel CPUs, PowerMizer on AMD), if the temperature continues to rise, the CPU will give itself wait states (effectively halving the speed as it does nothing for an entire clock cycle). In the unlikely event that the temperature carries on rising (e.g. you put your computer in the oven or left the hair dryer on it ), then it will switch itself off.

For the record, The Intel Pentium 4 can withstand a maximum junction temperature of 135'C, but most notebooks switch off around 85'C - 90'C.

A good temperature for the CPU is about 40 - 60'C. If it gets to mid 70s, then you can start to worry.

More airflow under the chassis is a good idea, but not mandatory - and personally i think those notebook cooling devices are a bit of a waste, I mean sure if you need them well fine, but from what you've said, you don't need them.

Would you mind posting your system specs?

RaPTuRe

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?

 

[eli2k]

The problem is it's running on a 2.4 ghz desktop CPU so it won't speedstep down. The LCD is 16 inches, 30 GB hard drive, ATI mobility 7500c. That's about it. I took the battery out. I hope those wait states work

What's a junction temperature?

-Eli

 

[RaPTuRe]

They do, and the Desktop Pentium 4 processor uses 'clock throttling' the same way as it would on a desktop computer.

Junction temperature is the exact temperature in the microns between the gates in the processor's die.

RaPTuRe

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?

 

[eli2k]

Ah I see, thanks. Is there a place to read up on these methods the chip uses to prevent itself from overheating?

-Eli

 

[RaPTuRe]

I got a lot of my information from Intel, but otherwise i just found out by searching the web, and actual hands-on experience.

RaPTuRe

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?

 

[jmecor]

let me see.
forums sites, web researches, and experience/learning.

<b><font color=purple>
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind.
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<A HREF="http://www.mapua.edu.ph/" target="_new">
MIT
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[jmecor]

'clock throttling'

that sounds new and wierd.

<b><font color=purple>
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind.
</font color=purple></b>
---
<A HREF="http://www.mapua.edu.ph/" target="_new">
MIT
</A>