Precision M6400 Owner's Lounge *Part 2*

I truly don't understand what you mean about your finger 'getting stuck' and wonder if you could describe it differently so I might understand. I'm not stupid but am not even sure what part you refer to. You mean the aluminum backing that's part of the lid? I've been moving my fingers all over everything and it's just confusing me more. And what temps. are considered overheating, either in your opinion or some specified number? I always use a Zalman cooling pad with all laptops and being in the tropics there's fans everywhere that must help with the cooling because unless it's really under load I rarely see more than 40 Celsuis (105 fahrenheit) The GPU runs hotter than the CPU is about all I've noticed really. I don't stare at it all the time but I've never seen the temps above 55 (130 or so F). I'm sure it's been hotter but rarely and not by much. At least I don't think so but like I said I don't obsess on it. The only part where I've ever felt the thing that I considered hot was about dead center on the base in the back. Everywhere else is always a little above room temp. at the hottest. Thanks if you can enlighten me on this. I've had no problems at all in a year and hearing about others makes me wonder if I'm just dodging bullets or what.
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Precision Covet | QX9300 | 4GB 1066 | 64GB Samsung SLC SSD & 320GB Seagate | XP Pro 32bit & Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

 

There are plenty of reasons for a computer to overheat, mine was probably just one of them. If you call Dell, they probably tell you what to do, they first replaced parts that were frequently the reason of the overheating; just that in my particular case didn't work.

What I noticed is that moving my finger over the aluminum backing (I mean the orange -if you have a Covet- cover of both the lid and the bottom of the computer) I received a kind of current that felt like if the cover was a little bit sticky. I didn't notice it wasn't the friction of the surface of the computer that produced that effect until I realized that sometimes the surface was much smoother than others.

I have no idea of how many degrees my old computer reached but it was pretty hot and the CPU had several peaks. I also had frequent blue or black screens. And too frequently I couldn't restart it after putting it to sleep specially if it was on batteries.

Now I'm noticing the current again in my new replaced computer. I just realized it happens actually in any part of the orange (grey if it is not a Covet M6400) aluminum (I'm just assuming is aluminum) cover.

The feeling is actually better described as an electric current than as a sticky surface. But you feel it just when you move your finger on that aluminum part, and if you put another finger on that cover the effect disappears. I'm not sure about the old one but with the new one it's happening just when I'm using the battery instead of the AC power. I'm not having all the problems I used to have with the old one but on the other hand I have barely used the battery which could be the cause of the problems so I'm a little bit concerned. Even if it didn't affected the computer, this current doesn't feel like the more desirable thing to feel in your body and coming from your computer, does it? Does anyone know what could it be producing it? And what effects could produce?

 

Has anyone updated to A09 Bios and if so any problems? Just clean out your fans everyonce in a while that is what i was experiencing.

 

struggling to understand this, but are you saying you are getting an Electric shock?

 

Yes I understand it, I had the same ffelings now and then whith my former M90.
I don't know if it was electrostatic or something different, but it was actually some mild electric shock.

However it was nothing bad and it never happened with either the M4400 or the M6400 (until now).

Ciao

GB

 

You are lucky (I suppose) that it only happens running on the battery. If you can feel stray current from the battery the same problem on AC could really light you up. Don't use it in puddles or while you're soaking your feet though, stray and/or faulty juice, battery or AC is a serious problem in my book and while I know something about electricity I don't know enough about the many intricate and tiny circuits and such that make up a computer except that if you can feel it in the casing it's probably going through everything else on it's way there. And it seems like you're not alone here. I have no solution other than that I'm trying to figure the stray current thing out, but a short circuit is a short circuit and is serious enough that you all should be shouting as long and hard as necessary to get Dell to fix it. Anyone that's having this problem, are there other problems that seem to go along with it? Because I have a hard time believing that power distribution that out of whack wouldn't have other symptoms unless it's a direct short of the battery casing itself. I'm not going to turn mine over and start looking right now but I have an upside down Toshiba here and looking at the most likely similar connections where the battery connects are all the points clean, unbent, untwisted or is anything strange looking? Enough hair will carry enough DC current to feel through an aluminum medium. Where everything goes from the connection point on I have no idea but I'm going to find out, starting with wiring diagrams that I'm sure I have, possibly in one of the several m6400 service manuals I've got stored somewhere. I don't suppose the two(?) people that say they've had the same problem are using Windows 7 maybe? Don't know how that may relate except I've seen something about shortened battery life or something with the new OS. Nor do I see how an OS alone would cause a short circuit, but until the last year these things have been like toasters or any other appliance to me. So this is a learning experience for me but a short circuit is a short circuit whether it's a toaster or the space shuttle and it's an equipment fault regardless. I hardly ever even use the battery but am now and can't replicate the problem so far. If you take a wire and ground the case only (just tape one end on the case and the other to a known ground) does it still short? That's the only thing I can think of offhand you might try. If that stops the short it would at least give you a starting point. The Toshiba I'm using for reference here is all plastic but if the battery casing on the 6400 is not touching or in contact with the rest of the casing then try the wire ground on both and see what you get. And have you replaced or tried another battery? Sorry for the long winded question about a question but it's a mysterious and serious problem that Dell should be all over trying to fix for you.
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Precision Covet | QX9300 | 4GB 1066 | 64GB Samsung SLC SSD & 320GB Seagate | XP Pro 32bit & Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

 

You mean the new BIOS that's been out for three months? If so, yes and no. Yes I updated to it and no, no problems. And the bit about cleaning the fans, that have something to do with your BIOS question? Sorry but your question is a bit convoluted. What exactly were you 'experiencing'? And in relation to what?
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Precision Covet | QX9300 | 4GB 1066 | 64GB Samsung SLC SSD & 320GB Seagate | XP Pro 32bit & Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

 

I was talking about the guy who is having overheating issues.

 

Ok, here goes for answering all questions directed to me:


On the overheating front - I judge overheating based on the fact that the machine is throttling components to a lower speed when under load. The temperature for the GPU sits in the high 70's, but I have had other notebooks where this has been a lot higher with no issues. I can confirm it is a heat related issue because when the laptop is propped up to create extra airspace between the base of the machine and the desk, the speed of the machine increases dramatically.

Have i tried cleaning the fans? Yes.

I had the screen replaced the other day because there was a defect in the manufacture of the panel.

Electric shock? If I rest my arms on the metal near the palm rest area, then yes I can feel a slight electric current. However, I feel this from nearly every electronic device I have encountered with a metal casing when it is connected to an earth. I thought I was just strange, and maybe I am.

Tried the new BIOS, no difference on this situation, but no problems otherwise.

Contacted Dell about this and they are shipping me a lot of replacement components to try and solve this issue. I'll report back once I've completed the surgery and let you all know if there was a solution.

Did I miss anything?

Regards,
Grant

 

I had the overheating issue with my M1730 and the throttling issue. I ran the extended diagnostic test and the test passed with no error reported. The computer also propped up for extra air space but the problem was still there. It turned out that the motherboard was the culprit. I don't know the technical working orders of the motherboard but after the motherboard was changed, twice actually (the first one was DOA), the temperatures read more stable and the throttling issue disappeared. Now, I have other issues with the M1730 but not heat related. What I am trying trying to say is it could be the motherboard not working like it should. Have you run any test? I have the QX9300 and 3700M and the normal idle temperatures are in the mid to upper 40s.

About the short circuit between you and electronics: do you have mostly carpet in you house? How about checking the ground wiring of your house?

I am just throwing out ideas.