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Overheating in Dell Vostro 3405 U: Seeking Guidance on Cooling Pad vs. Dell Service Center Assistance
Vostro 3405
Hello,
I'm currently experiencing persistent overheating problems with my Dell Vostro 3405 U. Although the issue was present from the laptop's initial use, it has escalated to the point of spontaneous shutdowns. I conducted thorough hardware tests using SupportAssist, including a preboot check, but no issues were detected. During periods of high temperature and loud fan activity, a specific error message surfaced: "One or more thermal sensors not in range."
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the proximity of the laptop's fan outlet and inlet vents may be contributing to the problem. When placed on a flat surface, the intake vent appears to draw air from the outlet vent, exacerbating the overheating. Interestingly, I found that the issue intensifies when the laptop is connected to the charger and positioned on a level table. However, elevating the laptop to improve ventilation resolves the problem and eliminates the error.
I want to emphasize that I'm using an authentic charger, and my laptop is no longer under warranty. The fans are functioning properly, and there is no dust accumulation. Based on my analysis, the primary issue seems to be related to the laptop's design, causing inadequate ventilation. Elevating the laptop slightly resolves the problem promptly.
Considering these factors, I'm contemplating whether to invest in a cooling pad for my laptop or seek assistance from a Dell service center. Notably, both the preboot test and SupportAssist hardware test revealed no hardware issues, and I have ruled out software problems by ensuring that all my applications are updated and even reinstalling Windows.
I would appreciate any guidance on whether a cooling pad might be a practical solution or if professional assistance from a Dell service center is advisable in this case. Your insights will be valuable in resolving this persistent overheating issue.
Thank you.
Mike1788
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November 16th, 2023 19:53
Cooling pads won't help much if at all, however mine has rubber bumps to slightly raise the rear for the intake/exhaust on my 3793 (almost identical cooling system) which will slightly improve intake flow and, more importantly, allow the exhaust a better path to not possibly mix. The lid also contributes on a flat plane for flow impedance on mine and even worse on newer Inspiron 35xx and your Vostro.
The issue being worse when plugged in is because the CPU power is way increased while Dell's default fan speeds are way too low for noise over thermal performance. You can select some different power/fan profiles in MyDell power settings or maybe some 'business' app equiv for the Vostro. The Default fan curve is way too slow. I set mine to max performance since no matter what all Dell's laptop cooling is going to thermal throttle under load in any laptop that isn't mid-high end. We have the same cooling components and same TDP and, no matter what, you can't make these run below 90-100c without hardware modding.
That said, new (good) thermal paste will significantly help after a few years especially and ANY dust, BARELY visible dust, will worsen temps and especially inside the heatsink fins. The entire fan and heatsink should be both blown visibly spotless and lightly scrubbed with a small brush and rubbing alcohol or water/soap. If the case has been opened you should also check the foam gaskets are in place to seal and allow the intended airflow (the service manual is a good reference). These things are going to run hot as hell under any load but a deep cleaning and a repaste with like Kryonaut will help significantly if even barely dirty.
You shouldn't have any noticeable run issues, though. It's not really supposed to be possible to crash from thermals as it can/does throttle quick enough to not trigger a hard fault shutdown. The only way that might be possible is with no thermal mass, like very poor heatsink contact and old paste. I've had a lot of Laptops and a lot of Dells, and I do find they NEED a good thermal paste every 2-3 years, especially with the appallingly cheap cooling they've been using.
There's a lot to the thermal problem, and there's so much I want to explain from experience and research, but in summary: cooling pad is a good idea mostly for lifting the rear bottom for better flow. That may resolve some problems, but you're also definitely going to need to reapply new thermal paste and preferably really deep clean the heatsink/fan and grille while in there. Get a program like HWInfo to monitor temps/load/TDP/fan speed and change thermal power plans in whatever Dell's app is for the Vostro because the default fan management is straight up negligent to cover for the cheap design.
LMK if you want or need any more help
hefhrufbr
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November 19th, 2023 08:34
I have successfully addressed sudden shutdowns by updating the Dell BIOS. After inspecting the fans and ensuring they are functioning properly with adequate cooling, I've observed that the fans run loudly when the laptop is on a flat surface without any additional elevation. However, the issue resolves when the laptop is lifted. Despite contacting Dell support and finding no system issues, they recommended replacing the heat sink installation with the fan if problems persist. Now, I'm considering whether to replace the fan and heat sink or invest in a cooling pad. What would be the most effective solution for managing the fan noise and ensuring optimal cooling?
(edited)
Mike1788
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November 25th, 2023 17:36
@hefhrufbr
Assuming you read my long post, replacing the heatsink/fan is useless if they're clean. The only options you have are: replace the thermal paste (Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut on Amazon) which will improve cooling at least a little and a cheap $10 cooling pad won't hurt to try. You can get both for less than $20. A new top-tier paste like Kryonaut has always made a noticeable difference for me over stock. Besides those 2 things, make sure your BIOS settings are in default for CPU performance settings. You can put a rubber sticky pad on the bottom rear to lift it at least like 3/16" higher if you don't get a 'cooling' pad to help with flow.
We have the same CPU heat and cooling setup and the fan shouldn't be loud unless you're running something intensive. New BIOS is good, that'll probably fix the thermal crashing. I would strongly suggest you get a program like HWInfo64 to monitor fan speed and CPU load because they shouldn't be high at all just watching video and browsing the internet. Lots of malware is out there that uses your CPU/GPU so I'd definitely want to rule that out with monitoring system usage because it's extremely common.