Calling all Latitude and Precision owners with Nvidia cards!

Hello folks,

I have a Dell Latitude E6400 with the Nvidia Quadro NVS 160m graphics card. When I put stress on the GPU (for example playing a game), it heats up to 102ºC, which is a dangerous temperature. I have called Dell Finland and they offered to replace the motherboard, which I refused because all other users with Nvidia cards that I know of have very high temperatures when playing a game. Dell Finland has now told me to send them an email describing my problem and provide links to other people describing their own problems.

Therefore, I'd like to ask all Latitude and Precision users with Nvidia cards to post their experiences here, in particular the GPU temperatures under load. You can use HWmonitor to measure the temperatures. I am especially interested in hearing from people who have done a "copper mod", since that has been so far the only successful solution to appear here in the forums.

Thanks in advance!

 

Thank you for contacting me.

I will run the tests and post back here when I can.

Either way, I noticed an improvement after cleaning and the copper mod: My Copper Mod



Thanks for reaching out,

G. S. McNamara

 

I have a Precision M4400. My GUP (770M) was overheating. I had the mobo and GPU replaced by a Dell technician.

Immediately after it was replaced, I found it to overheat again, even more rapidly. But once I replaced his ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE application of thermal compound with OCZ Freeze (applied properly), the problem has stayed away.

The thermal compound was not the issue in the first place, however, as I had replaced it with OCZ Freeze to no effect. The 2nd GPU was certainly better than the first.

 

I have a E6500 and as my DELL-heatsink has a copper plate in the stock configuration I have not done a copper mod.

My original temperatures have been to high IMHO (90+ degrees celsius).

So I changed the thermal paste.

Now I have better temperatures.
69 degrees Celsius maximum at both two stress tests:

FurMark Stablility Test
and
3DMark05 (3916)

Enviroment: 18 degrees Celsius

The E6400 has another thermal assembly than the E6500.

 

I have a E6400 and don't have any issues with overheating when playing games. My temps at maximum rise to 90 sometimes.

 

Dont mod it-have them exchange it for you.
It would take me hours to write out all the bad experiences I have had with the 6400+Nvidia 160 over the past year so I will leave you with this:
Exchange for the Intel chip and be done with it.
If its past the return/exchange point, have them send you another unit with another 160 in it. There seems to be certain models that have superior thermal environments than others.
I cant seem to figure out how or why, but I am on my third latitude with a 160 and its finally working ok (although it still occasionally overheats).

 

Between thermal paste/pad application, copper surface flatness and just general system cleanliness there are enough variables to account for great differences. Even installation will affect thermal profile, especially if uneven screw height between heatsink -> chassis end up slanting the heatsink slightly off the GPU, out of contact with thermal pad/paste. I bet just taking heatsink out and screwing back in (slight displacements) could introduce changes of 15C either way (like @heinz2005; no way thermal paste brought down temps by 20C+, but glad your changes in removing, cleaning, reapplying better product and reinstalling got great results ).

Question to any/all of you here -- How are you determining if the GPU is too hot? Mine reaches 85C (185F!), which I consider hot, but others have mentioned 100C+. Is there a source from Dell or Nvidia that lists operating ranges or maximum tolerances? Whats normal and what's critical? And what are the Dell BIOS ranges (i.e. for maximum fan, gpu/cpu downclocking, system shutoff). Some guidlines like this will help you get back to them with more accurate profile of experiences by card and chassis.

 

i have E6400, my GPU temp is about 75C when I play CS-source, as well as AmericaArmy.

 

My E6400 with Quadro and P8400 processor also overheats when gaming. I have seen temperatures of 102C and the GPU started doing thermal throttling.

I would definitely do a copper mod if it wouldn't void my computer's warranty...,

 

@WestDev: Please read this thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=365879
The German thermal compound I use has 9 times the thermal conductivity compared to e.g. Arctic Silver 5.