Search the Community

Hi everyone, I have an unusual request. I have an i7-3940xm in my M17xr4 and it's difficult to keep cool. I have already done the m14x fan mod and I'm using Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut thermal compound... it's just not enough. The CPU is constantly being throttled (my bios settings in a11 unlocked are set to throttle it 85 C) when under load, and it will sometimes see temperatures in the mid to high 90s. The maximum operating temperature is rated at 105C, and I have a thermal shutdown set in bios for 100C, which it hasn't yet reached (but it gets scary close). Even when throttled, it's still an upgrade and runs better then the stock 3630qm, but I don't wan't it to throttle all of the time. I know I could underclock it, but what's the point of having an upgraded CPU if you're just going to downclock it to similar specs as the original (baring cache, of course). At idle, by the way, it jumps around mid 50s to high 60s. Anyway, to keep it cool, I want to try using a peltier cooler. They're thermoelectric ceramic devices of which one side gets hot and the other gets cold when an electric current goes through them, for those who didn't already know. I figure I can sandwich it between my cpu and the heatsink and try to help keep the cpu's temps a little more reasonable. I have one of a workable size which can withstand temps of up to 135C, and I've done the math with it's specs so that it hopefully knocks 25ish degrees off while at full load and not overheat the peltier doing so. This leads me to my question/request; I need to know if anyone would know a place on the motherboard which supplies voltage when the laptop is running, but not when it's off, whether or not the charger/battery is connected? I have found a few good sources on the MB which can withstand the drain, but they're always hot, even when the laptop is off. I have a multimeter and have been probing, but I don't want to disassemble half the laptop and attempt running it in pieces to verify a good source. If no one knows off hand or has any idea, does anyone know of any schematics or files which exist which contain voltage information of various contacts on the m17x r4 motherboard? I know this is a strange request and most will not be able to assist, but before taking it all the way apart to probe around I thought I would at least ask. I'll make a write-up on how it's done and how well it works if it's successful, as well as a controller circuit if necessary using a teensy 2.0 or something.

Solved: See here for the solution. __________________________________ I'd like to try a little voltage mod on my CPU, I'd like to know how much further I can push this CPU. Does anybody now the maximum standard voltage which an i7 720QM or a 920xm uses? I just looked at some Intel datasheets, and I only found the "absolute maximum rating" for the VCC (core voltage) which is 1.45V. I guess the actual max voltage has to be distinctly lower, but I'm not sure. The VID table goes up to 1.5V. Some of the old Core Duo had a VCC of about 1.125V at their maximum multi (if my source is correct), and the "absolute maximum rating" was 1.6V (assuming I didn't make a mistake while looking this up) Without knowing the max voltage the CPU uses it's gonna be hard to do more or less sane mod. Any information would be appreciated. Edit: @unclewebb , as far as I remember you don't know a way to manipulate the voltage per software... (and I haven't seen any hint about how to do this in the Intel documents I've read so far), but do you know of a method to read out the core voltage of the first gen i7? Knowing the state of the 7 VID bits would allow to read out the voltage.