Overheating 17" Vortex4 (p170sm 780m)

[luckyluca]

My Vortex4 has been plagued by overheating for a very long time and upon researching, it seems like other users with similar issues had them solved by replacing the GPU heatsink, on top of repasting.

This applies to both CPU and GPU, with CPU idling at 51C and reaching 95C upon heavy load, GPU idling at 70C and reaching 94C under heavy load.

It seems as if the heatsinks have been revised and the new heatsink would help reducing overheating, according to some people on another forum.
Upon checking, my laptop came with the original heatsink on both GPU and CPU, model number ending in 1 rather than 2
(GPU: 6-31-P15SN-201 CPU:6-31-P15SN-101).

my GPU heatsink as in the picture below:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/20130922_103720-jpg.102279/

new GPU heatsink:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/20130922_103849-jpg.102278/

The question is, would it help overheating to also replace the CPU heatsink, considering the model revision?

To recap: I'm planning to repaste and replace thermalpads, add custom taller feet under the laptop, and likely upgrade the GPU heatsink, but I am not sure about the CPU heatsink as both models look the same from pictures.

Please let me know your thoughts

Kind Regards
Luca Zappala

 

[SpyderTracks]

Wow, those GPU temps are crazy high!

I’ve got the same chassis, but with the later 870m, so perhaps mine has the renewed heatsink. Mine certainly does not suffer from the same thermal issues.

Just wondering, have you repasted since you bought it?

 

[SpyderTracks]

In case you need somewhere to source parts, try Eurocom:

CLEVO P170SMA / SAGER NP8278 Upgrade

EUROCOM Fully configurable and upgradeable Desktop Replacement Notebooks, mobile workstations, mobile servers and Portable LCD PC systems. Our products are engineered for quality, performance, long-term stability and serviceability. Eurocom Corporation is based on the philosophy that the...

eurocom.com

 

[luckyluca]

thanks, yes a few times over 7 years.

I'm even thinking perhaps I could get a new gpu as well as heatsinks, maybe a 1060m or 1070m if suitable.

I'd love to find out more, thanks for your help

 

[SpyderTracks]

thanks, yes a few times over 7 years.

I'm even thinking perhaps I could get a new gpu as well as heatsinks, maybe a 1060m or 1070m if suitable.

I'd love to find out more, thanks for your help

It may be worth contacting eurocom to get their advice, their an official clevo parts seller for Europe and they’ll probably be more familiar with the issue.

 

[lousmaczylo]

Hi
oddly enough I had exactly the same problem with temps on my Defiance III. Temps were going up to 95/98 degrees. I managed to source a new from aliexpress and I installed it today. My temps dropped instantly I'm now getting 65-70 degrees on constant load. After installing the new fans I took the old fans apart and was able to clean them. Muck Muck Muck they were disgusting no wonder my laptop was over heating, it just could not breath. I now have a spare heatsink!

 

[luckyluca]

Great, glad you sorted yours.

I ended up ordering a CPU and GPU heatsink replacements, but could only source second hand.
I received both the GPU and CPU heatsink replacements. The GPU one looks fine and will replace ASAP.

The CPU heatsink, the copper looks aged and stained. See picture attached. Do you think would this in any way affect the copper heating characteristics?
Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol doesn't help.

Many thanks
L

 

[SpyderTracks]

Great, glad you sorted yours.

I ended up ordering a CPU and GPU heatsink replacements, but could only source second hand.
I received both the GPU and CPU heatsink replacements. The GPU one looks fine and will replace ASAP.

The CPU heatsink, the copper looks aged and stained. See picture attached. Do you think would this in any way affect the copper heating characteristics?
Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol doesn't help.
View attachment 18430

Many thanks
L

You didn’t go for eurocom?

 

[luckyluca]

no, prices are prohibitive, between x3 and x5 higher than other sources.

Also did contact eurocom but they didn't get back to me.

 

[SpyderTracks]

no, prices are prohibitive, between x3 and x5 higher than other sources.

Also did contact eurocom but they didn't get back to me.

If there are marks like that that isopropyl won't get rid of, it suggests corrosion, possibly by liquid metal, but even if that is the case, it shouldn't reduce thermal conductivity I don't think.

Source: https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/...cts-copper-nickel-and-aluminum-corrosion-test

 

[luckyluca]

thanks, i'll give it a go and see if temps improve at all.

 

[SpyderTracks]

thanks, i'll give it a go and see if temps improve at all.

All the best, am intrigued by this, fingers crossed for you!

 

[luckyluca]

Update. I replaced both the GPU and CPU heatsinks, repasted with brand new mx4 and replaced the old CPU thermal pad.
What do you think of the temps below?

Ultimately, what are your thoughts about being able to extend the life of this 7 years old laptop a few more years?
Also could it simply be that the GPU and to some extent CPU simply overheat more with age?

