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    M11X Slow Performance

    Discussion in 'Alienware M11x' started by phillipsteak, Aug 1, 2011.

  1. phillipsteak

    phillipsteak Newbie

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    Hey guys, I just bought an R1 M11x of off craigslist for cheap. I installed a fresh copy of Windows 7 and installed all the drivers and everything. I'm encountering problems with the games I have tested.

    The first game I tested was League of Legends. It ran pretty well when I first started, but after about 10 minutes, my framerate slowed to a halt. I alt+tabbed out and after about another 10 minutes, I went back into the game and it was running fine again. Then, the framerate slowed again. I looked around for a solution to no avail. The next game I decided to test was Left 4 Dead 2. The same thing happened: ran excellent at first, then slowed down.

    I checked my temperatures, and they were/are pretty high. Max for the cores was 83 C. for the 335M, max was 87 C. I realized that these numbers were pretty high and realized that the computer might be overheating. I know one of the solutions might be to clean out the computer, but I have no idea where to start. I removed the cover and couldn't see any dust. How do I proceed? What else can I do besides clean the computer (I've already placed a cooling pad underneath it)? What should I buy to remove the dust?
    Sorry if these have already been asked before, I googled around a lot before I decided to register and ask

    Edit: I've looked around and some people have stated that their m11x's reboot when overheated. Mine has not done that yet. My current idling CPU temperature is at 66 C.
     
    phillipsteak, Aug 1, 2011
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  2. i has m11x

    i has m11x Notebook Evangelist

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    Those are high temps for an R1. If it is still under warranty, contact who you bought it from and have the warranty transferred. This issue would be covered by Dell. The high temps might be from dust clogging the fan vents and/or the thermal compound needs to be replaced.

    ‪Alienware M11x Teardown **READ SAFETY PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO REPLACING PARTS** (Official Video)‬‏ - YouTube

    That is a video of a complete teardown. Hope it helps if you decide to go that route. The first thing I would do is contact the seller and ask him why he sold me an overheating laptop, unless he told me beforehand that was an issue.
     
    i has m11x, Aug 1, 2011
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  3. BuToNz

    BuToNz Notebook Geek

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    High temps but not enough to warrant poor performance, what drivers etc at you using? Overclock on or off?
     
    BuToNz, Aug 2, 2011
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  4. ajslay

    ajslay Overclocker, PC Builder

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    3 words.... Replace Thermal Paste! dell does a really bad job on that.
     
    ajslay, Aug 2, 2011
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  5. jozeconzeta

    jozeconzeta Notebook Enthusiast

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    80+ is considered a danger zone... from 80 degrees and on, components wear down a lot and they are most likely to get damaged beyond repair, again if you do have the change to have warranty transfered to you, do that, Dell will look for a solution on your problem...
     
    jozeconzeta, Aug 2, 2011
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  6. thehelios

    thehelios Notebook Enthusiast

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    It's slowing down after 10 minutes because of the heat. My old mobo overheated like crazy and games would suck after a couple minutes of play. Replacing the thermal paste is the way to go and make sure the heat sinks are also on properly.
     
    thehelios, Aug 2, 2011
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  7. phillipsteak

    phillipsteak Newbie

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    Had the ownership transferred to me. Luckily there is about a week left on the warranty and a Dell technician is coming today to replace the motherboard and heatsink. What tests should I run in order to see if all is well?


    Edit: when the telephone associate was running tests on it, the GPU reached 97 C.
     
    phillipsteak, Aug 2, 2011
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  8. Xsonic

    Xsonic Notebook Consultant

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    Sounds like a temperature problem to me
     
    Xsonic, Aug 2, 2011
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  9. jozeconzeta

    jozeconzeta Notebook Enthusiast

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    My GPU idle temperature is: 40 under gaming: 70 MAX
    Core 0: 70 max 44 idle
    Core1: 68 max 44 idle
     
    jozeconzeta, Aug 2, 2011
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  10. AlienTroll

    AlienTroll Notebook Evangelist

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    I remember when my M11X got high temps and I had a huge burn mark on my left thigh, Dell fixed it quickly. Maybe they were trying to not get into a legal lawsuit...anyway I suggest you get that warranty to use and transfer the warranty if you need to.
     
    AlienTroll, Aug 3, 2011
    #10