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Topic: Computer Problems (Overheating and CPU Usage Reaching 100%)

Posts 1 to 20 of 48

darkfenrir

My laptop, which by now is already ~3 years old. It has i5 for the core and ATI Radeon for the graphics, and it's a Compaq for the merk.

The problem is, the degree within the computer (which I see through a Gadget within Windows 7) are always around 64 degrees Celcius, and it easily rise and have a hard time of going down even when I'm using an external fan, and opening only the browser (I want to hear a song and it immediately heats up).

And the CPU Usage also reach 100% everytime I refresh/open more than 1 tab at once. With it being 50% when I'm not doing anything.

Any suggestion on what to do? I also will need a laptop for uni (which I'm going to in 2 months) and I'm going to take Games Application and Technology, is it better to repair this or buy a new one (I already repair this thing once, which is only cleaning the fan and the whole thing run smoother, and it's only 6 months ago). If buying a new one, give me a suggestion for the specs as well if you can.

darkfenrir

AlexSays

SCAR392 is our resident tech expert, he should be with you momentarily.

Realistically that laptop isn't going to last you seven whole years though (3 past, four future) therefore I would rationalize myself into just purchasing a new one.

AlexSays

darkfenrir

@AlexSays That's true... I myself want to buy a new laptop, the only problem is, it's hard to search good laptops here, and the money to buy it (Which if we want to buy a good one will reach US$ 1,000 at least)

darkfenrir

AlexSays

Have you thought about building a PC? Might be cheaper for you, and a lot better. Unless you absolutely have to take your laptop to school. If you have to take it to school, then I can't imagine that CPU (or even a 3 year old mobile gpu) holding up well in your area of study so you may not have a choice.

Are you taking out loans for school? If you have to borrow an extra $1000 for your major, it won't be the end of the world.

AlexSays

darkfenrir

@AlexSays I do think that i'll need to take it to school, and I never tried to build something like a PC. And since I don't know how to make it, plus the price can be a bit crazy and some parts are probably going to be hard to be searched (I'm from South-East Asia to be specific), I'm not sure about it.

No, I'm not taking loans, but my parents are the one who'll pay for my tuition.

darkfenrir

AlexSays

Well building a PC isn't hard, we could guide you through it pretty easily. There are a ton of online tutorials as well.

But yeah I don't know much about hardware pricing in that part of the world so hopefully someone more familiar with that could chime in. Since you cleaned out the fan last time and it started working better, have you tried cleaning it out again?

And do you typically keep it on surfaces where it doesn't get enough air? Like on the carpet or couch or something.

AlexSays

darkfenrir

That's true. Well, I haven't cleaning it again, and we clean it by bringing it to someone who is more familiar with computer, and it's going to take a few days, I know that it'll probably work (and my parents are just... not exactly supporting with me wanting to buy a new one, although I like that option better, but if I need to pay for the maintenance for every 6 months, I doubt that's a good course).

What merk do you think is best?

And no, I keep my laptop on top the external fan, and putting them onto a table. And I even have a fan continuously blowing around in the room currently.

darkfenrir

MAB

MadAussie IT services recommends the following procedure for a lifetime guarantee of cool laptop usage
Untitled

Edited on by MAB

MAB

AlexSays

I personally like Asus. They're typically affordable and well built. Anecdotally, mine has been running perfectly for going on its fifth year now. Compaq is generally regarded as being decent too. The best option would be to search for reviews on whatever sku you're looking at though, because all of these companies release hardware sometimes that just doesn't work as often as it should.

Something like this would be great for you going into game development but I'm assuming that would be significantly more expensive wherever you are. You may be able to find a somewhat inexpensive, decent laptop new or used on Amazon from an international shipper. If its significantly cheaper than buying it locally in person.

I would tell the parents though, realistically you WILL be purchasing a new laptop before you graduate (assuming you stick with this field). Its unavoidable. Might as well do it sooner rather than later to spare yourself the pain this one will cause.

