Overheating - is my T60 defective? (Pic)

[crazyfrog]

My experience and from what I have read here on the forum and from other sources the cooling system on the T60 series is very bad designed. I have never seen any T60 machine with temps that get near the levels of the T4x series , even an T42p (2.13 GHz) is in the range of cirka 40-45° C CPU temp.

IMO, this is a completely unfair comment on two generations of ThinkPad (T60 vs T4x).

Firstly, how hot the system is heavily depends on the CPU/GPU used by the system. T60 as the descendant of T4x uses much more powerful CPU/GPU. You gain the increase in performance, then you have to accept the fact that T60's CPU and GPU generate more heat (e.g. T2400 TDP is 31W, while PM770 is 27W, not to mention the difference between the GPUs in T60 and T4x). Discussing the design of T60 and T4x's cooling systems without consideration this fact is unfair.

Secondly, before comparing the design of cooling systems in T60 and T4x, it is more rational to compare the cooling systems within the T4x series. I have no experience with T40/T41. But I did use T42/T43 from new. I'd admit T42/p is a cool and quiet machine. However, with the increased amount of heat generated by T43's ATI X300, the T43's cooling system is obviously unable to handle the challenge brought by the new GPU. T43 as the last model of T4x is the hottest and noisiest ThinkPad I have used. Keep in mind that T43 used the same design of cooling system as the rest of T4x.

Thirdly, let's come back to T60. Is OP's T60 overheating problem due to poor design of cooling system? No. it is dust. Whatever cooling system clogged by dust is certainly unable to handle the heat. The solution is simply to blow the dust away. OP together with many other people seeking help on this forum due to T60/p overheating has confirmed this.

Finally, how to compare T60 and T4x’s cooling system? If you have both T60 and T4x, run something that stresses CPU and GPU. T60 may not win every game in highest temperature compared with T40/T41/T42/T43 due to the variation in CPU/GPU, but T60’s fan noise is certainly the lowest. And if you happen to have T61 and T400, then you will see the fan noise level goes down from T4x, T60, T61 to T400. It simply means the newer the system, the better the cooling system you will get (and also thanks to Intel’s effort of bringing down TDP of the newer processor).

PS, T7600 2.33Ghz CPU in my T60p with stock cooling system works in the range of cirka 40-50° C.

[bhtooefr]

They installed a heatsink with a giant hole in it? Or the excessive heat caused it to fail in such a catastrophic manner.

I fail to understand where the hole came from especially if they installed it that way.

They installed a heatsink for an integrated graphics system.

Compare:

The model of heatsink that was installed on my machine: http://bhtooefr.ath.cx/images/IBM_41W6406.jpg
The correct heatsink: http://bhtooefr.ath.cx/images/41W6407.jpg

Note the missing chunk of metal where the GPU would be, on the 41W6406.

[Temetka]

I got it now.

I was fixated on the hole in the copper plating. If you hadn't pointed out the missing chunk of metal, wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between the two at first glance.

I still don't think there should be hole in the HSF as it screams inefficient to me and possibly lead to early hardware failure.

[bhtooefr]

The hole that you're referring to is part of the design, for whatever reason, and is present on all of the heatsinks. (And, it looks jagged in the photo, but it isn't.)

[Temetka]

Weird. I wonder why they would intentionally put a hole in the HSF?