Hot laptop and scorching CPU

Question

Hi, I have a Dell Inspiron 5160 and the laptop is running REALLY hot.  These are the numbers I see just from very typical (non-processor intensive) work.  HD is running at 45C, motherboard is running at 43C and cpu is running at 61C.  Also, the fan is constantly running at 4100+ rpms and this thing almost burns me on the bottom of the case.   Does anyone have any suggestions of what the problem might be?  Is there more than one fan inside the case and could one of them not be working?  It didn't used to run like this, but has been for the past 4 months or so.   Thank you for your help, Mike

ejn63 · Answer

First, DO NOT ever block the cooling fan on the bottom of the system - run it on a hard, flat surface only.

Clear any accumulated dust from the heatsink assembly (above the fan at the bottom of the machine).

DO NOT set this model to run at full speed all the time - it cannot cope with the heat that results.

dallascowboyswo · Answer

Get an air cannister and blow out the dust in the vents. Dust builds up in these machines and causes them to overheat.

Inspiron E1505
Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7200 (4MB/2.00GHz/667MHz)
15.4 Inch UltraSharp TrueLife Wide-screen WSXGA+
1GB, DDR2, 533MHz 2 Dimm
256MB ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1400
120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD+/-RW Drive
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module (2.0 + EDR)
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
pur. Sept. 7 2006

rwm32 · Answer

Here are instructions for the 5150 on how to clean the heatsink radiator grille -- the 5160 is identical:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_general&message.id=184349

With a clean radiator grille, the CPU should idle at around 45C if you've got SpeedStep enabled in BIOS and power settings on Portable/Laptop.

mwoods07 · Answer

Thank you for all of the advice!  I will be performing this maintenance tonight and will repost on the conditions after the cleaning. Mike

mwoods07 · Answer

Completed the steps, but no luck.  This thing almost burns to the touch and is now running at 70+ C...I don't know what to do since my warranty has expired.  This is very frustrating, it gets hot just surfing the internet, nothing intensive!  Will Dell do anything about this?

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Hot laptop and scorching CPU

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