GPU too hot?

Hi retune,

System can become warm to the touch during usage when:

1. Using for longer than 10-15 minutes.
2. Watching a DVD/Blu-ray.
3. Streaming online video.
4. Watching or Interacting with Flash Content
5. Playing Video Games or Online Games.
6. Using near a heat source or in a hot environment

However, high temperature that you are noticing is indeed a matter of concern. You have correctly troubleshot the problem by checking for accumulated dust in the vents and using the cooling pad. Please go through the following steps and check if these help:

1. It is recommended to use the Laptop in a Room temperature of 0°C to 35°C (32°F to 95°F) with a Humidity level no greater than 90%.
2. Use compressed air to clean the vents on a regular basis. You don’t need to open the chassis to clean the vents as there is only one heatsink that sits on graphics card as well as processor. Sometimes the accumulated dust is not visible by simply looking at the vents. To properly clean the vents:
   1. Power off the System
   2. Unplug the AC Adapter
   3. Remove the Battery
   4. Use Compressed Air to blow the dust out of the vents. Do not use your mouth to blow the dust out of a Laptop. Use the can according to the directions on the side of the can as you can cause damage to the computer if used incorrectly.
3. Outdated BIOS can cause heat issues by having an outdated temperature table for the system. Click here to download the most updated BIOS for your Inspiron 7720.
   Note: Plug your computer to a good, working UPS before you update the BIOS. If you experience a loss of AC power or a significant voltage sag/spike during the BIOS flash, you will either have to buy a new BIOS chip or buy a new motherboard.
4. Run “Symptom Tree” test for overheating issues in “Dell 32-bit Diagnostics”. Click here to find steps on how to run “Dell 32-bit Diagnostics”. If the test returns any error codes please reply with the same.
5. Also, consider updating the Graphics Card Drivers. Click here to download the most updated video drivers.

Hi retune,

System can become warm to the touch during usage when:

1. Using for longer than 10-15 minutes.
2. Watching a DVD/Blu-ray.
3. Streaming online video.
4. Watching or Interacting with Flash Content
5. Playing Video Games or Online Games.
6. Using near a heat source or in a hot environment

However, high temperature that you are noticing is indeed a matter of concern. You have correctly troubleshot the problem by checking for accumulated dust in the vents and using the cooling pad. Please go through the following steps and check if these help:

1. It is recommended to use the Laptop in a Room temperature of 0°C to 35°C (32°F to 95°F) with a Humidity level no greater than 90%.
2. Use compressed air to clean the vents on a regular basis. You don’t need to open the chassis to clean the vents as there is only one heatsink that sits on graphics card as well as processor. Sometimes the accumulated dust is not visible by simply looking at the vents. To properly clean the vents:
   1. Power off the System
   2. Unplug the AC Adapter
   3. Remove the Battery
   4. Use Compressed Air to blow the dust out of the vents. Do not use your mouth to blow the dust out of a Laptop. Use the can according to the directions on the side of the can as you can cause damage to the computer if used incorrectly.
3. Outdated BIOS can cause heat issues by having an outdated temperature table for the system. Click here to download the most updated BIOS for your Inspiron 7720.
   Note: Plug your computer to a good, working UPS before you update the BIOS. If you experience a loss of AC power or a significant voltage sag/spike during the BIOS flash, you will either have to buy a new BIOS chip or buy a new motherboard.
4. Run “Symptom Tree” test for overheating issues in “Dell 32-bit Diagnostics”. Click here to find steps on how to run “Dell 32-bit Diagnostics”. If the test returns any error codes please reply with the same.
5. Also, consider updating the Graphics Card Drivers. Click here to download the most updated video drivers.

Thank you for these tips. I will update the BIOS and see if that helps, but first I wanted to run the diagnostic as you suggested. However, I can't seem to locate anything called symptom tree. When I boot the diagnostic it runs an ePSA Pre-boot system assessment, and all tests pass, after the tests finish my only options are to perform a quick audio check, run thorough test mode, or exit. There are no options regarding a symptom tree, or any of the other selections mentioned in the article you linked.

Hi retune,

I am sorry Inspiron 7720/17R SE has a more advanced diagnostic tool, “ePSA Diagnostics”. The features are different and test results are more effective in ePSA Diagnostics. To start ePSA:

1. Tap F12 during startup.
2. Select “Diagnostics”.
3. After initial tests select "Test Mode".
4. The ePSA starts running the quick test without waiting for user input.
5. To select a specific device to test, tap the Esc key. The screen should look like the following:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Using the touchpad/mouse select “Video Card” and click “Run Test”.

Hope this helps.