X60s runs warmer in ultrabase?

[mfratt]

I have been using My X60s (1704-69U, one of the hot ones) in the Ultrabase when its plugged in (because of its battery life, i just leave the ultrabase all set up at home and take the computer with me). I just set it up without the ultrabase (due to some docking/undocking annoyances), and I find the right side of the palmrest is actually quite cooler than it is when in the ultrabase. Anyone else notice this too?

[ozmann]

Yes. I noticed the same thing last evening.

The APS sensor temperature dropped 4 degrees when I took the computer out of the Ultrabase; CPU temp also went down. The upper surface of the Ultrabase was quite warm, and I expect cooling of the bottom of the computer is compromised when it's in the base. A reason to use a portable CD/DVD player as necessary instead of the ultrabase, even at home.

Another discovery, perhaps more obvious, is that the X60 gets quite warm when I operate it on top of the bed covers (a favorite position for me, alas). Not surprising, since the bottom vent holes are small and lots of heat is generated at the bottom.

More surprising was the big drops in temperatures (CPU > APS) when I put the computer on an old iGo CoolPad; basically a small plastic board with spacer "feet" on the top and bottom surface. The pad was set up with the bigger feet lifting the computer. The temperatures drop even further than when the X60s is on a hard, flat surface. I conclude that the right palm rest can be cooled if heat radiates more efficiently from the bottom of the computer. Air circulation under the computer helps. For those who don't want to raise the compute, placing it on a dark, thermally conductive to convect the heat away from the underside probably also would help.

BTW, after obsessively tracking temperatures and subjective warmth of the palm rest over the past few days, I've become convinced that the palm rest warmth reflects both CPU/GPU as well as APS temps. (Even though the position of the fan exhaust suggests the CPU might be on the left side...)

[gunston]

agreed!!!
by the way, how do you know your cpu or aps temperature?

[ozmann]

agreed!!!
by the way, how do you know your cpu or aps temperature?

I'm using the TP Fan Control program, which reads temps; I'm not using it to control the fan. Fan control reads multiple temperature sensors on the motherboard, battery and other places. AFAIK, the assignments for the sensors was done in a T4x series computer, and positions of the sensors was elegantly determined. I'm not certain that all the assignments and positions carry over to the X60. It's very likely that the CPU and battery assignments correspond, but I'm not sure about the GPU and APS. It's the latter that is supposed to be closest to the right palm rest, based on the T4x data.