[SOLVED] Dell M4700 with fan bursts & large CPU temp increases

[mmejido]

Hi everyone,

Apologies upfront for the newbie description of my issue.

I have a Dell m4700 laptop, and its been working great. Windows 7 64, i7-3840QM @ 2.80GHz 16gb RAM. A more than capable machine. The issue I've been recently having is that I am getting CPU temp increases in bursts with accompanying fan bursts to cool it down. Which would be understandable if I was doing CPU-intensive work. I'm used to CPU temp raises and fans running on full blast on intensive programs. However, I'm getting these temp raises based on non intensive actions i'm taking, like opening a new website in a new tab.

I have Open Hardware Monitor open now. Having my brower open and nothing else, I'm at 46C... and I have 7 other tabs opened and pinned. Everything fine. But I just opened up ESPN.com in a new 8th tab, and the temp shot up to 67C, and then came back down to 46C. Occasionally it'll shoot up even higher - into the 80s, and of course the fan blasts and cools everything down, and then it levels off. I just don't think the actions I'm taking warrent such high CPU temps. I was even playing an internet game last night for a few hours - nothing too intensive - and the fan eventually had to constantly stay on and the temp averaged about 65C. That seems too high to be an average temp just having a browswer open and playing a game.

I've run many antiviruses, including ComboFix, and i get nothing.

I ran dell pre-boot diagnostics today. Everything passes. The highest the CPU temp got in diagnostics is 77c

I did notice, however, that one of my hard drives - the one my OS is on and the one i boot from, a 600GB non ssd hard drive - takes forever to go through diagnostics. Like, two hours long. It passes, but it just takes unnaturally forever. Everything else passes quickly, the SSD drive passes quickly, but this hard drive just takes forever to pass. Its still going WELL beyond the deep memory tests are done.

Based on this info, where do you think the issue lays? Could the hard drive my os is on be failing? Could that be the reason for the CPU increases? Do I have too many tabs open?

Thanks for any help or insight you can give!

 

[jojesa]

Mechanical HDD would aid to increase temperatures, specially if they are constantly spinning or failing.
Run Crystal disk info (standard zip version) and check the HDD temps.
https://crystalmark.info/en/download/
A bug or a failing system board could cause similar issues. Have you checked for BIOS updates?
You should switch disks and use the SSD as a boot disk, it will help lower temps.

 

[mmejido]

Hi Jojesa,

Occording to Open Hardware Monitor, the HD in question is at 38C, with a max of 39C.

I have the latest BIOS update - A19. Would flashing the bios help at all?

 

[mmejido]

?

 

[jojesa]

Hi Jojesa,

Occording to Open Hardware Monitor, the HD in question is at 38C, with a max of 39C.

I have the latest BIOS update - A19. Would flashing the bios help at all?

The HDD temps are just fine.
If you have the latest BIOS, then there isn't anything to flash.
Replacing the CPU thermal paste might work, since it dries over time.
There isn't much to do if the system board is failing though.

 

[mmejido]

Hi Jojesa - thanks!

What are some symptoms of the system board failing?

 

[jojesa]

Hi Jojesa - thanks!

What are some symptoms of the system board failing?

Erratic behavior and temps on the system.
It might power off, restart, freeze, hang, fan might spin out of control, etc.

I would open it and clean the vents and fan which could be clogged preventing cool air from circulating.
If necessary I would re-apply thermal compound.

 

[mmejido]

OK, have a different issue now

I flashed the bios. A couple of times. And I deleted a recent KB update that was causing the CPU to rise in temp.

I can't seem to get the fan to turn off now!

I power up the laptop, and the temp eventually gets over 65C. Once it does, the fan comes on, brings it down to 40C-ish, but it does not turn off at all. I just don't think this is typical behavior, and it has never happened before.

The only clue is, in the BIOs under 'power events', I am starting to get messages saying 'power on - not applicable'. But after a google search this doesn't seem to be a big deal?

