Advice needed - computer is repeatedly switching itself off when running media

Damn..Why did you buy this thing!
Search google about the 1525 shutting down and you will see the problems with it

Nearly all of them come back as heat related.
1 thing to check, Is the fan coming on?
Some people reporting the fan plug is dogey so it doesnt come on at all. Any problems with the keyboard/mouse?

Download this: http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/CoreTemp32.zip
Install it and keep an eye on the temps and let us know what it goes to.

I doubt it would be this but make sure you have the latest driver/software for your graphics.

Type in "device manager" in the search and load it up
Expand the "Display adapters" tab.
Right click on your item and click "update driver"
Search windows for the latest one and hopefully it should install a newer video driver.

 

(not ) funny thing is, when I bought it, someone mentioned heat issues on feedback / fan being on a lot. Trouble was it was the only vague work-looking laptop avail. I'm used to Dells, so just grabbed it

Not that I'm aware. What should I be looking for? The mouse pad is crap, I never use them away, like ever (saw one at work years ago and vowed to remove it with a garden trowel!).

Claims it's got the best driver software for the device already installed: 'Mobile Intel(R) 965 Express Chipset Family'.

Thanks for all your help so far

 

Bugger...So does the fan come on?

 

On all the time virtually. On now and it's running Outlook, CGTI and 3 other IE windows. No media.

Will run the heat monitor zip now.

 

Temps?

 

Core 0 currently 57 degrees, low is 57, high is 74. Load is 13%, varying all the time tho

Core 1 currently 60 degrees, low is 60, high is 78. Load is 8%, varying, but nothing high.

Time to feed it an HD vid?

 

What am I doing in here?

Could it be that Monsier Eyre's rough handling of the laptop in question has caused the heatsink paste between the cpu and fan to lose it's conductive properties and not cool the cpu as it should?

Or is it the modern 16v operating system that has let you down?

 

Almost certainly heat related.

Those CPU temps are pretty high Chris... I bet it's full of dust.

My PC is a core2duo but an E6700 series. To give you an idea it's currently say idle at 35 degrees CPU temp. If I fire up COD or something it goes up to 55 ish. The temperature alarms in the BIOS are set to start at 72!

 

Yep, HD movie killed it. Switched the vid off but the stress of it when just about to post here shut the machine down.

Should I air line it with a compressor? Or too rough?

Core 0 was 82, core 1 was 85 degrees.

And flicked onto 100% load on both.

I have no idea how to get into this machine btw. Had a few panels off it, but couldn't skeleton it.

 

What target temps should I be aiming for?

 

The temps are definitely whats causing the shutoff/crash - in most cases of more modern pcs/laptops, it is not so much a crash as a safety feature to stop it before more permanent damage

As an idea, I have a newish quad core AMD processor and its upper range temp wise is between 55-61 degrees celsius.

So you achieving 85 is not doing it any good at all

Is your laptop still in warranty?

If it is, I would speak to Dell about it, it's their problem, your laptop shouldnt be doing that.

If it is out of warranty you can have a go at

1.) cleaning aforementioned dust and debris that might be hindering the cooling (there will be an exit/exhaust somewhere on the lower laptop chasis, you should be able to feel if there is decent airlow from there?)

2.) open the case up and carefully gain access to the cpu/heatsink and fan. It varies from laptop to laptop, but as long as you remember where you took stuff out from you really cant go wrong, it's easy. Once you have gained access, hopefully without breaking anything - check the connection for the fan, it hasnt come loose etc? If possible, run the laptop minus the chasis so you can observe the fan in operation, everything look good?

3.) Buy some Arctic silver or similar thermal compound to begin with, then set about seperating the CPU from the heatsink/fan. Clean off the old thermal compound/gunk with a dryish cloth and some alcohol, or an alcohol wipe/swab. Put a small blob of thermal compound (between the size of a pea and a BB pellet) on the centre of the CPU - too much and it will hinder the heat transfer, too little and the compound wont spread/cover the area affected. Place the heatsink/fan back onto the CPU and apply some pressure so the thermal compound spreads out, secure the heatsink/fan as before so it doesnt move around. Test laptop operation and observe for any differences/improvements. If all is good reassemble laptop, if it's still overheating, send the laptop back to Dell smeared in dog faeces with a note attached, saying sort your cheap crap out!

Note: If the fan is fubarred, it should be possible to source a new one if outside of warranty, just need part no.s etc

Hope this helps

 

Agree with the above. However I don't really suggest to put new compound on if you don't know what you are doing even though it could do with it.

In the 80's is way too high and it's hitting the thermal cut off. My desktop is about 30-50 max on a hot day playing a game for a few hours.

I'm sure there is a website out there telling you how to take laptops apart. On a dell all the screws on the bottom have a letter so it's fairly easy.
Will have a look when I'm on a pc.

 

Did you do this? Its direct access to the CPU so it should be all you need unless you cant get to the fan that way?

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1525/en/SM/cpucool.htm#wp1179839

 

Not yet, as I'd had it apart the other week. Will take it apart later, now we know it's 100% a heat issue.

 

a few of these have had graphics chip problems

 

Managed to get this done last night. I'd had the cover off, but never the heatsink out.

Over half a centimetre of compacted dust sat between the fan enclosure and the heat sink cooling vanes!!! But hardly visible, hence I'd missed it before. Now I know what I'm looking for!

So the cores are now sitting at 40 & 42 degrees C at idle, with very little going on.

Switch on an HD vid on small screen and straight to the low 50s, pushing 60 fairly quick.

But, HD vid is not stuttering! Up to high 60s 3 mins into vid, but a vid is playing OK! Higher 60s now. Able to jump places on video, yet still not stuttering!

So if it can behave itself, remaining question has to be how to check if there is any issue with the graphics card?

 

Highs after 10 mins running are 67/71 on the two cores.

 

Those are a little higher than ideal, but should be OK (I'll check the recommended ranges on your CPU shortly).
Make sure there are clear paths for the air to get in and out of the laptop. I.e, don't put it on a pillow, and better on a table than on your lap.

I'd suggest there's nothing wrong with the graphics card if it's still running and the CPU cores are at those temps.

 

Your CPU is rated to 100*, so mid 60s/low 70s on full HD is fine.