Dell XPS M1710 Overheating

[Vampiric Puppet]

Basically several years ago I bought a Dell XPS M1710 Laptop, and I love this thing it's great.

But it does have one major floor that makes me want to destroy it. It overheats. A lot.

Every 9 months or so the heat sink has to be replaced because it is apparently clogged with dust, my house isn't actually that dusty and the airflow to my room is ok. And the other computer in the room does just fine. But all of a sudden it has once again started to shut itself down whenever it damn well feels like it. Which is all the time.

In other words I'm asking how can I fix this problem myself? The first time the warrenty covered it, the 2nd time I think I payed but I'm sure as hell not paying again. How can I fix this problem on my own? Yeah I know I should have fixed it months ago but I just never got around to it: my bad.

Anyway please help? Before it becomes a glorified coaster.

 

[frozenlead]

You keep on replacing the heatsinks? Holy crap! Just clean them out, that's all they need!

 

[Vampiric Puppet]

Well the first time when I didn't know what the problem was the Dell Support guys said "Yeah we'll just replace them for you for free because it's still under warrenty"

And the 2nd time they replaced them again. Don't remember why to be honest.

How do I clean it out though? Do I have to go through the keyboard and take it apart? Is there a simpler way?

 

[frozenlead]

Yes! Just take it out to your garage and power up your air compressor. Then just blow air through the vents in the bottom and sides, and watch all the stuff that comes out.

 

[lostandwandering]

Yes! Just take it out to your garage and power up your air compressor. Then just blow air through the vents in the bottom and sides, and watch all the stuff that comes out.

Or for those without a compressor, go to Walmart and buy a can of compressed air in the electronics section. Will run you about $10.

 

[Vampiric Puppet]

Ah cool thanks guys, when I get a chance I will go into town and buy an Air Compressor. But I like in the UK so does anyone know any stores that definetly sell it over here? Like PC world or something

 

[Vampiric Puppet]

Ok so I bought the Air Compressor (£7 in a local Shop) and I attached the really long thin plastic nozzle thing and spayed it through the 2 fans. Is that all I need to do? I can see the main fans on the bottom in either corner. But I'm not sure where the others are. Anyone know?

And is that seriously all I need to do? Not take the lid off or open her up or anything? Just spray that through the fan holes?

 

[frozenlead]

Yup, that's all, just as long as you were thorough about it. It's worth it to blow through the vents as well as the fans, so you get maximum dust-removalness.

Also, I think that series of Dell notebooks only have 2 fans, so you're good.

Now you can fill your car tires, too!

 

[Vampiric Puppet]

Ah that's really cool thanks guys

I owe y'all one.

This is going to sound REALLY stupid, but which are the vents? I know the two at the front are speakers. What about the small two either side of the keyboard?

 

[frozenlead]

'vent' isn't acutally a technical term...it's really just what I call them.

So, you have the intakes on the bottom of your computer (which you can clearly see fans through). Then you have the exhaust vents (generally on the back or sides) that blows out hot air. You should clean the heatsinks inside by spraying air in both ways.

 

[madcat_16]

hi,

i bought the xps m1710 some years ago now... and in the last couple of months i had some problems like this

when switching it on it would appear with aaa aaa aaa all over the screen at the start when it is supposed to be just pitchblack and then when going further the screen appears black and with lines - as if it squached the whole screen several times and brings it out like zebra crossings

i reformatted the pc ... and somehow after logging into facebook - it started with this story again... so i thought it would be a virus - but when scanning kaspersky didn't find anything dodgy...

then i uninstalled it and via suggestion of a friend i installed avast! ... nothing dodgy found... i deleted some unidentified folder ... and it was fine for a few weeks... when it started it again...

after having noticed that the laptop heats up very quickly... i am thinking that maybe the grafic card has melted in all this time of running 'whole scans'... and indeed the ventilators are full of dust... i read about the aircompressor - which i will try out... but is it possible that this aaa aa aaa on the screen appears because the grafic card is f**d???

 

[1up]

I resolved the problem by opening the computer and cleaning it...it was a little complex but it worth !!! you really should take the time to do it ...it seams a little scary but it's not so tuff.i used the instruction from dell support.

mine droped by ten degre and evacuate the heat really fast now.
in game max:90C ...the fan were running low
in game moy:83C
idle temp:62C

before cleanning
ingame: infinite C (a matter of time before overheat)
idle:74C (and seams like it were going worst and worst)

by opening it i discovered a lot of dirt jamming the air output at the back of the computer.

he's now like new... really

by the way side traps are air intake and back are air output the dust usally jamm in the output.In my case there were about 3 or 4 mm of compact dirt before the air outtake.