HP Pavilion G7 Overheating All Clean - Now what?

Dark Rider

New Member
Member
Messages
187
My laptop which is just under 2 years old started overheating. I'm no PC newbie so I took the laptop all apart, took out the fan, cleaned all the dust out of the fins for the heatsink connected to the cooling pipe. I also cleaned the fan blades. I have never in ten years not seen this fix work - until now.

The PC shut down 5 or 6 times before I cleaned it. I use Speed Fan to see my HD temp and the temps for my CPU and GPU core sides (It's an AMD Trinity based A8 APU) My CPU runs the hottest at around 200 - 112 degrees F.

My Fan airflow is good and strong since the fan/fin cleaning BUT when the PC gets hot, the fan's air still seems cool compared to previous experience. it's seems like the heat isn't getting picked up by the fan but i cannot find any restrictions under the hood.

I have run burn in and other CPU/GPU stress tests and all accounts say my chips are working normally.

Is it possible my cooling pipe is bad?

Also, I read that overheating could cause thermal paste to dry out prematurely. This may be my only recourse but i never had to replace thermal paste before.

Please tell me what you guys think. Thanks!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64 bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion G7-2251dx
    CPU
    AMD A-8 4500M
    Memory
    8 Gigabytes DDR3 sdram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Discrete ATI Radeon HD 7640G with 2 Gigs
    Sound Card
    IDT Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    500 gig
    Internet Speed
    3.5 mb/sec
Replacing the paste would be the next step. Personally I would have done it while having it apart the first time. Be sure not to overdue it when replacing as too much can be as bad as too little. A layer about as thick as a piece of paper is what you want to end up with. Also clean the surfaces with alcohol before applying.

The cooling pipe itself is a static device so it should never go bad, just copper pipe. If the paste doesn't fix it then could be the temp sensor circuit or possibly the CPU. I suppose even the motherboard. Could be a tough one to nail down.

For what it's worth, if the paste doesn't fix it, I would take it to a local repair shop where they have the tools to better isolate the problem. Depends how much they want compared to your valuation of it. It is one of the negatives about laptops when these kinds of issues arise. Not as easy to plug in a test part to see if it makes any difference.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
    CPU
    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
Thanks for the info.

I have discovered there are No cheap PC repair places. LOL I'm going to get some new paste and do this myself because 70 an hour is the cheapest I can find and I can't afford that.

I have never changed the thermal paste before but I have loads of instructions on the net. I'm half afraid that I'll screw it up but it's badly overheating so I figure I can't hurt it more than it is.. either it will help and lessen the temps or they will stay the same. Your right.. for 10 bucks it's worth a try and I can always take it to someone if I have to afterwards.

Wish me luck. LOL
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64 bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion G7-2251dx
    CPU
    AMD A-8 4500M
    Memory
    8 Gigabytes DDR3 sdram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Discrete ATI Radeon HD 7640G with 2 Gigs
    Sound Card
    IDT Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    500 gig
    Internet Speed
    3.5 mb/sec
Just check first if that laptop is maybe using heat transfer pads instead of paste (some do). In that case you'll have to find new pads as they are essential for proper spacing.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home made
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen7 2700x
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime x470 Pro
    Memory
    16GB Kingston 3600
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus strix 570 OC 4gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 960 evo 250GB
    Silicon Power V70 240GB SSD
    WD 1 TB Blue
    WD 2 TB Blue
    Bunch of backup HDDs.
    PSU
    Sharkoon, Silent Storm 660W
    Case
    Raidmax
    Cooling
    CCM Nepton 140xl
    Internet Speed
    40/2 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    WD
I was able to get some Antec Formula 7 with micro diamonds. It was either that or Artic silver 5 which i have read bad reviews on. Antec Formula 7 comes with a neat spreader tool so you get the idea they recommend the spread method over the dot method.

I put a very thin layer on the CPU die (covered completely) and reinstalled the heatsink. This stuff has no cure time so i should be seeing the correct temps right away.

I am getting around 10 degrees cooler than before at idle but it still runs to 210 F and the TJMax on this is 112 before it shuts down when i run intensive programs like the new Thief game or the Lost Alpha of Stalker. it's a new standalone total conversion that doesn't require the Stalker game. (It's awesome, check it out)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Lost Alpha mod - Mod DB

Anyway.. It hasn't got to TJmax yet but gets to 210 F which is too close for comfort.

Everything is so clean inside this case I can eat off the fan blades.

Either I have too little paste on the die or too much but it's impossible;le to tell. I know I didnt get this hot normally.

