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Dell Latitude D420 Cooling Fan Run Continuously
I've got a Dell Latitude D420, which is running WindowsXP Professional. This is a good little netbook computer, and just the right size and weight, both for my wife to easily handle, as well as to travel with.
We bought this unit used, and it seems to be working fine, although I've noticed that the cooling fan seems to run almost continuously when the laptop is on. The computer doesn't seem (feel) like it's running unusually hot, so we can't account for why the fan seems to be always running. Does anyone have any suggestions of what we might want to try as a diagnostic? Anybody familiar with or in favor of using something like InstallSpeedFan, or a similar cooling fan utility?
Coldquasar
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March 29th, 2010 12:00
Most of the time I run my D420 with PuppyLinux, a specially small version (Distro) of Linux. Puppy loads entirely into and runs from RAM memory, so I get an operating speed from the D420 that would astonish D420 Windows users. I also get lower heat because Puppy doesn't use the hard drive and it doesn't use much RAM. A Linux CPU Temp monitor I run never goes above 52C, when I do nothing to lower heat. Under Windows XP Intel's TAT shows about 60C or less.
I decrease that to just under 56C by simply making sure the 420 is always on a table top or laptop desk and thus the tiny "legs" can keep the bottom slightly elevated. By elevating the back end 1.5" & positioning a mini fan to blow across the underside, the temp never excedes 34C.
Even when I just had the laptop on my lap, the temp remained in the 50s. You should use a cooling pad anyway. The better laptop temp is controlled, the better it performs and the longer the CPU & system board keep working.
You can get a light weigh pad that's just right for the 420 for under $10 (free ship) off eBay from emilyandlily. Tape the wires down before you start using the pad and you will love the inexpensive cooling pad.
For the free Intel Temp utility just search Google for Intel TAT
--Quasar