Extreme heat when docked on ultrabase (x61s)

[dejx]

I have X61s L7700 model. When it is docked on ultrabase palmrest is VERY hot, i can feel the burn on my right palm.

When i use it without dock (=without external screen) palmrest is warm, i can type with no problem.

I was thinking to mod ultrabase x6 to some kind of a cooling station.
Lets say installing 2,3 fans in it like on ( http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-content ... ooler2.jpg )

Is this even posibile, do you also get extreme heating when connected to ultrabase6?

Thanks for replies!

Regards

[chait]

Try cleaning the fan grill (air openings) on the laptop. be careful. Then install TP Fan control (search for it on this board). Report what temps you are seeing.

[dejx]

I'm using TPFC for quite awhile now but just for checking temperature.

As i said laptop is cooling OK when its on the desk (without ultrabase), but when i put laptop on the dock, i get very hot temperatures on palm rest.

[dr_st]

My wife's X61 also runs noticeably hotter on the Ultrabase than off it. The problem is the WiFi card under the right palmrest. The design of the cooling system is inadequate, and on the Ultrabase apparently it is more expressed because of the base blocking some ventilation holes.

It's a pretty serious design flaw of the X6* series, which may be more or less annoying, depending on the specific machine, on power settings, and on the user's tolerance to heat, but there is no 100% solution.

[dmdsoftware]

My wife's X61 also runs noticeably hotter on the Ultrabase than off it. The problem is the WiFi card under the right palmrest. The design of the cooling system is inadequate, and on the Ultrabase apparently it is more expressed because of the base blocking some ventilation holes.

It's a pretty serious design flaw of the X6* series, which may be more or less annoying, depending on the specific machine, on power settings, and on the user's tolerance to heat, but there is no 100% solution.

Which wireless card do you have?

I wouldn't go as far to say it is a problem with all X6* series. My X60 has a hot palm rest (with or without the media slice) but my X61T never even gets warm (with or without the media slice).

[dr_st]

The wireless card is 4965AGN.

You are right in the sense that the tablets, having a significantly different design, do not seem to share this problem as far as my experience goes (and apparently yours too).

[dmdsoftware]

The wireless card is 4965AGN.

You are right in the sense that the tablets, having a significantly different design, do not seem to share this problem as far as my experience goes (and apparently yours too).

The 4965AGN is the exact one I have the in the tablet, so it isn't the wireless card directly causing it, but rather the system design. I was reading before alternative wireless cards could help elevate the problem, which would likely not be the case.

[chait]

I think I am now leaning on the wireless card being a good part of the problem. Just noticed that if I had the wireless on while away from the ultrabase, then right after i attach the laptop to base, the temp will go up. I have a wired connection on the base, so now I simply turn off the card. And the temp drops.

[dejx]

This heat when attached to dock is driving me crazy, i've looked around and on left-bottom side there are some wholes and when i opened the ultrabase there's some space, like it was ment for fan.

http://img339.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=imag0038y.jpg

Do you guys have here vent or just empty space like me?

[dmdsoftware]

This heat when attached to dock is driving me crazy, i've looked around and on left-bottom side there are some wholes and when i opened the ultrabase there's some space, like it was ment for fan.

http://img339.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=imag0038y.jpg

Do you guys have here vent or just empty space like me?

Are you using Windows?

Have you considered using adapted for cpu speed, this way it only gets really hot when you are doing a lot of heavy activity. My X60 only gets really hot when I'm doing really heavy activity.

[ThinkRob]

I think I am now leaning on the wireless card being a good part of the problem. Just noticed that if I had the wireless on while away from the ultrabase, then right after i attach the laptop to base, the temp will go up. I have a wired connection on the base, so now I simply turn off the card. And the temp drops.

I've got the same card, and in my experience the heat is almost entirely due to running the card without power management (both Tx and otherwise.)

If I disable power management for the card it heats up quite a bit during normal use, and becomes uncomfortable during heavy use. If I enable Tx power management, it improves dramatically, and if I run with full power management the card is barely warm, even when streaming high bit-rate audio for a long period of time.

Executive summary: I suspect that driver power management, not the card, is the culprit.

[dejx]

Are you using Windows?

Have you considered using adapted for cpu speed, this way it only gets really hot when you are doing a lot of heavy activity. My X60 only gets really hot when I'm doing really heavy activity.

Yes i'm using windows, what software did you have in mind?

[dmdsoftware]

Are you using Windows?

Have you considered using adapted for cpu speed, this way it only gets really hot when you are doing a lot of heavy activity. My X60 only gets really hot when I'm doing really heavy activity.

Yes i'm using windows, what software did you have in mind?

Typical Thinkpad Power Management software lets you choose adapted for cpu speed.

[Eudoxus]

My experience is quite the opposite. My X61s seems to be less noisy with the ultrabase I recently have bought.

[dejx]

I'm talking about heat not noise, i dont have any problem with noise

[Eudoxus]

Sorry for being obscure. I just wanted to say that as far as I can tell my X61 runs very cool with ultrabase. And the reason why I think so is that the fan runs very seldom and as a consequence the laptop is silent. In contrast to that when it is used without ultrabase the fun runs more frequently and it gets noisy. And palmrest gets hotter without ultrabase too.