Previous thermal management issues with w500?

[DaKKS]

I have thermal management issues on my "new" w500 that i cant seem to solve. However since i dont have a working battery i cant flash the bios. Running bios version 2.07 atm. Considering the mfg date, this is probably the bios it shipped with.

Could this be the cause? Like the horrible power and thermal management on the A485? Were there any documented thermal issues solved by bios updates back in the day?

[BillP]

This file contains the bios revision history.
https://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/p ... uj46us.txt

Latest bios is here
https://download.lenovo.com/lenovo/cont ... /w500.html

[DaKKS]

Hmm, there is an update related to fan speed control. I wonder if that could be it. It runs like an absolute dog with the bios control, but keeps it normal with the tpfancontrol snart setting.

Im hovering around 108-110 celcius on gpu load. Cpu load is around 70 celcius.

[TPFanatic]

You need to repaste the CPU and GPU. Idle temps for both should be at or below 50C, max load not exceeding 85C.

[DaKKS]

I did repaste, temps changed minimally. The difference is within what i would call margin of error.

The strange thing is that if bios controls the fan, idle is extremely low, but load is on the thermal shutdown limit. If tpfan controls it, idle is high but load hovers around 85 celcius.

[axur-delmeria]

You can edit the config file for tpfan to have a more aggressive fan profile.
You can also try undervolting the CPU to reduce temps.

[DaKKS]

Yeah, i'm gonna have to do that. But thats kinda like fixing the hole in your boat by getting a bigger bilge pump.

[RealBlackStuff]

Make a battery extension cable to use any other contemporary battery, and you can flash your BIOS any time.
viewtopic.php?p=680106#p680106

[TPFanatic]

TPFC was released in T43 era when contemporary ThinkPads had noisy fans and the goal of the program is to solve that by turning the fan off. By default TPFC turns the fan off with temps below 60C* or so, which is why you're seeing higher idle temps. TPFC does run the fan faster at speeds 7 and 64, faster than the T500/W500 BIOS normally would, in the range of 75-85C* or so. BUT, it returns to 128 which is BIOS mode in excess of 90C* or so which on T500/W500 slows the fan down when you really need it as fast as possible. On T500/W500 this default is simply idiotic, but the defaults weren't written for the T500/W500.

*Check the TPFC config.ini for the actual default temp-fan curve. I'm writing from memory.

Your thermal paste is no good or your heatsink is defective if you're getting temperatures exceeding 100C on the GPU. That'll be a dead GPU before long.

[DaKKS]

Yeah, i ordered a new heatsink/fan. I repasted it three times at this point, with brand new mx4.

I also swapped the W500 keyboard back in (first thing i did was put my T61 keyboard in it) thinking maybe it sucks in air via the keyboard like HPs but there was no difference in temps.

I'm thinking this might be why it was taken out of service. Last file on it was created in early 2011, so it was only used for 2 years. This was the reason i out the fan/heatsink as a low priority issue. It was a possibly fault, but with so little use, i found it unlikely.

Gonna make a custom profile and run that until the X9100 and new fan/heatsink arrives.

[TPFanatic]

Something you can do to keep the GPU safe in the meantime is go to BIOS, settings, display and set the GPU to "Integrated" so it uses the Intel GMA 4500 exclusively.

I encountered a dysfunctional heatsink on an iGPU only T500 before and modded a dGPU heatsink to fit and replace it. Sounds like you've pinned it down.

[DaKKS]

Swapped in an X9100 and a N/OS fan. Cpu/gpu is idling at 45-50/50-55 celcius

[YoniG]

The X9100 in my W500 runs up to 4GHz with no problem. Throttlestop and about an hour of your time will get you there.

[N33dF0rSp33dFan]

The X9100 in my W500 runs up to 4GHz with no problem. Throttlestop and about an hour of your time will get you there.

4GHz?! How? At what voltage?
I barely hit 3.73GHz @ 1.3375v when I had mine.

[YoniG]

3.99GHz at 1.1375v

[TPFanatic]

Different individual CPUs will react to overclocking differently.

[DaKKS]

Funny story. Noticed that without throttlestop the x9100 is stuck at 1598mhz.

Didnt see it until now because i was using throttlestop, but it cant seem to regulate the speed correctly. To be fair, i should be lucky it boots at all since i'm still running the factory 2009 bios due to the fact i dont have a battery for it.

[RealBlackStuff]

@DaKKS:
time to make a battery extension cable, see viewtopic.php?t=104989

[DaKKS]

@DaKKS:
time to make a battery extension cable, see viewtopic.php?t=104989

Thanks, but i've bought a battery from a forum member. Just waiting for it to turn up in the mail.

[DaKKS]

Okay so the stock 2009 bios does not support the X9100 properly. It works, but its basically in limp home mode. Threw in the new battery,upgraded bios to 3.22 and everything works perfectly with the x9100.

[n2ri]

Yeah, i ordered a new heatsink/fan. I repasted it three times at this point, with brand new mx4.

I also swapped the W500 keyboard back in (first thing i did was put my T61 keyboard in it) thinking maybe it sucks in air via the keyboard like HPs but there was no difference in temps.

I'm thinking this might be why it was taken out of service. Last file on it was created in early 2011, so it was only used for 2 years. This was the reason i out the fan/heatsink as a low priority issue. It was a possibly fault, but with so little use, i found it unlikely.

Gonna make a custom profile and run that until the X9100 and new fan/heatsink arrives.

the air intake holes are on bottom of both T61 & W500 but W500 holes have screens restricting air flow instead of feeding more air for hotter CPU/GPU plus same single fan as the T61