Thinkpads Forum

Hi, I bought a heavily used X201 Tablet (3093-W81, Core i7 620LM 2.0GHz - 2.66GHz) for a fantastic deal of $300 a few months ago, and the only significant issue I have noticed is that it seems to run at pretty high temperatures. Even though as it is a Core i7 it naturally runs hotter than other processors, I am wondering if it is healthy for it to continue running at such hot temperatures.

Core Temp reports the following temperatures:
(*not completely accurate; checked at random intervals)
Around idle (1-5% Load), it sits around 55-65 degrees celsius
With average use (25-40% Load, e.g. streaming 1080p video), it ranges from 70-78 degrees celsius
With decent use (50-75% Load, e.g. playing a basic 3D game like Minecraft), it can hit 85 and sometimes 90 degrees celsius
With heavy use (80-100% Load, e.g. playing an intense 3D game like GTA IV), it will range from 90-100+ degrees celsius!

As the TJ max for this processor is 105 degrees celsius, if it steps over 100 degrees celsius, thermal throttling kicks in (usually at 50% throttle, sometimes at 12.5% throttle if intense enough), and it quickly jumps back down to 70-78 degrees celsius. I have not gotten it to overheat before as the thermal throttling does its job very well, but I am still concerned as it really shouldn't be hitting throttling temperatures in the first place, as far as I know. I will also add that this laptop generally sits on a steel wire shelf, so lack of airflow shouldn't be an issue.

I have TPFanControl, and it reports that when it is reaching the high temperatures (90-100c) the BIOS is setting the fan to the correct max speed of 7, which is about 5200 RPM, and I have blown out the vents a few months ago, so I am really not quite sure what the problem could be here.

Also, another minor issue I have is that the single lid hinge is pretty wobbly/loose (from heavy use by the prior owner) and I am wondering if there is a simple fix for this, or if it would require replacing the entire lid/screen.

Any help would be appreciated!

Those temperatures are maybe a little high, but far from ridiculous. My i5 will push 90 degrees routinely if I'm playing 3D games (usually AOE3 for me).

What you're describing are usually the two most common issues with used machines though, especially if it's been as heavily used as you say. Depending on how technically comfortable you are, the fixes aren't too difficult.

You'll be able to find a replacement tablet hinge easy enough on ebay, it's sort of a pain to replace but they're cheap and it's definitely worth the time.

Assuming your fan is working fine, you could try replacing the thermal compound. This is a very cheap fix and might yield slighter lower temperatures, but I'd just encourage you to remember that this is an i7 in an ultraportable.

X201 is old enough that it can do with a fresh dusting and reapplication of thermal compound.