Going back to the heat problem... calling all X20/21 owners!

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bhtooefr · #1 Post by **bhtooefr** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:28 pm

How much air does your X20/21 put out when the fan's running full tilt?

Mine I can BARELY feel, but if I put the fan to my ear, I can feel a little air coming out, and can definitely hear it

I need to know whether my fan's failing or not, and seeing as IBM doesn't give end-users access to the tach info...

verktyg · #2 Post by **verktyg** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 2:03 am

My T20 came with a PIII 650 CPU. The fan never ran very much except in DOS Mode or when I booted to DOS, then it ran full speed all of the time.

With the 650 CPU it was always pretty cool on the bottom but the upper right hand portion of the keypad over the CPU & Fan/Heatsink was noticeably warm. There was more heat from the HDD than the CPU.

I installed a PIII 850 CPU and a fan/heatsink out of a T22. It runs a lot hotter now but the newer heatsink keeps the keyboard cooler.

It's a dual boot system with Win98SE and XP Pro. I use a program, Rain with Win98SE. It forces the CPU to idle when not in use. There's program called MobileMeter for Win2k and XP that helps with cooling.

If it's not running hot and you are not having any problems like lock ups, crashes or system slow downs, I wouldn't worry about the fan.

If it's not running hot and you are not having any problems like lock ups, crashes or system slow downs, I wouldn't worry about the fan.

bhtooefr · #3 Post by **bhtooefr** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:01 am

It's not so much stability - it's rock solid.

It's more the fact that I can't run at 100% CPU at 700MHz, without it throttling to 380MHz to save the CPU from damage.

My temps range from 50 C to 70 C (idle load to 100% load) at 500MHz.

They range from ~65 C to 98+ C (it throttles at 98 C) at 700MHz.

Temps measured with Centrino Hardware Control, but doesn't that use the same engine as MobileMeter?

Also, if I DO need a new HSF, will one out of, oh, an X24 work? Thinking "bigger == better" (unless the X24's heatsink is smaller...)

verktyg · #4 Post by **verktyg** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 4:15 pm

I mis-read your header when I responded. I thought it was about T series TPs.

I have no experience with X2x TPs so I can't answer your questions.

Some things to consider though, the fan could be clogged with dust, pet hair etc. or the thermal compound could be dried out.

You will have to open the system to tell.

I have a pair of PIII M 500 240x TPs which were the predecessors to the X series and the fans hardly run.

Here's some links:

System Service Parts Lists:

X20 http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... NRNTP.html
X21 http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... UYPZ7.html
X23 http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 39693.html
X24 http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 42248.html

All TPs http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... d=TPAD-FRU

X2x Hardware Maintenance Manual:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4UZMN7

Hope this helps a little....

bhtooefr · #5 Post by **bhtooefr** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 6:36 pm

Fan looks clear, thermal compound is freshly applied (but not quite right - debating between a thermal pad or a new HSF).

And, I've looked at all the lists, and have an HMM on my HDD

I was just asking what fan speeds are like - my fan is ALWAYS running.

verktyg · #6 Post by **verktyg** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 8:52 pm

Does or did your TP have a silcon rubber thermal pad? If so are you still using it?

bhtooefr · #7 Post by **bhtooefr** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:26 pm

It did, but I replaced it with Arctic Silver 5.

Unfortunately, the pad was a LOT thicker. However, the AS5 is getting *SLIGHTLY* better performance with a thick layer than the old pad.

I'm thinking it's the fan, though, seeing as it's REALLY slow, and the heatsink is *HOT* all the way along it.

Quattro · #8 Post by **Quattro** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 11:54 am

My fan runs at all times too... I can only hear it if I put my ear to the vent.

My X20 reads 52*C browsing the web, plugged in, at 600mhz. Temp drops to ~47*C on battery. Measured using MobileMeter. I recently removed all the factory heat compound, including the heat-pipe, and replaced with some generic radioshack compound.

I tried to fit an X24 heat-sink and fan to the X20, but the mounting points are different. The X24 heat sink is much more substantial.

verktyg · #9 Post by **verktyg** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 8:47 pm

bhtooefr wrote:It did, but I replaced it with Arctic Silver 5.

Unfortunately, the pad was a LOT thicker. However, the AS5 is getting *SLIGHTLY* better performance with a thick layer than the old pad.

I'm thinking it's the fan, though, seeing as it's REALLY slow, and the heatsink is *HOT* all the way along it.

Thermal compound is designed to fill the tiny gaps and air spaces between a heat sink and a semiconductor. More is not better. You are probably getting minimal heat transfer from your CPU.

bhtooefr · #10 Post by **bhtooefr** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:34 pm

Unfortunately, the gaps weren't all that tiny.

I thought about getting a thermal interface pad, though...

Quattro, what does it do at 500MHz? I'm interested in idle, web browsing, and full load (gaming, running Find-a-Drug/SETI/favorite distributed computing project, etc.) temps. At that speed, power consumption should be the same as mine at 500MHz, giving a fair comparison.

Quattro · #11 Post by **Quattro** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:02 pm

at full load mine measured 98*C and then shut off...

I have found the problem though. The X20/21 heatsink does not physically contact the CPU, thus thermal copound won't work. You need something to fill the gap... thermal pad.

bhtooefr · #12 Post by **bhtooefr** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:39 pm

Quattro: OK, then, my compound is doing exactly nothing... The only difference is that when at 700MHz, mine climbs QUICKLY to 98 C, and then plummets quickly, as it drops to an emergency speed of 380MHz (according to CHC) until it's cooled down a lot.

Were those temps at 500MHz or 600MHz?

Anyway, a new HSF is on it's way direct from IBM - figure, that way, I'm getting a new thermal pad, and a new fan (several posters on another forum had pointed the finger at the fan, as the heatsink was *HOT* last I checked...)

Quattro · #13 Post by **Quattro** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:45 pm

How much was the fan/heatsink, if you don't mind me asking?

It never overheated at 500mhz, but at 600mhz, it rises quick at full load...

bhtooefr · #14 Post by **bhtooefr** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:03 am

$40.50. (It's 04P3161, BTW.)

I wasn't the one that ordered it, so I don't know if there's any shipping charges.

However, considering that the next cheapest places were $39 for a new one, and the $30-33 prices were on shady sites, I figured I might as well go for IBM.

bhtooefr · #15 Post by **bhtooefr** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 12:31 pm

Little update for you guys...

With the new heatsink, I'm getting 45 C idle, 70 C load at 500MHz. 96 C load, 55 C idle at 700MHz.

That seems WAY too high, though...

The heatsink seems to be working right, because as SOON as I dropped the load, it plummeted to 77 C and then started gradually falling.

I used alcohol to clean the (still wet) AS5 off of the CPU before hand.

Edit: The 500MHz load temp was with the keyboard REMOVED. It seems to run about 4 C cooler with the keyboard on. Still, 96 C at full load at 700MHz is a tad high. However, I can now run at 700MHz for light tasks (like web browsing - the browser IS snappier at 700...)

Quattro · #16 Post by **Quattro** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 1:23 pm

I replaced the thermal pad today. Temp is significantly lower. 43*C browsing the web, hit 85*C running sppybot. Both temps when plugged in, running max 600mhz.

bhtooefr · #17 Post by **bhtooefr** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:08 pm

I just saw 39 C from CHC...

However, ambient temp is only 55 F (propane costs too much).

My other temps are at an ambient of either 69 or 70 F (at school).

Going back to the heat problem... calling all X20/21 owners!

Going back to the heat problem... calling all X20/21 owners!

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