VGN-A115B Temperature Worries

[andywhitehurst]

Forgive me if i'm being paranoid, but I'm worried about the temperature that my vgn-a115b is running at...

Using MobileMeter, it seems that my machine runs at 40 degrees whilst on battery power - this, however, is with the processor dropped to 600mhz. When I plug in the ac power lead, the processor speed jumps back up to 1.5ghz, a whiney, high-pitched fan kicks in and the temperature starts to climbs up to 60 degrees. Both these readings are whilst the machine is idle (task manager reads 4-6% processor load).

Having only had experience with desktops before, could someone please let me know if these are within standard operating perameters for the vaio a-series? I know how much damage a dusty/broken fan can do to components and I'd rather nip any problem in the bud now than face a hardware failure later on...

Thanks

Andrew

[Twisted-Rizla]

Hi

Yup, those temperatures are well within the standard operating limits. Sony laptops do tend to run a little on the hot side but your temperatures seem fine.

Might be worth checking them again whilst running CPU intensive programs

[andywhitehurst]

Thanks for that info Twisted-Rizla...

OK, having left my machine running for a while now, in a cool area with adequate ventilation, MobileMeter now reads 76 degrees for the processor, but only 44 for the HDD... is this safe?

[andywhitehurst]

Heh, and now it's reading as 87 degrees... does this suggest that I've lost a fan?

It's getting to the point that I'm scared to run it off the mains... after reverting to battery use - in the time it's taken me to write this - the temperature has dropped back to 69 degrees...

[Twisted-Rizla]

Mmmm Does sound hot.

It may well be the power adapter throwing out too much heat if it cools down on battery power. Not much you can do about that other than making sure it has adequate ventilation etc.

Have you checked to make sure there isn't a build up of dust on the fans? This can cause to laptop to run hotter than it should.

[andywhitehurst]

Ok, I've had the top off, and, although there was some dust, it wasn't like the fan was clogged up or anything. Still, I cleaned it, along with the port at the rear (which appears to be for the heat pipe), and it seems to be running a bit cooler now.

I also installed the Centrino hardware controls which can monitor and dynamically alter the CPU speed according to load and temperature, and this seems to have helped somewhat as well.

Thanks Twisted Rizla, you've been a great help.

[Twisted-Rizla]

No probs:smileyhappy:

[kee-lo_]

That sounds like a good app