Any help would be much appreciated

 

[jojesa]

I thought you had the latest BIOS!
Why would you flash the BIOS twice? That could corrupt the BIOS and create al sort of issues.
Power off the laptop, disconnect the AC adapter & remove the battery.
Press the power button fro 20 seconds & again for 5 seconds.
Insert battery, connect power, power on and enter the BIOS.
While in the BIOS reset BIOS to default settings, save and exit.
Is the fan still running at all time?

 

[mmejido]

I think i've flashed them 3 times at this point But all seems to be ok.

what the fan is doing now is... when windows 7 starts its fine, and idles around 55/65C

then I'll start a program, and the temp will go up over 70C and the fans will turn on and cool it back down. Say I REALLY push the CPU and the temps get up like 95C temporarily... then the fans will blast and get it back down into the 45C range. but they never actually turn off once they get down to 45C. That's the infuriating thing.

 

[mmejido]

ok,

did everything you asked.

on startup it idles in the 55/60C range

so test 1 is to see how it does once i open firefox. jumped up to 75/80C... fan turns on, and it brings it down to the 50/55C range. fan is still on unfortunately.

i open a new website up... it blasts up to 90C, the fans blast, gets it back down to 50/55C.

Ah! the fan turned off. I don't understand why though... I've been figuring it needs to go below 40C, but it goes under 40C alot and it sometimes still keeps going.

I'm going to monitor this and if anything changes, i'll give you an update.


I also noticed, when I started the laptop again after hold for 20, 5, and then defaulting BIOS, that the laptop started up for 5 seconds, then shut down. Its been doing that for the past few months. I just turn it on again and it works fine... but maybe that's a clue as well?

 

[jojesa]

Your system will shutdown if it's overheating or it thinks it is by getting false data from a sensor.
I suggest you apply new thermal paste to the CPU.
At work, we used mostly Dell systems (desktops laptops, NAS servers, etc.). If we keep laptops for more than 5 years, I usually replace the thermal paste, since I have found that it start to dry up.
I have use HWMonitor on several Dell systems and it doesn't show accurate data....because of the proprietary nature of the Dell systems.
SpeedFan & Speccy show more accurate results.
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Download Speccy | Find your computer specs, free!

Speccy - find the details of your computer's specs. Great for spotting issues or finding compatible upgrades. Download the latest version today.

www.ccleaner.com

 

[mmejido]

Hi Jojesa, I appreciate all your help.

have SpeedFan running now... same relative tempurature showing. When I first start it up, it'll hang around 55/65C, and then I'll open a browser, it shoots up to 80/90C, and then the fan comes on, gets it down to 39/45C, and then takes forever to turn back off again, sometimes never even turning off at all. It spins at a very low RPM, but even with the temps 39/45C, it stays on forever.

What is your best guess as to why the fan never turns off even at such low temps?


EDIT:

Another discovery: I left the computer on for 3 hours while I was gone. It idled for 3 hours, and the temp was 55/60C with the fan on. I come back, start using the computer, it comes back down to 39/45C, fan still on. Doesn't make any sense. Why would it be hotter when I'm not using it?

 

[jojesa]

I think the fan was spinning but it wasn't making a audible noise. ..but when fans get old they start to make louder noises.

 

[mmejido]

so you're saying its possible the laptop is actually working as it always has, and its just that the aging fans might be spinning more loudly?

 

[jojesa]

so you're saying its possible the laptop is actually working as it always has, and its just that the aging fans might be spinning more loudly?

Exactly!
Fan motor wears out and as result noise increases. Sometime a drop of machine oil could silence it.
Also the fan could not move air as it use to.

 

[mmejido]

I think there's something to that... although, I will admit, it worries me that the fans just stay on when its at 39/45C... shouldn't it just be happy at 39/45C and turn the fans off?

 

[jojesa]

I think there's something to that... although, I will admit, it worries me that the fans just stay on when its at 39/45C... shouldn't it just be happy at 39/45C and turn the fans off?

You could have a combination of fan issues and dried thermal paste.

 

[mmejido]

don't worry, I won't hold you to this... but you think those fan issues are more physical than driver-based?

 

[jojesa]

We have hundreds of Dell laptops at work and that issue is hardware related.
It could be masked with a firmware update by decreasing the device performance, which decreases fan speed and noise.