[Vostro 1400] CPU load to 100% after 5 min?

This is on a vostro 1400 with the notorious 8400M. Recently, whenever I run a game (any game, even older ones like WC3) or anything graphics-intensive such as movies, the cpu load increases until it hits 100% and the system basically freezes until I exit whatever program was running.

For the first 5-10 of a game, everything runs smoothly, but eventually the cpu load maxes and I have to quit. the sound is also messed up, which i think is just an effect of the cpu load.

Things done to (try) to fix:
- updated nVidia, chipset, and USB drivers
- speedfan shows the CPU temp maxing at 65, and the GPU temp maxing around 90. high, but not critical.
- taskmgr shows both cores eventually getting maxed out

after i quit the game/program, the cpu load slowly decreases until it is back to idle.

any idea what might be causing this? my first thought is that maybe the cpu is throttling back due to the airflow problem in this laptop, but the temps aren't necessarily that high.

thnx in advance,
fan

 

I'm having a similar problem on my V1500 where temps get high even when playing games, even older games like bf2.Your probaly out of warranty, but if your suffering from a bad gpu dell might help you out.84m/86m series both run hot during gpu intensive tasks.

 

i also noticed that having dual monitors exacerbates the problem, so i'm currently using just the laptop screen. 23" lcd sitting and collecting dust

guess i'll give dell a call tomorrow and b*tch at them. thanks for sharing the info nightmear

 

Thermal derate would be my guess. Get a source of compressed air, and blow the laptop's cooling system out. Processors are designed to protect themselves against burning up these days. Dual monitor means more load on your video circuitry, which causes even more heat.