Laptop CPU is overheating?

[azairastorm]

Bought a new laptop - Sager NP8851, i7-8750h, Nvidia 1070mq, stock thermal paste.
Under light load, up to 10-25% usage, the cpu temp ranges from 60s to 70s.
What worries me, however, is that HWMonitor shows it at about 60% usage, my cpu shot up to 95c, even with plenty of ventilation running underneath.

Thankfully I haven't been capable of recreating that scenario. I actually tried to underclock my cpu slightly(around 5%) using Intel's Tuner Utility, despite stating my cpu isn't supported. I don't know if it worked or not - the program says it didn't - but it's been staying in the 80's under short-term stress.

I was wondering if this is normal for this CPU? What can I do differently to keep it cooler?

 

[Blas]

See this review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sager-np8156-gaming-laptop,4954-5.html
It's not the exact same model as yours, but same make: check the temperature review, apparently the CPU is not well cooled on that laptop. It's a design problem, as far as can be told, so there's little you could do. Maybe you could try using one of those laptop coolers/stands?

 

[azairastorm]

Thank you

I guess the most I could do is reduce the core multiplier, since Intel's software doesn't want me messing with the voltage. 10% on each should keep it below 90c, I hope. It's a powerful cpu, and I haven't needed the full power yet, so I doubt it will affect what I use it for too much. The only other thing I can think of is reapplying the heat sink, but using a different thermal paste would only alter it by a couple degrees at most, right? I don't see that helping much.

 

[Blas]

You could try re-sitting the cooler and re-applying thermal paste, but as you say, at most it will help shave a few degrees, it won't really change the deal...

 

[azairastorm]

Intel released a new version of the Tuning Utility. While it does not support my cpu, it does make the alterations a bit more stable - my voltage seems to save now. I haven't had it hit 90c while playing games again either, even though I had only lowered the multiplier up to this point, so I am a bit happy for that. With a permanent voltage change, I'm hoping that the temperature stays lower, since it's a bit of a pain when the laptop gets too hot to touch(in one corner) sometimes. Running the stress test for five minutes brings my cpu temp to 80c, and I'm hoping it doesn't go over 85c anymore.

CPU: i7-8750h
Motherboard: P95xER (U3E1)
CPU Voltage: 0.667 to 1.190ish(Default)
CPU Voltage Offset: -0.060v(alt)
CPU Bus Speed/Multiplier: 100MHz
Clock Speed: ax22(Default)
Clock Speed Offset: x20(alt)
Turbo Clock Speed: (x41x40x39)x2(Default)
Turbo Clock Speed Offset: x37(alt)
Turbo Boost Short Power Max: 68.000w
Turbo Boost Power Max: 45.000w


While I can change the core multipliers, and the voltage finally seems to keep(though constantly wanting to change back in the utility), I don't think I can alter much anything else. Nor do I really know what else I can alter safely, since this is my first time truly reclocking my hardware.

I believe it's the voltage that causes the most heat, so I was wondering if there is any safe alteration to what I have done that would allow me to keep the power of my cpu while still reducing heat?

 

[Blas]

The platform is not meant to be over(or under)clocked, i don't think you can tweak the voltages. That would indeed reduce heat the most (the heat depends on the voltage squared, so every reduction in voltage sees its effect on temps squared).

 

[azairastorm]

The voltage tweaks may not save(still need to check, but they probably don't), but they have shown up in HWMonitor. The max voltage goes up to something around 1.231 right now, but I had it maxing out at about 1.130 last night. The issue in this instance is possibly incompatible software, since the utility doesn't technically support my cpu.

 

[azairastorm]

I have found a script designed to undervolt(no underclock) through XTU, and set it to happen every time I start up or log in.
With an offset of -125(-0.128) being stable(for me, at least), my machine now runs up to 10c cooler!
Throttlestop may do this too, and have more options, but it seems to require being minimized on the desktop - which I personally don't like.

 

[shmoochie]

A lot of laptops have issues with the heatsinks not making proper contact with various die on the mobo so they use thermal pads instead of paste. Make sure they are making proper contact. Underclocking is always good, but I significantly reduced my temps (like 30C on the gpu and cpu) by replacing the TIM with liquid metal and the thermal pads with higher quality material, and I also added some copper shims to replace thermal pads. The copper shims are there because sometimes the heatsink sits so far away that some of the die barely even made contact with thermal pads. If you do decide to do this, it is important to know that it is very high risk in laptops. For me, 30C was worth it because my laptop throttled so damn hard.

 

[azairastorm]

I wouldn't have a clue what I would need, or even what would fit in my laptop.

I have some Arctic MX-4, but I doubt I would do anything beyond replacing the TIM. Even that I'm holding off on. I've only done it once, and only because I had to replace my previous laptop's entire outer casing. Although I believe it needed to be replaced anyways, since it's idle temps dropped about 15c afterwards - I think it had IC Diamond, which I didn't order with this laptop. Pretty sure I scratched the heck out of my previous laptop's cpu when changing it out, which doesn't help my confidence in this area.

 

[shmoochie]

Yeah, there is no reason to go all-out if you are satisfied with the temps now. Keeping it in the low 80's while under load is definitely fine for a laptop. If you do decide to change the paste, then just watch some assembly/disassembly videos so you feel more comfortable.