# laptop gets super hot

## indietrash

my laptop gets insanely hot in Gentoo. not by working/compiling/computing stuff - but simply by being powered on for some time. it doesn't get this hot in Windows 7, at all.

I have installed power management and cpu frequency scaling. I have no idea what can possibly be causing this. I run my dual core cpu at 800mhz - but it gets just as hot as when I run it on 2.53ghz.

I'd appreciate any ideas/help. don't hesitate to ask for any information either. I don't know what to look for, so I don't know what information would be interesting to include.

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## wlchase

Running anything that can tell you how the fan is performing?

Bill

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## indietrash

I don't really know. I do know that it is noisy as a kamikaze, so I am assuming it is working fairly hard. it's usually more quiet in Windows 7, yet the computer is cooler.

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## wlchase

Install lm_sensors and, as root, run

```
sensors-detect
```

and let it configure your sensors. Then you can just type

```
sensors
```

and you should see info about temp and fan speed.

Also, try running "top" to see if something unsuspected is eating CPU.

Good hunting!

Bill

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## bobspencer123

 this  might be a good place to start for just general information of power management and gentoo.

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## indietrash

for the lm_sensors things, I'll have to recompile my kernel and get back to you.

as for something unexpected eating up my cpu - my cpu usage is usually around 0%. hardly ever above 10% when I'm just surfing, and/or listening to music, and/or doing light work. it only consumes cpu when I'm gaming or compiling etc.

I think that the laptop is built pretty weak, in terms of heat. when I do heavy work in Windows, it sometimes gets so hot it turns off. in Gentoo, it gets even hotter. but it doesn't turn off. (I'm not concerned about that though, because if it dies on me, it's not my fault - it's the manufacturers for sucking at manufacturing.)t

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## DirtyHairy

If it is not the CPU, then the GPU comes to mind - what kind of video hardware does this thing have?

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## wlchase

If it's not new, there's always the possibility of munge blocking good airflow.

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## indietrash

sensors output on a newly booted laptop:

```
coretemp-isa-0000

Adapter: ISA adapter

Core 0:      +35°C  (high =  +100°C)                   

coretemp-isa-0001

Adapter: ISA adapter

Core 1:      +33°C  (high =  +100°C)
```

I'm going grocery shopping etc now, so I will post the output in an hour or two. it should be right hot.

the laptop has a nVidia 9600GTM video card.

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## indietrash

```

coretemp-isa-0000

Adapter: ISA adapter

Core 0:      +46°C  (high =  +100°C)                   

coretemp-isa-0001

Adapter: ISA adapter

Core 1:      +46°C  (high =  +100°C)    
```

right now the computer has been on for a while. using about 200mb ram and 0% cpu at 800mhz. it's c.a. as hot as it gets during gaming in Windows. I'll post temperatures for when I run a game at 2.53ghz later.

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## mr.sande

Have you checked the temperatures of the GPU? As stated above the GPU might be the culprit. On most laptops the CPU and the GPU share the heat-sink and exhaust fan. So if the GPU gets very hot it can also make the CPU hot.

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## indietrash

how do I check the temperature of the gpu?

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## mr.sande

Uhm... That depends on what GPU you have. The specifics should be relatively easy search for.

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## indietrash

nvidia-settings has it. it says "Slowdown Threshold: 105", and "Core Temperature: 69". I don't know if that's considered hot or not. all I know is that the laptop is fairly hot as I'm writing this. especially considering all I'm doing is... writing this and listening to music. I'm using about 10% cpu at 800mhz, but if I put it to 2.53ghz, it will drop to 0-5%. it's 47 degrees.

so I'm assuming the problem lies with the gpu? I'll try running Dragon Age or something, and see what happens to the temperatures.

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## indietrash

I've run Dragon Age for about five minutes. not nearly enough for the laptop to make it to its hottest point, but hot enough to make a point, I hope.

the cpu jumps between 1.6ghz and 2.53ghz, with a total usage between 60 and 90. it's about 70 degrees. the gpu is in the top half of the 80s.

I also noticed that the cpu dropped down to 50 degrees the moment I quit Dragon Age. it's down to 47 degrees now. the gpu stayed at 80-ish degrees for quite the time. now it's down to 72, and I expect it to be down to c.a. 69 fairly soon.

if I'd run the game for any longer, I expect that I'd seen far more severe temperatures, but I do not have the time for this right now. might do it tomorrow, if required.

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## wlchase

Sensors doesn't show you anything about fan speeds? 

Bill

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## mr.sande

Do you have Coolbits enabled in xorg.conf? That could explain some of the heat generation as it will overclock the graphics.

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## indietrash

 *wlchase wrote:*   

> Sensors doesn't show you anything about fan speeds? 
> 
> Bill

 

no.

 *mr.sande wrote:*   

> Do you have Coolbits enabled in xorg.conf? That could explain some of the heat generation as it will overclock the graphics.

 

no.

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## DaggyStyle

 *wlchase wrote:*   

> Sensors doesn't show you anything about fan speeds? 
> 
> Bill

 

that is usual with laptops.

never had a laptop that showed the fans

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## mikegpitt

 *indietrash wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> 
> coretemp-isa-0000
> ...

 These temps don't strike me as very hot...  what is the usual idle temp in Windows?

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## indietrash

I have no idea. I don't use it very often. but when I use it I can guarantee that it's much cooler. Gentoo gets ridiculously hot. especially when gaming.

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## indietrash

after Dragon Age for a substantial amount of time, my cpu temp was up to 90-ish, and the gpu at 105+! the laptop was insanely hot.

now, hours (2+) later, it's still really hot (way above "normal", i.e. pleasant) - but the cpu and gpu are down to normal temperatures (45-ish and 60-ish); thus something else must be creating the heat now.

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## DaggyStyle

 *indietrash wrote:*   

> after Dragon Age for a substantial amount of time, my cpu temp was up to 90-ish, and the gpu at 105+! the laptop was insanely hot.
> 
> now, hours (2+) later, it's still really hot (way above "normal", i.e. pleasant) - but the cpu and gpu are down to normal temperatures (45-ish and 60-ish); thus something else must be creating the heat now.

 

try hddtemp to check the hd

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## indietrash

it's 46 degrees (roughly the same as the cpu) now. I'm going to play some Dragon Age now, so I'll get the temperature in an hour or so.

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## indietrash

been gaming or quite a while now, and it's 41 degrees - which is actually less than it was when I wasn't gaming, consequently ruling the hdd out of the question.

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## DaggyStyle

 *indietrash wrote:*   

> been gaming or quite a while now, and it's 41 degrees - which is actually less than it was when I wasn't gaming, consequently ruling the hdd out of the question.

 

not sure if you can even check but what about the mb?

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## dE_logics

I heard these problems very frequently in Linux in general.

Why not just use another OS for trial?

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## indietrash

 *DaggyStyle wrote:*   

> 
> 
> not sure if you can even check but what about the mb?

 

only the CPU shows up in the sensors output, so I'm guessing I can't check it.

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## DaggyStyle

 *indietrash wrote:*   

>  *DaggyStyle wrote:*   
> 
> not sure if you can even check but what about the mb? 
> 
> only the CPU shows up in the sensors output, so I'm guessing I can't check it.

 

I think it is time for the computer doc. take it to the lab

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