Edited on by AlexSays

AlexSays

darkfenrir

I'm currently planning on Asus N56VZ S4356, it has a good core, good graphics, and I actually like how it looks. And I'm currently watching a review of it (which I have trouble with, this laptop is lagging for a bit, )

And what you gave me is in truth cheaper than what I'm wanting to get. ;w; And no, I can't believe on international shipper, mainly because of an incident that happened once for the delivery (someone sent a PSP and some clothes from America to my country, and the PSP is gone), it's not sent to me, but still... Books I can believe nobody will take, but laptop? Nope, I can't trust that to happen.

darkfenrir

AlexSays

Well you really follow the philosophy of go big or go home. lol. Those are great specs for a laptop. If it has decent reviews and a seemingly long life span, I'd pitch it to the parents.

Just tell them you'll buy them something nice one day. lol

AlexSays

darkfenrir

Well, it seems I'm quite a devout believer of, the more expensive and better the specs this thing has, the better it'll be, right? I get that vibe from myself. orz

And yes, from what I read, most of the part that the reviewer dislike is mainly the touchpad and/or the keyboard, and I have no problem with the touch pad because I'm going to use a mouse instead. =w="

Haha, I should. It's just that I bought a lot of things recently, and those things are quite pricy too... Well, you can see why they won't want to buy anything new (and at the time I'm buying, this laptop is actually running nicely)

darkfenrir

AlexSays

You should get an Alienware then. $3000 for specs for the nice light weight of 15 pounds (convert this to kilograms so you get the joke). lol

AlexSays

darkfenrir

And I'll die from bringing it to my uni (because it's not exactly close to the dorm it offers, and the city frequently has a traffic jam).

I also didn't hear a lot for Alienware (most of the time it's just for... well, gaming, and pretty much you are just able to put it in your house no thanks to the weight)

darkfenrir

Mk_II

a three year old PC that is running too hot? could simply be a matter of dirty fans and cooling ribs. Dust and grime tend to build up inside your PC and can clog up the fans and/or cooling ribs of your CPU and GPU. I once blew up an old PC that way on a very sunny day. Use compressed air to remove the dirt, not a vacuum cleaner (static electricity!)

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darkfenrir

@Mk_II I think it's dirty fans that is causing the problem, the fan was cleaned once, 6 months ago and the temperature is good afterwards. Although is there a good way to remove them? (Other than compressed air, how do you make compressed air anyhow?)

darkfenrir

Mk_II

you can buy compressed air in cans. shops that sell electronic parts usually stock them. make sure you immobilize the fans as you clean them (stick a pencil thru). Of course ALWAYS disconnect the PC from the mains power first and use an anti-static wristband

Edited on by Mk_II

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darkfenrir

@Mk_II ah, that's a good. I'll look for them when I go to an electronic store. And that's a good advice too.

Thank you everyone.

darkfenrir

shinesprite

@darkfenrir An i5 is certainly nothing to take lightly (especially quad-core). That said, many of the upper-level game development programs for graduate students, actually have their teams working on Dell i5 workstations. If I were in your place, I'd probably look into what it would take to get it up and running first. Sure there's nothing like using new hardware, but from what I've heard about your situation, I don't think the performance increase from upgrading to a newer i5/i7 system would justify a lofty $1000 price-tag.

This is not to say that I'm unsympathetic with your case. In the last year or so, a family member of mine was having trouble with their Gateway laptop overheating to the point that the graphics card had stopped responding (black screen on start-up). In the end, I advised them to buying a new motherboard (off eBay), and I made the switch. Looking back, I realized that the board had slowly cooked as the result of its user running it on the carpet, on pillows, and in confined spaces.

If you still plan on buying a new laptop, I recommend staying away from brands such as Acer, Compaq, and Gateway. Family aside, I know many others who went for these slightly cheaper brands and had similar issues 2-3 years into their device's lifespan. Personally, I'm partial to HP and with their online customization options, you can choose which parts matter to you most. Lastly, if you're buying a laptop online, do a quick Google search for coupon codes. I can't tell you how many times I've done this to save a quick $20-150.

Best of luck.

Edited on by shinesprite

shinesprite

darkfenrir

@shinesprite Thank you very much for the help, but with HP, which is the company that makes Compaq and one of my cousin use it, and her laptop has fan problems, and hers keep lagging by now (I don't know what laptop she bought next however)

And thank you,

darkfenrir

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