A31 shutting down repeatly...overheating?

[scsgoal31]

Alright guys..I really need your help.

My A31 has run into a major issue. Purchased in December of '02

My thinkpad has been shutting down randomly for the past 3 days, or so I thought.
If I closed the lid, left the room and didn't touch it for 30 or so minutes, when I came back, the computer would be completely shut down. My BIOS and IBM PM is completely up to date, and no power saving features (monitor off, hard drive off) are enabled while plugged into AC. Overheating didn't make sense..because while working it hard core, it wouldn't have a problem, it was only AFTER I left it alone for 30 minutes.

However, after staring at my open laptop for the past hour, and nothing happening, I've decided that the lid must be closed for the shutdown to occur.

Now I'm back to thinking it's an overheating issue, because I definitely feel heat coming from the keyboard while it's open, so while it's closed, all that heat can no longer escape.

Has anyone taken any measures to increase the cooling? I only have the 1.6 GHz model, I can't imagine how the 2.4's are able to handle the heat.

Thanks for any advice. Right now, I'm trying to add some rubber feet to the bottom to increase air flow along the bottom.

[wredgum]

Well I did it, I purchased a small tube of Arctic Silver 5 off one of the computer modding web sites - about £7.50 with postage. It is a tiny package about as big as your thumb - 3.5g in a very small tube.

I then took the keyboard off my A31p using the tried and tested method, and removed the white thermal grease off the bottom of the integral CPU fan+heatsink using acetone. Then using the instructions on www.arcticsilver.com I applied a small spot of the new paste and spread it on the CPU die using the back of a razor. The CPU has a tiny die area a little less than a 1p piece, and the paste is spread very thinly.

Just before starting this procedure my laptop had been running overnight doing a virus scan and this morning I recorded it running at around 84C most of the time, quite hot for just doing normal text work and email - no games! It was so hot that it tripped the CPU slow-down temperature a few times and dropped to 1.2GHz which helped but only took it down to the 69-75 degree range. This encouraged me to do something to try to cool my laptop down and the arrival of the Arctic Silver in the post this morning helped. Now remember, this laptop had been opened for around 10 minutes and no components changed, ambient temperature here today in my home office is currently 23.8C. I fired up MobMeter immediately after boot and the temperature started at 44C and dropped down to 40C. After 30 minutes running it was stable around 42C.

Unbelievable!

It actually cooled down from the residual temperature after I was working on the motherboard! It is currently running steady at 42C and I have lots of windows open. I really can't believe that some simple paste could do such a change and could maybe blame it on my blowing dust out of the heatexchanger fins on the CPU heatsink, or reseating the components more fully, or ... whatever. But a full 20-30 degrees drop in operating temperature? For a far more comfortable work environment on the laptop keyboard and the ability to avoid temperature shutdowns, some of the glory must be laid at the feet of this remarkable little paste.

[AssPenny]

I actually put artic silver on my laptops too. It does help.

[tomstarich]

My CPU Registers 40C Operating Temperature during normal operation.

When the Sim2 Game is played the CPU Temperature rises to 67C and that is with a fan blowing on the back of the A31p Laptop at the place on the back where the case is luvered to suppily the insides with air.

Without the fan I get graphics corruption and what appears to be heat associated failure. When Sims2 is played.

Thomas