I3 350M, core temperatures greatly different

SPSH

Distinguished
Sep 5, 2010
3
0
18,510
Hello,
I recently purchased a Dell Inspiron laptop with Intel i3 350M processor and suspected it to be running hotter than the older core2duo laptop. Even the CPU fan is almost always ON.

Checking with the Core Temp utility shows a temperature difference of nearly 17 degrees C between the two cores, at small loads (about 10 %, fairly equally distributed amongst the two cores). While core #0 hovers around 34 C, core #1 temp is about 51 C.

At medium loads, the system seems to put more load on core #0 ( ratio most of the times being about 3:2) and the difference in temperatures reduces to about 10 C.

At almost full load, both the cores are once again equally loaded, and the difference in the temperatures is 10 - 12 C.

Is this peculiar to my laptop or is it a normal characteristic of i3 350M?

Thanks
 

SPSH

Distinguished
Sep 5, 2010
3
0
18,510



Thank you for your reply. At almost full load the peak temperatures of core #0 and #1 are 61 C and 71 C respectively.

Now, this is when the ambient temperature in our region is below 30 C. Our summers being much hotter than this.

Thank you again.
 

SPSH

Distinguished
Sep 5, 2010
3
0
18,510
Have you contacted Dell about it???

17c seems extreme. My C2Q has a difference of 6-7c between core 0 and core 3 but 17c for a dual core seems unusual.



I will contact Dell after the weekend, surely. But felt, I might as well know the opinion and experience of others. So, thanks for your response.

Variations in core temps with load fluctuation is understandable. But, a huge difference at almost idling can't be normal.

Thanks again.