T430 Overheating

[babysheegoth]

I've been wtching youtube on this for at least 15 minutes and I get this reading from System Reports. I started a reddit thread on this. I redid the thermal paste and it didn't seem to make a difference. Any other areas I should look into to address this?

Sensors:

System Temperatures: cpu: 91.0 C mobo: N/A

Fan Speeds (RPM): fan-1: 4418

https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... ?context=3

[axur-delmeria]

You're using a 45W processor on a laptop whose CPU cooler is designed to handle 35w processors. You should have expected overheating issues.

What you can do:

* Disable Turbo Boost (reduces power consumption, heat output, and performance)

* use better thermal interface material (PTM 7950 phase-change pad) or use liquid metal (research and consider the risks beforehand)

* upgrade the CPU cooler: some buy the CPU cooler for the T430 variant with nVidia graphics as it has another heatpipe (better heat transfer capacity) or modify the existing cooler

* replace the CPU with a 35w quad-core like the i7-3612QM or 3632QM

[babysheegoth]

Oh wow, forget which list I read that made me buy that one.

[babysheegoth]

You're using a 45W processor on a laptop whose CPU cooler is designed to handle 35w processors. You should have expected overheating issues.

What you can do:

* Disable Turbo Boost (reduces power consumption, heat output, and performance)

* use better thermal interface material (PTM 7950 phase-change pad) or use liquid metal (research and consider the risks beforehand)

* upgrade the CPU cooler: some buy the CPU cooler for the T430 variant with nVidia graphics as it has another heatpipe (better heat transfer capacity) or modify the existing cooler

* replace the CPU with a 35w quad-core like the i7-3612QM or 3632QM

I just replaced the one above with an Intel© Core™ i7-3632QM CPU @ 2.20GHz × 4. It just overheated and shutdown on me again while using a 2nd display while watching YouTube. I haven't done any of the other three adjustments you posted above. Is this normal?

Is there a point to having this chip if I have to potentially disable turbo?

[axur-delmeria]

Either the 3632QM is a dud (it happens), or your CPU cooler has a problem (it also happens). Processors do age--high temps definitely shortens their lifespan.

OTOH you're doing all this on a laptop that's over a decade old, well beyond its designed lifespan. Capacitors and other electronic components can go out-of-spec and cause various issues.

[babysheegoth]

Either the 3632QM is a dud (it happens), or your CPU cooler has a problem (it also happens). Processors do age--high temps definitely shortens their lifespan.

OTOH you're doing all this on a laptop that's over a decade old, well beyond its designed lifespan. Capacitors and other electronic components can go out-of-spec and cause various issues.

By "dud" you don't mean counterfeit or bootleg?

I bought it from Korea, original listing

https://www.ebay.com/itm/276145721090

I bought the laptop recently also from eBay. Only thing I noticed immediately wrong with it was a few of the keys on the keyboard weren't working so replaced with a working keyboard.

[axur-delmeria]

When I mean dud, I mean defective or malfunctioning. These are second-hand processors more than a decade old with unknown usage histories. Some of them are bound to be duds.

You said the 3632QM overheated, were you actively monitoring the CPU core temperatures at the moment it shut down, or did you just assume it overheated because of the shut down?

[babysheegoth]

When I mean dud, I mean defective or malfunctioning. These are second-hand processors more than a decade old with unknown usage histories. Some of them are bound to be duds.

You said the 3632QM overheated, were you actively monitoring the CPU core temperatures at the moment it shut down, or did you just assume it overheated because of the shut down?

After immediately booting it up again or shortly after booting it again and reenacting what I was doing before it shutdown, I noticed the cpu temperature is still rising significantly.

I can watch YouTube videos up to 720p60 and maintain a 63*C. Within literally 15 seconds of watching a 1080p YouTube vid the temperature jumped immediately to 72*C. I was able to recreate this temperature jump two time in a row. 6 minutes into watching the 1080p the temp reading is now 81*C.

While still watching the 1080p, I connect a second display and the temperature consistently jumps and maintains a minimum high 80's temp at least.

2nd trial, I can watch 720p60 youtube videos and have a second display going while maintaining temperature in the 60s.

[marlboro95]

Dunno how Mint deals with heat, whether it just shuts down or underclock so hard to say what is going on.
If you are running a 3632QM then it is rated as 35W(https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... z-bga.html), not 45W. I think a stock cooler would suffice.

[axur-delmeria]

I used an X220 until it died last year. One thing I noticed is that, as the years went on, its CPU progressively ran hotter. I tried swapping heatsinks with a spare X220 with little difference in results, and suspected that the processor was "aging" (possibly due to electromigration). No solid proof however.

Your 3632QM may be in a similar condition. In any case, if you want to continue using it (or the 3840QM), you should to everything to reduce heat output, as well as increase the heatsink's thermal capacity.

* replace heatsink with the one from the T430 variant with nVidia graphics

* disable turbo boost, or even reduce max base clock if necessary

* use better thermal paste/TIM like PTM 7950 phase-change thermal pad or liquid metal (only as a last resort)

And so forth.

[babysheegoth]

I used an X220 until it died last year. One thing I noticed is that, as the years went on, its CPU progressively ran hotter. I tried swapping heatsinks with a spare X220 with little difference in results, and suspected that the processor was "aging" (possibly due to electromigration). No solid proof however.

Your 3632QM may be in a similar condition. In any case, if you want to continue using it (or the 3840QM), you should to everything to reduce heat output, as well as increase the heatsink's thermal capacity.

* replace heatsink with the one from the T430 variant with nVidia graphics

* disable turbo boost, or even reduce max base clock if necessary

* use better thermal paste/TIM like PTM 7950 phase-change thermal pad or liquid metal (only as a last resort)

And so forth.

On ebay I'm seeing cpu's with a "A Grade" rating. Is it worth buying cpu's with this rating. I want to stretch out this machine as long as possible.

Or is it worth buying a CPU that is titled in the listing as being "New" to mitigate the chance of buying a worn down cpu?

[TPFanatic]

If they're cheap enough, I'd buy a few spares. So long as they're sold as "working," including "used", you are entitled to expect a working processor. I don't recommend skimping on this. Inaction is the enemy of progress, and money is only money. It's a 12 year old laptop, you're supposed to have fun!!!

Do not buy any CPU "for parts or not working". At least they are honest.