T61p GPU and heat problems after retuning from depot

[mines]

Hello,

First, thank you for reading. This is my first post and I would like to say hello to all. Please, excuse me for my english as it´s not my main language since I live in Spain.

I would like to share the problems I have with my T61p. It´s a 6460-8WU type with 4G RAM, T7700 and Quadro FX570M graphics with the 15.4" display.

Some days ago, my thinkpad suddenly died and the screen turned completely black. After trying to booting it again, it beeped with one long and 2 short beeps. It turned out to be a GPU problem, so I got it to repair as it is still on warranty. The whole mobo was replaced.

Some days later, I got my laptop back from depot. Everything running fine and smooth, but, I tried to play a game and then noticed the GPU temp in tpfancontrol was hitting around 92 ºC! Seconds later the system shutted down.

I actually have the system idling at 74ºC/46ºC for GPU and CPU with the power saving scheme.

Rebooting, reinstalling drivers, checking bios, etc, didn´t make a difference, so I opened the thinkpad, cleaned the heatsink and CPU/GPU dies with ArticClean and reapplied ArticSilver 5 - no luck. Still the same hot as hell temps.

I thought it could be a problem with the screws attaching the heatsink to the motherboard, so with the system powered on, I pressed down the heatsink just where the GPU lies. The temp fell down more than 20ºC!

After some googling, I identified the heatsink FRU: 42X4685. Then I tought: does this part originally have a thermal pad on the GPU heatsink side? That could explain why the temp is OK when i press the heat pipe there; and maybe the repair guy "forgot" to reapply the pad.

If so, I could then reorder the heatsink off ebay (sending the laptop to depot and getting it back would cost me the same in shipping costs).

Also, I don´t know if it has anything to do with it, but when I change the power scheme, I can hear a high frequency noise coming from the GPU.

If not... what could it be? damaged GPU? wrong heatsink mounting?


Many thanks.

[parleyp]

Hello,

First, thank you for reading. This is my first post and I would like to say hello to all. Please, excuse me for my english as it´s not my main language since I live in Spain.

I would like to share the problems I have with my T61p. It´s a 6460-8WU type with 4G RAM, T7700 and Quadro FX570M graphics with the 15.4" display.

Some days ago, my thinkpad suddenly died and the screen turned completely black. After trying to booting it again, it beeped with one long and 2 short beeps. It turned out to be a GPU problem, so I got it to repair as it is still on warranty. The whole mobo was replaced.

Some days later, I got my laptop back from depot. Everything running fine and smooth, but, I tried to play a game and then noticed the GPU temp in tpfancontrol was hitting around 92 ºC! Seconds later the system shutted down.

I actually have the system idling at 74ºC/46ºC for GPU and CPU with the power saving scheme.

Rebooting, reinstalling drivers, checking bios, etc, didn´t make a difference, so I opened the thinkpad, cleaned the heatsink and CPU/GPU dies with ArticClean and reapplied ArticSilver 5 - no luck. Still the same hot as hell temps.

I thought it could be a problem with the screws attaching the heatsink to the motherboard, so with the system powered on, I pressed down the heatsink just where the GPU lies. The temp fell down more than 20ºC!

After some googling, I identified the heatsink FRU: 42X4685. Then I tought: does this part originally have a thermal pad on the GPU heatsink side? That could explain why the temp is OK when i press the heat pipe there; and maybe the repair guy "forgot" to reapply the pad.

If so, I could then reorder the heatsink off ebay (sending the laptop to depot and getting it back would cost me the same in shipping costs).

Also, I don´t know if it has anything to do with it, but when I change the power scheme, I can hear a high frequency noise coming from the GPU.

If not... what could it be? damaged GPU? wrong heatsink mounting?


Many thanks.

I have a couple things for you to check. If you feel comfortable, you need to pull the keyboard and palmrest. The next part is where you really need to be good--pull the heatsink fan...which will require you to have thermal paste on hand. I am betting they forgot to pull the clear plastic off the pads that go on the chipset and gpu. I have had techs do that to mine while repairing it. I have on site service so I actually pointed that out to one of them....

Good luck.

[mines]

I already took apart the laptop; the heatsink hasn't ever been changed so is the stock one (it doesn't have the film on the base)

[mines]

Well, I managed to solve the GPU temp problem.

Just bended the pipe that contacts the GPU, and did the same with the retaining clips. It seems that when the motherboard was replaced the heatsink was somehow bended.