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M14x cooling


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I agree call and check on warranty status. I dont think they will just offer up a replacement but if you think a clean out and repaste will help they should be able to help you with that free of charge.

Paranoid Galaxy S3 on Tapatalk 2

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Due to a problem I had on Day 1 when I got the laptop (thing started smoking and the palm rest area literally melted down :P), Dell had given me an immediate laptop replacement and a free upgrade to a 3-year accidental warranty, so I should be fine with that for a while ;). Anyway, according to the Dell guy, the problem is with the fan and heatsink, and so he is sending some 3rd-party technician to put in new ones. If this doesn't work, a video card (and, consequentially, a motherboard) replacement is due. I guess I'll just see what happens.

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Great glad it will be worked on now and having a warranty is indispensable. I hope its fixed quickly so you can get back to using your Alien.

Paranoid Galaxy S3 on Tapatalk 2

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Good news, guys. The problem was, in fact, with dust in the fan. There was a very, very thick layer of it blocking any airflow within the laptop (I don't know how I missed it when I checked), and now with my cooling pad, I can overclock the GPU with clocks of 760/1080 and still cap temps at 70C, with CPU temps at a peak of 76C.

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I have a problem with my alienware m14x r1, the problem is the cooling.

The problem is when I'm playing a game, from 60 fps drops to 15 fps (Fraps) and stays there. The laptop doesn't shutdown give errors and bsod, I have tried this few methods cleaning fan,replacing thermal paste, playing in a air conditioned room, Laptop Cooler and adjusting the fan speed. Is there something wrong with the hardware itself?

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Due to a problem I had on Day 1 when I got the laptop (thing started smoking and the palm rest area literally melted down :P),

That's not the worst notebook meltdown I've experienced. I had a WinBook FX a while back. The battery charge circuit overheated, fried the motherboard, warped the entire bottom case and who knows what else for damage. Completely ruined.

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I have a problem with my alienware m14x r1, the problem is the cooling.

The problem is when I'm playing a game, from 60 fps drops to 15 fps (Fraps) and stays there. The laptop doesn't shutdown give errors and bsod, I have tried this few methods cleaning fan,replacing thermal paste, playing in a air conditioned room, Laptop Cooler and adjusting the fan speed. Is there something wrong with the hardware itself?

Are you sure it's the temps? How high do they get?

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Ok... I repasted mu gpu and cpu with artic silver paste as well as using a can of conpressed air to clean the fans and remove dust from vents,...

Using this great guide-

Alienware M14x Disassembly/Teardown and Upgrade Guide!

My temps went from max load 86-93° right down to 65-68° max load with furmark!!!

I have now overclocked from590mhz stock clock to 750mhz temps dont go over 70° using msi afterburner.

The Dell paste job was awful and they used cheap nasty stuff! I am delighted that a simple repaste and clean could acheive this!!!

I highly reccomend doing this as 20 degrees is a huge drop in temps!!! Hope this helps!!

(just remember to follow the link excactly... Then reassemble in reverse order)

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My CPU runs at about 56-60 when idle, peaks at 93 (Celsius) when I benchmark. This is using the Intel video. I plan on disemboweling my laptop and reapplying heat sink paste, along with a WiFi upgrade and various cleanup since I've had it for over a year now and warranty is up. I've been having some freezing, but I think it's drive related, not heat related (I'm waiting for my 5 posts to download the A08 w/ SATA fix BIOS to hopefully fix it).

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  • 3 weeks later...

When I repasted my M14X I used some Arctic Cooling MX-2 paste I had left over from my desktop. It worked well for both my desktop and my laptop, and I'm satisfied with the results. I wish Dell had used a second vent and fan when they designed the laptop, but there is nothing we can do about it now.

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  • 4 weeks later...
You could always go down this easy path, And thermal Glue these on the heatpipes.

1a11fa7e_0000331_300.jpeg

ive been working on a Mod for the R2 for a bit now. the problem is you need to cut the bottom of the case open as there is no room at all. for anything....

M14x Heatsink Mod

i actually havent 100% settled on anything yet. more parts are in the mail.

was playing with heat pipes. but not sure this is a final solution ether...

main issue with just adding RAM sinks is they seem to work all fine and good when air is moving across them, but when just sitting there passivly they end up soaking up a lot of heat energy and just holding on to it. so you just hanging out browsing the web etc. and after a while your CPU hits 50-55c and then the fan stays on for like 5-7min... no joke.

whats happening is the heatpipes are not only cooling your CPU at that point, they are also cool the RAM sinks and all their stored energy....

my current idea is a second fan. problem is, clearance... i have a 30x30x3mm fan on its way. we will see how this works out. :59:

post-9769-14494994246588_thumb.jpg

post-9769-14494994247337_thumb.jpg

post-9769-14494994248115_thumb.jpg

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ive been working on a Mod for the R2 for a bit now. the problem is you need to cut the bottom of the case open as there is no room at all. for anything....

M14x Heatsink Mod

i actually havent 100% settled on anything yet. more parts are in the mail.

was playing with heat pipes. but not sure this is a final solution ether...

main issue with just adding RAM sinks is they seem to work all fine and good when air is moving across them, but when just sitting there passivly they end up soaking up a lot of heat energy and just holding on to it. so you just hanging out browsing the web etc. and after a while your CPU hits 50-55c and then the fan stays on for like 5-7min... no joke.

whats happening is the heatpipes are not only cooling your CPU at that point, they are also cool the RAM sinks and all their stored energy....

my current idea is a second fan. problem is, clearance... i have a 30x30x3mm fan on its way. we will see how this works out. :59:

If you don't use the optical drive you can remove it and use this new space to put a big fan there. You will have to cut this division of the frame that I marked in red to let the air flow pass.

post-9921-14494994289878_thumb.jpg

I'm thinking in doing that on my m14x r1, re-paste and then overclock the gpu.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

It seems as though some m14's overheat and some don't. I think it has something to do with the paint job and overall job on the laptop.

My first laptop would overheat. I sent it back, got a new one, which did not overheat, even when overclocking the drivers and some tweaks on the bios.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have repasted mine twice already, and as time passes the temps go back to the way they were before (90+ Full load). What did they replace when you sent yours back?

It seems as though some m14's overheat and some don't. I think it has something to do with the paint job and overall job on the laptop.

My first laptop would overheat. I sent it back, got a new one, which did not overheat, even when overclocking the drivers and some tweaks on the bios.

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  • 1 month later...

Well, my machine seems to be one of the faulty ones. It hits 100C easily when stress testing with PRIME or OCCT. The trouble is it's a refurbished one and I'm not sre if they'd take it back.

I'm thinking on repasting mine as well and maybe doing some of the suggested mods. What are your normal temps when stress testing? I'm also using the modified A11 with throttle stop at 31x, as I have a I7 3610QM, which doesn't go higher with all 4 cores enabled.

Other than that - it seems to run stable with 105 Bclk, so it's a shame that the cooling doesn't allow me to pump it up.

UPDATE:

I took it to a technician and they cleaned the fan compartment with compressed air. Huge difference in temps after that. Now getting 92C at most when stress testing, with average temps around 85, which is fine I guess. I didn't expect it to get stuck with dust and dirt that fast, usually takes at least 5-6 months.

occt.pdf

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