This problem surpasses my geek level....

[MyGlockRocks19]

I've got an old Sony Vaio laptop with overheating issues....I've cleaned the crap out of it, tried various software underclocking utilities for the processor, etc....nothing helped. It would invariably overheat under processor load and crash.

On a lark, I pulled out one of the SODIMM RAM modules, leaving me with only 256 meg of RAM....and bam, the problem seems to be solved. Processor runs no hotter than 60C under load, and idles around 45C...not ideal, but cool enough to operate without shutting down.

WTF? Unless their was something seriously wrong with that module, I don't understand why this worked. I ran an intensive memory test, and didn't come up with any issues....and the way I figure, the processor would have to work HARDER with less RAM, as it would be reading and writing to it more often. But pulling the module seems to have corrected the overheating issue.....

Anyone who's more tech savvy than me want to try and take a stab at why this happened?

 

[Fletch]

You're assuming the processor is the only part that generates heat. RAM modules can too, which is why you can buy heatsinks for them. Also, a laptop has very little airflow for the fans to work on, and the RAM blocks part of that airflow. This effect is more pronounced the more "slim and sexy" the laptop's design, and the VAIO is all about the slim & sexy. I suspect it's a combination of the two: RAM heating up and impeding airflow.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

lol...the laptop crashed on me as I was typing a reply, even after replacing the thermal compound on the processor...because I re-installed that module.

I don't know if airflow is the issue, really....when I pulled the chip after the overheat, it wasn't very hot at all, and its situated fairly far away from the other major components. I'm starting to think its just a bad chip that software memory diagnostics didn't flag.

With it installed...processor heats up, computer crashes withing 20 minutes of boot. With it out....the friggin cooling fan barely runs, and the computer stays on until I turn it off. Leaving it out is the obvious solution, but man does this thing run slow on 256 meg of RAM....if I can find a single 512 or 1 gig chip cheap, I might go that route. Its no speed demon, but its good for sitting in bed and browsing INGO till the wee small hours of the morning. That and I'm a cheap bastard that hates throwing ANYTHING away, when I could still get some use out of it.

This thing is a cooling nightmare, though....the CPU doesn't even have its own fan, it uses the ONE fan present in the case to draw air off the heatsink. It has two TINY little intake vents, and the fan isn't situated in the case to cool anything but the processor...which it doesn't do very efficiently. I thought Sony had some smart engineers working for them....they could have done a LOT better than this.

 

[OneBadV8]

you could always try one of those $30 cooling pads you can get at walmart.

basically a pad with 2 fans that plugs into your USB and your laptop sits on it while it blows air constantly against your laptop... They might have some that are controlled by a thermostat but if its out of warranty it might be worth a try

 

[nalees]

as someone who disassembles laptops frequently for work, i've found that most manufacturer's only place one fan in a laptop. typically it's near the CPU and has two exhausts in the corner of the laptop. it's basically one giant heatsink with a fan on it. if you are having overheating problems, you'll probably want to take that heatsink out, clean off the thermal grease/contacts and reapply some quality stuff like Artic Silver.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

as someone who disassembles laptops frequently for work, i've found that most manufacturer's only place one fan in a laptop. typically it's near the CPU and has two exhausts in the corner of the laptop. it's basically one giant heatsink with a fan on it. if you are having overheating problems, you'll probably want to take that heatsink out, clean off the thermal grease/contacts and reapply some quality stuff like Artic Silver.

Done...not quite Arctic Silver, but a silver thermal paste I got at Best Buy. Came highly recommended by the kid that noticed my Ubuntu t-shirt and wanted to chat about the latest release....I'm not a Linux fanboy, but I do like to run it as an alternate just for snitsandgiggles.

Gonna try the laptop cooler pad tomorrow...but its odd how cool and stable it runs with that module removed....and how hot and unstable it is with it in.