Things were getting HOT!

[GreyGeek]

I've been running a Minecraft server on this Acer V3-771G so that my grandsons could log in and play. I ran the client on this machine as well.

Over the months I had been noticing that the temp was getting higher and higher. The i7-3610QM CPU has a max temp of 105C or 221F.
With both the server and the client running the temp was hitting 210-215F. What concerned me more was that the idle temp with no apps running gradually climbed to around 140-145F.

I was using a laptop triangle support that maximizes air flow to the bottem intake vents. I decided to take more drastic measures. I purchased a can of pressurized gas (DiFlouro-ethane) and blew out the innerds by blasting the gas into the exhaust ports. A cloud of dust appeared. I continued using the gas on both the input and output ports until no dust particles at all were observed.

As I set here and write this my temp has been idling around 110-113F. I haven't seen those temps in over a year. Minecraft now maxes out around 165-170F.

Life is good!

[tek_heretik]

Yep, 9 times out of 10 it's a thermal issue caused by globs in/on heatsinks/fan blades, lol. It's my firm belief there is a dust-bunny over-lord running around somewhere, it's a conspiracy, lol, *adjusts tinfoil hat*.

[whatthefunk]

I should really do that to this old laptop too. Theres 10 years of dust inside it

[richb]

Good tip. I am leery of auxiliary fans in a laptop support. Never sure if the laptop exhaust ports and the support exhaust ports are optimally positioned relative to each other for proper cooling.

[life0riley]

I've seen some poorly designed laptops. My brother in-law dropped one of his kid's laptops off at my house for me to look at a few years ago. It was getting hot and kept shutting down. The geniuses at the computer store told them it was dead and they needed to buy a new one. I used some canned air on it and blew out some giant dust bunnies. The vents on the laptop seemed completely inadequate and there was almost zero clearance for air circulation on the bottom. I replaced the foot pads on the bottom to increase the airflow to the vents. They are still using that old laptop.

[SteveRiley]

pressurized gas (diflouro-ethane)

Mmmm, C₂H₄F₂. Not so great for escaping reality, but still an effective flame thrower when held upside down next to a lit match

[tek_heretik]

Mmmm, C₂H₄F₂. Not so great for escaping reality, but still an effective flame thrower when held upside down next to a lit match

Or one could turn ones' self upside down and hold that match to some methane expulsion, lol.

[jlittle]

Mmmm, C₂H₄F₂. Not so great for escaping reality, but still an effective flame thrower when held upside down next to a lit match

Nah, more of a blowtorch; you want a spray lubricant like WD40 for a flame thrower effect (well, not really, but it looks like it).

Regards, John Little