# Solved: extremely hot toshiba laptop,



## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

Just got a new Toshiba Sattelite A100 laptop and I wonder if anyone else has the same problem, can't work on it for more than 15 minutes without feeling extreme heat coming from the front. I use it yes, on my lap and it wants to burn me. 
I had another Toshiba for 7 years and never had this problem with it, except the screen died and needed a bigger harddrive, so I wanted to replace it with a new Toshiba, I had good luck with the old one but this 3 day old one is driving me crazy. 
Are all new brands that hot? Does it make sense to return it and get another brand? Everything else seems to work fine. I would appreciate any feedback and advise


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## replay (Aug 13, 2003)

3 days old and it wants to burn your lap!!!! i would return that sucka asap.........


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

The A100 should not be getting that hot.

I agree with the above, take it back!


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

Most laptops cool by drawing air from the bottom. If you aren't obstructing the air ports, I would return it.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

And heat should not be coming "from the front"!


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## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

update, first thank you guys, I brought the laptop back and they exchanged it without a problem. The fan never came on. Unfortunately the same thing happens to this other new laptop, with the fan working it still gets very hot.
How do I know how high the temperature can climb before it becomes dangerous?. I installed "speedfan" , it shows around 105F or 42 C degrees. 
And yes kiwi, the most heat comes from the front right under the touchpad and the CPU and memory is there, not the harddrive. It has a lot of holes opening yo the front. A fanhole is on the bottom and the exhaust is at the left side. 
Is it possible to have 2 computers faulty or is it just that I am used to a 6 year old Toshiba and now all new laptops run much hotter?
"I might change my nickname to -paranoid+


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

42C isn't at all danderous for a CPU temp.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Like Alex says 42C isn't bad but get it off your lap. laptops need breathing room and it is not a bad idea to put something under back to pop it up in the air. Also there are coolers you can buy to slide under:
http://www.cluboverclocker.com/reviews/cooling_devices/bytecc/index.htm


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## erick295 (Mar 27, 2005)

Laptops don't need to be ventilated from underneath -- they are made to sit on a surface. Air moves through the sides, not the bottom. The sensation might be alarming if you aren't used to a newer, faster, hotter laptop, but it's definitely nothing to worry about. It's a machine, and machines generate heat. Even my old Dell, which is only a Pentium III, gets hot to the touch when the CPU is put under a load. As long as your CPU temperature is okay (and 42 is most definitely okay), you have nothing to worry about.


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## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

thanks Eric, yes the old toshiba was just warm compared to this new toshiba, I was just worried that this unit might be faulty. Do you know if software can really tell how hot the CPU gets? Does S.M.A.R.T warn me it it gets too hot, do computers shut down when too hot? Toshiba site doesn't give any info.
I am so used to the old computers, where I never had to worry about these things.
thanks again for any info


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## erick295 (Mar 27, 2005)

The motherboard has thermal sensors and a shutdown temperature -- if the computer gets to this temperature, it will turn off. Check the BIOS for specific settings. And yes, software can give you the CPU temperature. It reads the thermal sensors on the motherboard. Sometimes it can be off by a little, but usually not very much. You don't have to worry about this as long as you aren't blocking any air. The people who design these laptops are well aware of how hot their components get, and they come with sufficient cooling.

CPU's and other components build up a lot of heat, and it _does_ have to go somewhere, so of course you're going to feel it


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

erick295 said:


> Laptops don't need to be ventilated from underneath -- they are made to sit on a surface. Air moves through the sides, not the bottom.


I think you need to go to a large computer store and look at the bottoms of all the laptops. When you have done that, please come back and explain to all of us what those ventilation ports are for.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

BP936,
While I don't doubt laptop makers realize laptops get hot, as Alex says, there are vents on the bottom of laptops for a reason, and also usually feet so beware statements like Erick295, you could get into serious trouble. The laptop is a man made machine, and while it should shut down if too hot, remember if it fails to, you might have a fire...be careful. Laptop underside coolers are made to handle a problem, and they do add another layer of security.


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## brite750 (Mar 16, 2002)

Alex Ethridge said:


> I think you need to go to a large computer store and look at the bottoms of all the laptops. When you have done that, please come back and explain to all of us what those ventilation ports are for.


you mean Ive been sticking my cd's in the ventilation slots, crap


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## erick295 (Mar 27, 2005)

Rich-M said:


> BP936,
> While I don't doubt laptop makers realize laptops get hot, as Alex says, there are vents on the bottom of laptops for a reason, and also usually feet so beware statements like Erick295, you could get into serious trouble. The laptop is a man made machine, and while it should shut down if too hot, remember *if it fails to, you might have a fire*...be careful. Laptop underside coolers are made to handle a problem, and they do add another layer of security.


You buy rust undercoating, don't you? 

I assure you that the CPU would fail (200 degrees) long before it ignited (just a guess, 1000 degrees or more).

Laptops are, quite literally, designed to sit on your lap. The fact that there are vents on the bottom doesn't mean you can't set it on something. What, are you supposed to balance it on its side while you're using it?

