HP Laptop overheating issue.

[ARCHON]

I have an HP envy dv6 Notebook PC.

 

Compared to my ancient Desktop, this computer kicks azz in every way. It can play and run games I can't dream of using my desktop for. However, I have run into a cooling issue. Almost instantly, within 5 minutes of doing anything meaningful, the fan kicks on and never turns off because the laptop is incredibly hot. This is particularly an issue when playing ET because I have probably the lowest ping of everyone on every server I join, but constantly get lag killed and have issues when playing Et I never have when on my ancient desktop.

 

I have tried taking it apart to clean the fan but I encountered 4 screws inside the assembly after you remove the cover screws from the back of the laptop. These screws seem plastered in place I have proper screw drivers for these screws but the more force I apply it seems to just strip them. I quit before I really did any permanent damage stripping the screws open. The laptop is about 2.5 years old so I know the fan could use a good cleaning but I have also read countless support forums on the overheating where people have cleaned and even replaced the fans to no avail.

 

I shouldn't be having the issues I am while playing ET. The game itself isn't exactly resource heavy. I've got factory onboard graphics card(shitty I know, but far superior to my desktops 8 year old onboard graphics card) and superior in just about every way to my desktop, including the connection speed I am playing from.

 

My laptop specs are

2.50GHz 3rd generation Intel Core i5-3210M Processor with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.10GHz

6GB DDR3 SDRAM (2 DIMM)

Intel HD graphics 4000 with up to 1696MB total graphics memory

1TB 5400RPM hard drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

 

Basically I have the equivalent of like 4 of my desktop PC in this laptop but have issues I never experienced on my desktop. I am %1000 certain I am getting problems because of the overheating and it's just slowing the thing down.

 

So, any suggestions to attempt to offset the overheating other than simple clean/replace the fan.

 

[ARCHON]

Also, just wanted to say, I am trying this fix now and it will test it for several session playing and report back here. If it works it may help other laptop users. In the meantime I am still open to any alternative suggestions. As I type, the suggestions in this video have already stopped this darn thing from blowing hard! LoL.

 

[redy.]

Hi Archon,

 

what i have at home are cans filled with air:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=can+of+air

 

They usually have a little straw that makes it easy to get into the fan without disassembling your laptop.

 

However it will have a better affect when you open your laptop and clean it with air pressure, because you get more dirt out and can target dusty areas easier.

 

Here a Video how to disassemble your laptop:

 

 

besides that, if you want to have better performance, three important things:

 

1.) Keep you drivers up to date: (link)

If they are up to date it can help the performance of your components.

 

2.) HDD optimization

Your hard drive with 5400 RPM is a usual laptop hard drive. If you want to invest some $ (~100 - 250$) get a SSD (link)

IT will boos up your performance and the SSds also dont generate so much heat compared to a busy 5400 RPM magnetic HDD.

 

3.) Wifi optimization

Wify blows with FPS games. Talking about lag. The bandwith and ping is usually better with wired connection or you can invest some $ to get a more optimal wifi hardware (link)

[Vanaraud]

Just to clear things up, SSD reduces loading times, it doesn´t boost gaming, especially it doesn´t no way have effect on FPS. Even on loading games up, it could reduce loading times, but there are more factors like DRM etc to loading games\maps etc. So SSD always don´t have the hoped effect.

Dusting off and maybe even changing thermal paste could help, also there are cooling pads for laptops. And do you happen to have Win10?

[ARCHON]

Just to clear things up, SSD reduces loading times, it doesn´t boost gaming, especially it doesn´t no way have effect on FPS. Even on loading games up, it could reduce loading times, but there are more factors like DRM etc to loading games\maps etc. So SSD always don´t have the hoped effect.

Dusting off and maybe even changing thermal paste could help, also there are cooling pads for laptops. And do you happen to have Win10?

 

Certainly not, I am lucky to have stayed with Windows 8... From what I have read on these and other forums, I want 0 parts of Win10.

[Phil-O]

Also, just wanted to say, I am trying this fix now and it will test it for several session playing and report back here. If it works it may help other laptop users. In the meantime I am still open to any alternative suggestions. As I type, the suggestions in this video have already stopped this darn thing from blowing hard! LoL.

 

Did you have any luck at all?

 

Interesting topic - the neverending problem of overheating consumer notebooks... my HP DV6 Pavillon just died, I am still hopeful to revive it with the forum's help though. However for the worst case I've started looking out for something new. Reading into it, my intuition was more than confirmed that consumer laptops are built in such a way that they won't be able to handle the built-in performance heat-wise. In Germany the price for an i7-4xxx with say a geforce gtx950 is sometimes less than 900€. So why do business laptops cost so much more and still have less expensive components? It's all in the build quality of the barebone: hard materials, panel, good heat infrastructure and cooling system.

So then I thought 'let's get a notebook with business quality but also with a decent GPU'. Well, now that's expensive!

Best solution I could find were a number of retailers where you can have your notebook assembled based on clevo barebones and choosing your components one by one. It certainly doesn't correspond to a lenovo's T-Series quality but it is an OK compromise, also taking into account that these barebones are easy to open up and clean/update with new hardware. Just for reference a newly released 15.4" with IPS panel, i7-6700hq with a gtx950, better wifi, 500GB SSD costs around 1250€. It's still a lot of money especially for a poor student like me, but I've come to think that I'd rather wait half a year than buy another piece of plastic waste that gives me the same frustrations all over again.

 

So why did I write this little novel? Because I wanted to show you that even if you manage to get to your fan, replace it and apply thermal paste/pads, the outcome won't be as wished. Why? Because these consumer notebooks aren't build to work cool and silent for many years in the first place! Nor are they built for a comfortable accessabilty of the hardware. The money they make through repairs and the faster turnover rate from the early death of those notebooks serves to further reduce the retail price.

 

Of course that doesn't mean you shouldn't try!

 

And btw is your intel onboard graphics good enough to play ET or do you have an additional GPU to switch to?

 

Cheers

Phil-O