Results:
GPU idle: drop of 13C from 65 down to 52 (43 on battery)

GPU kombustion burn-in: drop of 4C from 97 to 93

Please note when repasting the GPU, I noticed a couple of years ago I forgot to reinstall all thermal pads and only used MX4 to create a poor man's bridge between the heatsink and the chips. Horrible I know.
The large black chips are cleaned but remain a little stained as if MX4 had been absorbed. Wiping isopropyl alcohol helped but I have the feeling it's corroding the black chips so I didn't clean the chips clean. The actual GPU die is perfect. So heatsink v202 with new thermal pads is now installed.
The other option is getting hold of an imported 980m for 200$, or 1060 which according to Eurocom does not require modding the heatsink and I would prefer, but Eurocom prices at $580 are prohibitive.


CPU idle: no noticeable difference, idle at around 39-42

CPU heavy load using prime95: Drop of 2-3C from 97 down to 94.

I suppose the revised heatsink is not helping much here, or perhaps the copper stain isn't helping, who knows.


Lastly the other thing I haven't tried is replacing the old fans. They spin and can feel hot air coming out. They seem to be working fine.
I cleaned them with cotton wools, they look clean now.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Update. I replaced both the GPU and CPU heatsinks, repasted with brand new mx4 and replaced the old CPU thermal pad.
What do you think of the temps below?

Ultimately, what are your thoughts about being able to extend the life of this 7 years old laptop a few more years?
Also could it simply be that the GPU and to some extent CPU simply overheat more with age?

Results:
GPU idle
drop of 12C from 65 down to 53 (it actually boots and stays at 43 but slowly increases over 20-30 mins to 53).

GPU kombustion burn-in
drop of 4C from 97 to 93

Please note when repasting the GPU, I noticed a couple of years ago I forgot to reinstall all thermal pads and only used MX4 to create a poor man's bridge between the heatsink and the chips. Horrible I know.
The large black chips are cleaned but remain a little stained as if MX4 had been absorbed. Wiping isopropyl alcohol helped but I have the feeling it's corroding the black chips so I didn't clean the chips clean. The actual GPU die is perfect. So heatsink v202 with new thermal pads is now installed.
The other option is getting hold of an imported 980m for 200$, or 1060 which according to Eurocom does not require modding the heatsink and I would prefer, but Eurocom prices at $580 are prohibitive.


CPU idle
no noticeable difference, idle at around 39-42

CPU heavy load using prime95
Drop of 2-3C from 97 down to 94.

I suppose the revised heatsink is not helping much here, or perhaps the copper stain isn't helping, who knows.

Lastly the other thing I haven't tried is replacing the old fans. They spin and can feel hot air coming out. They seem to be working fine.
I cleaned them with cotton wools, they look clean now.

I have the same chassis and under load my CPU maxes out in high 80’s and GPU around mid 80’s.

There’s something not right there. The fans are definitely running properly and cleaned out of dust?

 

[luckyluca]

yes, and fans should work fine, but don't really know. But I would find it odd that both would work but not at 100%.

Could it be aging cpu and gpu?
I have an i7 4800mq and 780m that are 7 years old and haven't repasted or cleaned the heatsinks as often as I wished.

If you wanted to test it, you should set the cpu to max performance (2.7ghz) but no turbo, run on power and run prime95 and see after 5-10mins where temps are at. to be fair under normal operation cpu runs cooler than that.

Oh I'm using the premamod v2 bios.

What are your idle temps after 5mins?

 

[ubuysa]

yes, and fans should work fine, but don't really know. But I would find it odd that both would work but not at 100%.

Could it be aging cpu and gpu?
I have an i7 4800mq and 780m that are 7 years old and haven't repasted or cleaned the heatsinks as often as I wished.

If you wanted to test it, you should set the cpu to max performance (2.7ghz) but no turbo, run on power and run prime95 and see after 5-10mins where temps are at. to be fair under normal operation cpu runs cooler than that.

Oh I'm using the premamod v2 bios.

What are your idle temps after 5mins?

That's perfectly fine for your out of warranty computers but anyone with any warranty left on their PCS build will immediately void it if they install a non-standard BIOS (or any BIOS without PCS's agreement).

 

[luckyluca]

Yes, it makes sense, however PCS bios was an older revision and doesn't allow granular control.
I've actually been juggling both, and am reverting to the stock one from PCS right now to see if it has an impact at all on temps.

 

[luckyluca]

No improvement, as expected, but i'll keep the stock bios.

Hi
oddly enough I had exactly the same problem with temps on my Defiance III. Temps were going up to 95/98 degrees. I managed to source a new from aliexpress and I installed it today. My temps dropped instantly I'm now getting 65-70 degrees on constant load. After installing the new fans I took the old fans apart and was able to clean them. Muck Muck Muck they were disgusting no wonder my laptop was over heating, it just could not breath. I now have a spare heatsink!

How did you get such drop in temps?!?
that's amazing.
Did you order new heatsinks and fans, and both gpu and cpu but only installed new fans?
Do you still have the new heatsink?

Thanks!