Typically the laptop should be placed on a hard surface when used to get air flow.

 

You might try getting a notebook cooler this would help a little with cooling.

 

Using a can of compressed air to blow out the dust in the vents would also help some.

 Welcome to the forums :smileyhappy:

 

 

I agree with what's been advised in both respects.

 

The first thing you should try, is ensuring the fans aren't clogged up with dust.

If you still have problems after cleaning them out, a notebook cooler is a good option.

 

I'm personally using a (black) Zalman ZM-NC2000 Ultra-Quiet Notebook Cooler for my new XPS M1730.

It has a fan speed control 'wheel' on the right side, so you can turn the fan speeds up or down, according to what you're doing on the laptop - i.e. low for browsing the internet etc, high for gaming :smileywink:

hi i'm experiencing the same problem for some months now (M1710). I don't think it's an overheating problem as the fan goes crazy at any time, it can happen a few hours after using the computer, but it also happens just 2min after starting the computer. From what i observed it seems linked to the graphics system (sometimes just by loading a movie in youtube).

I used powerTop to check for the power usage and the biggest power waster was nvidia, after some tuning..at first it looked like fixed but after a day same situation. The fan goes crazy and the system slows down untill becoming totally unusable. I usually shutdown, wait 5min and startup again... utill it hogs again.

I tried different nvidia drivers without success.

(yes i clean the fans, and i tried the computer in very cold situation...same thing happen).

 

(i live in nepal, temperature in the day goes now to 35c, but winter time is around 0c (outside...and inside the room) and the problem was there as well ), so i think it's a bit hard to get overheating with 0degrees c around you and using little ressources on the laptop.

XPS M1710, GoForce 7900 gtx 512, 1gb ram, Ubuntu 8.04
(was allready happening with ubuntu 7.10)

Rixco, your describing the same fault as mine EXACTLY apart from mine does overheat after gaming for half an hour or so. The problem has gotten worse as the machine has completey cut out (turned off) twice in the last 24 hours now.

 

I actually rarely sit using on my lap and certainly not gaming, get the same problem even if using on a table. 

did you try if it happens with windows? i don't have it installed anymore so i can't check

Bios A07 already installed.

How do I run de Dell fan diags?

Yes Rixco, it does happen with windows, I am running Vista.

 

I too already have A07.

 

Dell are supposed to be coming out tomorrow to fit new fan and motherboard. I'll update you guys how we get on. 

Technician came out today (day after promised) and fitted new motherboard and fan.

 

He could not remove 1 of the screws that attach the LCD screen which you have to detach to gain access to the motherboard. So he phoned dell who instructed him to I quote, "break it off", and told him they would worry about any damage later. He could not even break it away and in the end used one of my drills (breaking 2 of my drill bits in the process).

 

Within 5 minutes of him leaving the symptoms are exactly the same and the machine has already cut out due to overheating.

 

I am on hold to dell as we speak to find out what their next course of action will be........ 

After them purposly breaking it and still have not fixed the original issue,i would ask for a replacement.

 

 

 

???????????

dell instructed to break it??? what kind of fix is that???

keep us up do date man, i think this is gonna be a funny (well..doesn't look so from your side probably) fixin story..

i won't do a move until i see what they do to your machine... this looks like a weird start for now..

good luck..

 

#my  battery is charching at 50% (or even less), does a weak battery affect the system even when it's plugged on AC (i saw this problem on other laptop brand, the computer was acting strange even on AC when the old/damaged battery was in)

 

#first (short) Fn+startup diags reported everything allright, still have to do a full diag.