Do you have any more suggestions on how to reduce my heat better before i have to rob peter to pay paul to take this to the shop?

Anything I might be missing that I could look for?

Thanks.

CountMike - No the unit doesn't have a cooling pad - some models do if they have an extra GPU chip but mine doesn't.. it's odd because this unit was sold as having discrete graphics - according to the service guide which has a break down of all the parts, claims that this chip should be there if it's a model with discrete graphics.. Now I'm wondering if the unit was mislabeled in the store.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64 bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion G7-2251dx
    CPU
    AMD A-8 4500M
    Memory
    8 Gigabytes DDR3 sdram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Discrete ATI Radeon HD 7640G with 2 Gigs
    Sound Card
    IDT Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    500 gig
    Internet Speed
    3.5 mb/sec
Assuming that you reinstalled everything right, if it's still blowing cold air out there's real possibility that heat pipes are damaged in some way. What about video adapter is it cowered by same heat sink ? With games video adapters get to do most work and so they heat up most.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home made
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen7 2700x
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime x470 Pro
    Memory
    16GB Kingston 3600
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus strix 570 OC 4gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 960 evo 250GB
    Silicon Power V70 240GB SSD
    WD 1 TB Blue
    WD 2 TB Blue
    Bunch of backup HDDs.
    PSU
    Sharkoon, Silent Storm 660W
    Case
    Raidmax
    Cooling
    CCM Nepton 140xl
    Internet Speed
    40/2 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    WD
Assuming that you reinstalled everything right, if it's still blowing cold air out there's real possibility that heat pipes are damaged in some way. What about video adapter is it cowered by same heat sink ? With games video adapters get to do most work and so they heat up most.

This APU is a strange duck. The 2 in 1 dual purpose APU chip handles both CPU and GPU operations. It 's the only chip connected to the heatsink, the only chip that's had any thermal paste on it.

Yeah this confuses me cus if the same die is doing the work of two, then why does the CPU and GPU have different temps? My guess is something about those temps cannot be accurate because obviously the same small die cannot have two different temps that vary by a large margin. I have seen in real time my CPU temp hover around 30 degrees cooler ( at idle or low load) than the GPU but I suspect the sensors are not really reading specific CPU or GPU temps but just pockets of air in different locations inside the case, depending on where the sensor is placed.

Another thing that's odd to me is this die has a very smooth mirrored surface. I don't mean polished like a mirror - it IS an exact mirror just as clear as your bathroom mirror, not like a fun house mirror. The Antec Formula 7 has micro diamonds in it, and I can see (in my imagination) this stuff scratching this mirror surface. I don't know how bad that is.. but apparently, the company doesn't feel like this is a problem. I have read where another diamond based paste called IC Diamond had lawsuits claiming the diamond scratching has damaged the chips.. I think some folks actually won those cases against the IC diamond company.

I just hope I'm not making it worse using a diamond based paste.

The pipe looks fine to me. I am starting to wonder if perhaps the fan isn't turing up to it's proper RPM's or if the APU chip has taken damage to the point where it runs hotter than normal now - or a combo of both. .. Although all burn in/stress test software I try says the chip is working normally. I learned a lesson.. never buy OEM because OEM's do Not install sensors for the fan's RPM's. I need a better way to troubleshoot this.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64 bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion G7-2251dx
    CPU
    AMD A-8 4500M
    Memory
    8 Gigabytes DDR3 sdram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Discrete ATI Radeon HD 7640G with 2 Gigs
    Sound Card
    IDT Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    500 gig
    Internet Speed
    3.5 mb/sec
Ok, never seen an APU in a laptop, normal ones for desktop have metal lid. Never seen that paste with micro diamonds, I prefer paste with metal, it seems just normal that metal, specially silver have better heat conductivity. I was using Arctic silver for years and it was good but looking at paste tests there's maybe only degree or two difference between best and worst.
Thing about the fan speed could be problem though, what are you using for testing temps ?, there should be information about fan speed too. CPUiD HW Monitor is pretty reliable and has all the sensors covered. BIOS should have some information too but it's only at idle time.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home made
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen7 2700x
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime x470 Pro
    Memory
    16GB Kingston 3600
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus strix 570 OC 4gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 960 evo 250GB
    Silicon Power V70 240GB SSD
    WD 1 TB Blue
    WD 2 TB Blue
    Bunch of backup HDDs.
    PSU
    Sharkoon, Silent Storm 660W
    Case
    Raidmax
    Cooling
    CCM Nepton 140xl
    Internet Speed
    40/2 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    WD
Back
Top