Heatsink help

[blogslut]

So, I have an IBM Thinkpad A21m. It's a spare that I'm using because my other Thinkpad died. The reason it's a spare is because it shuts down. I've done a lot of research and discovered that other people fixed the problem by cleaning the thermal grease off the CPU and applying a new coat. Well, I've done that - twice. The darn thing still shuts off when I try to do anything that taxes the system: Watch a YouTube Video, Run Gimp, open one too many programs at once...

I apply a wee tiny bit of the thermal grease and let the pressure of screwing the heatsink back in place distribute the stuff like all the tutorials tell me to.

Is there some trick I'm missing? Should I invest in Artic Silver instead of this Zinc Oxide stuff I'm using?

Is it possible that my problem isn't the CPU overheating (the fan works and is clean). Should I maybe try to replace my LCD inverter board? Can I use the one from my dead Thinkpad A21e which has a 15 inch screen as opposed to the 14 inch screen of my A21m?

help?

[RC]

1. When you take it apart, is that 'wee tiny bit of the thermal grease'

enough to cover the metal on the CPU in its entirety? A tad too much is better than not quite enough. Is there enough air space around the computer when you are using it, i.e., blocked or restricted vents?

[blogslut]

2. Yes, it was enough grease to cover the CPU

There is enough airspace. I've got the thing on an open wire rack so it can breath and there's nothing behind it where the vent is. I've tried using a fan cooling pad but that just made the CPU run hotter. I even got one of those external extracting fans but it didn't make a whit of difference. I've tried everything I can think of. I installed software that tells me the temperature of my CPU and according the the program, the CPU runs a good 30 degrees over maximum. I even took out one of the memory sticks to see if that was taxing the CPU - no luck.

It's pissing me off. The darn thing runs fine and then boom - shut off. Just now, I tried to open a site a with simple javascript popup and off it went. I am running NoScript, Flashkiller and AdBlock to tone stuff down. I can surf DU or Gizmodo all day and it's fine. But the moment I try to watch a video, run Gimp or just whatever, poof.

sigh.

[hobbit709]

3. I had a desktop that I worked on that ran hot

Replaced fan and heatsink, used Arctic Silver Ceramique and it constantly ran about 5° below shutdown temp in idle. Checked power supply voltages-all on the money. Put CPU on a different motherboard-problem followed. CPU was crapping out. Put new processor on original motherboard and effect was immediate-it ran at barely above room temp.
Sometimes when they get flaky, they run hot

[blogslut]

4. I wish I could replace the CPU

But it looks like it's part of the motherboard.

I don't suppose you might be able to tell me how to reset my BIOS password on my other Thinkpad? I got a replacement CMOS battery for it and now I get a stop POST error and can't find a way to re-set it without buying some stupid kit that I have solder n stuff.

[hobbit709]

5. Maybe this will help

http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-bios-password.shtml

If the CPU is in a socket, it probably could be replaced, if it's soldered in you're probably SOL unless you have access to Level 2 or better soldering equipment.

[blogslut]

6. Thanks

Yeah, I got that page bookmarked. Thinkpads are a hella bitch to re-set the password on. I'm gonna try that shorting out the jumpers thing if I can find the frikken jumpers.

As for the hot cpu, I think it's soldered on so I'm SOL.

I hate being poor. I was never rich but damn, I can't even afford to get a refurbished Thinkpad offa Ebay. I'm kind of a Thinkpad snob. Right now, I'm doing DU on my first Thinkpad, which is my sweet baby but she's only capable of 64 megs of RAM and has a 233MMX CPU. She's 12 years old but she still works like a charm.

[Gore1FL]

7. I assume you are running windows.

Use the PC. Let it die. wait about 10 minute and start it again. Then look at the event viewer and see what the lest events were. Lather rinse repeat, as it were and see if you see commonality to the events logged under different categories. There is a good change it is not heat related, but rather another issue altogether.

[blogslut]

9. I wish that were the problem

Sadly, I've installed and reinstalled XP, Win 2000 and Kubuntu on that machine.

The CPU is just crapped out.

sigh

[Jersey Devil]

8. No problem! Get one of these

[Occulus]

10. That. Is. Insane. n/t

[Earth Bound Misfit]

11. A pack of Marlboro Menthol Lights isn't gonna help, IMO

:evilgrin: