VGN SZ1 - Cooling Fan running nonstop

[gesada]

Hi
I am working with a Vaio VGN SZ1 XP/C. Perfect laptop just the fan in noisy and running nonstop even when only working with office programs. Is this normal ? Anybody having the same experience ? In some magazine I read that this laptop is so quiet, well not mine.
Your comments are appreciated.

[sintek]

Thanks for this link. I installed speedfan on my VGN-G11VN. When (more or less) no other program than speedfan and FireFox is running, CPU load is at about 10%. The temperatures are:
HD0: 35C, Temp1: 67C, Temp2: 66C, Temp3: 66C, Core 0: 57C

Looks like too high temperatures to me, but I have no idea what the "correct" values should look like. Any ideas? The machine is run at normal room temperature (not in the sun), I guess about 20C.

[MattWilson]

Well first off the hard drive temperature is completely normal, 55 is the max so 35 is really optimum.

The CPU is very hot although its not outside the max limit for the processor. All i can suggest really is checking for dust in the vents and make sure you use it out in the open (ie not next to a wall) with a fan blowing into the vent if you get really concerned.

Is the fan running at that temperature?

[sintek]

Yes, the fan is already running, but at moderate speed (yet already annoying in a quiet room). I think the fan is only not running directly after I start the laptop, but after a (short) while nearly never stops anymore.

When I start a program that eats more CPU power, load usually goes up to 90% or so, and the fan blows like hell. Temperatures stay at about the same as I mentioned in my previous post, so this seems to be fine, but the noise really is unbearable (for me and others in the same room 😞 ).

Since this is a completely new laptop (only a few weeks old), dust etc. cannot be the problem, and air circulation around the laptop is not blocked.

Is there any way to reduce CPU load and thus fan speed that comes with the Vaio tools (or Vista)? I tried, as I explained before, VAIO Control Center / Vaio Power Management / CPU fan speed, but this didn't change anything. Switching off Airo also didn't help. I fear the weak CPU (1.3 GHz) simply cannot handle Vista. Is downgrading to Windows XP possible on this machine (VGN-G11VN)?

[MattWilson]

Does the CPU every reach 0% if nothing is running?

Try seeing which processes are using upi the CPU on Task Manager (Processes Tab).

I think its not going to be a problem easily solved as Core2Duo processors and intel processors as a whole do run very hot.

[sintek]

0% is never reached, even if no user program is running -- there are about 10-20 or so services that consume about 8-20% all the time. The only big processes are dwm (desktop window manager, abot 3-5%; and sidebar, about 2-3%; the sidebar only shows calendar, clock, and CPU usage); all other processes usually consume less than one percent (each), but they some up ...
And, as I said, in this mode (no user programs) the fan already runs continuously with temperatures as posted before.

Probably I shouldn't complain -- I have a 1.3 GHz single core CPU (VGN-G11VN), not a state-of-the-art dual-core one, but I would have expected such a machine then to come with XP and not Vista.

[MattWilson]

Well if that is the case then may i suggest that you disable some of the resource hungry vista features and see if that makes a difference.

1. Disable aero transparency

2. Disable sidebar

3. Disable Indexing - C:\ properties uncheck the box that says "index for faster searching"

[sintek]

I already had aero transparency deactivated; now I also removed the sidebar and switched off indexing. Did not help 😞
Speedfan currently even reports the following temperatures (with FireFox being the only user process): HD0: 40C, Temp1: 72C, Temp2: 70C, Temp3: 70C, Core 0: 59C
BTW, what are the maximum temperatures?

[MattWilson]

I think it refers to the maximum temperature that the processor will work at before being shut off. But i could also be the max temp it had been at since running it but i can't remember.

[sintek]

I wanted to know the maximum temperatures that my laptop will endure; these maximum temperatures are not displayed anywhere (using SpeedFan). So: is more then 70C ok (for Temp1/2/3)?

[heltenkelt]

I got an VGN SZ3XP/C and I have the same problem:
downloaded the SpeedFan and Mobilemeter and the temps are:
Hd: 40C-ok
temp1: 62C
temp2: 67C
temp3: 66C
core0: 55C
core1: 52C

CPU-usage is switching, right now, between 0,0% and 3%.

Twice my computer shutted itself off, probably due to selfprotection from overheating, but that was probably cause the fan-exit was blocked. But now it shouldnt be as hot as it is, should it?
Please comment/help.

I LOVE my Vaio!

/S