The bottom line is, the CPU temp is 42, so there's obviously not a heat issue here. And there shouldn't be, because it's being used for what it's designed for.


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## brite750 (Mar 16, 2002)

Rich-M said:


> BP936,
> While I don't doubt laptop makers realize laptops get hot, as Alex says, there are vents on the bottom of laptops for a reason, and also usually feet so beware statements like Erick295, you could get into serious trouble. The laptop is a man made machine, and while it should shut down if too hot, remember if it fails to, you might have a fire...be careful. Laptop underside coolers are made to handle a problem, and they do add another layer of security.


not to mention the exploding battery debacle going on right now.....oh yeah you were already paranoid...ok well never mind


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

(n.) A small, portable computer -- small enough that it can sit on your lap. Nowadays, laptop computers are more frequently called notebook computers, though technically laptops are somewhat smaller in size than notebooks.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/l/laptop_computer.html


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

Two Anecdotes: Last year, I made a service call to a home and noticed her laptop lying on the bed where it looked like it was being used. I cautioned the lady about blocking the vents and we both noticed how hot the laptop was. She said she never had a problem with that before; but, guess what, it had quit working some time during the last hour and never worked again.

Next story: a few months before that, someone brought another laptop to me that 'would not turn on'. After some questioning, I found her favorite place to use it was sitting on the bed.

Now these are just anecdotes and these laptops could have failed for many other reasons; but, in the first story above, the fans still worked and the whole laptop was very, very hot and it never worked again. By the way, the fans had not failed.

The word "laptop" was chosen when laptops didn't need ventilation ports. Can you say, "286"?


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## erick295 (Mar 27, 2005)

This is starting to sound like it needs to be in CD


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## TRS-80 vet (Jun 18, 2005)

brite750 said:


> you mean Ive been sticking my cd's in the ventilation slots, crap


I've been pluggin' my vent holes with an ethernet cable, and an AC power cord *D'OH*

...sure stopped that whistlin' sound tho'


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## kaligt55 (Jan 16, 2006)

HI,
I too have a laptop (HP media center) that is now getting hot. I have a cooler. But I think it is from the power pack. I could burn myself on it if I kep my hand on it. I always leave it on something metal. When I talked to the people at HP their response was laptops do get hot"
I have an acer laptop that I left on while away for five days. You wouldn't even know that it is on. I know that there have been a lot of recalls on batteries but am wondering how I get them totake this back. It is still under warranty/contract.
kali


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## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

so I am still learning about the new "generation" of laptops. Since I exchanged the new Toshiba with one where the fan works, it still gets very hot. Now I work on flat board, I am still wondering if anyone has a less than 3 month old laptop that gets too hot underneath to the touch
I did go to several large stores and found, none of the laptops were that hot but the harddrive probably didn't do anything, while I work on pictures etc for many hours. 
it is also correct, lp is less heated up while using on a on board.
the holes on the bottom are, one is for the visible fan, the others are at the front but bottom where the CPU is supposed to be as per chart; the side holes are for exhaust and I can feel heat especially when the fan comes on.

I wonder in the long run now that the holidays are coming and people are getting new laptops, if anyone else will notice all this and what brand they are. Mine is a 1.6 GigaH speed and 60 GB harddrive single processor Windows Media Edition with CD and DVD burner, I only used CD for installing a couple of programs. 
Some of you guys are funny, I wonder if you used your CD trays on destops as a coffee cup holder ????????
till later,


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## replay (Aug 13, 2003)

maybe u should try out one of these... http://www.surpluscomputers.com/store/main.aspx?p=ItemDetail&item=ACC11018 
not sure if they del' to canada but.........


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## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

back from work, so after reading up again on this subject, looks like I will have to buy a laptop cooler/fan device. when looking thru google, it seems to be quite a problem for a ton of people. Manufacturer love to answer, new fast computers are hot. So lets see what will happen. I just hope the battery won't blow up. Testprogram from Toshiba says, "this battery is not on our list of faulty items"


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

bp936 said:


> back from work, so after reading up again on this subject, looks like I will have to buy a laptop cooler/fan device. when looking thru google, it seems to be quite a problem for a ton of people. Manufacturer love to answer, new fast computers are hot. So lets see what will happen. I just hope the battery won't blow up. Testprogram from Toshiba says, "this battery is not on our list of faulty items"


 Good move...it will be a lot safer!!!


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## kaligt55 (Jan 16, 2006)

Hi Rick,
I am glad to hear that you are getting a cooling fan. I have two types that have their pros and cons.

One is by Antec and it has a low and high speed. It is thicker but not as slippery as my other one.
The other one is a thin Targus but I find it is very slippery if not on a table. 

I keep mine on a computer arm and i find that it has a tendency to begin to slide. I like it, but it needs imrovements. I too hoe these companies are listening to us.

Also my acrer laptop which is not as large processor wise etc than my HP is always cool. The HP gets hot. The keyborad gets hot. The battery and especialy the power pack. It frightens me. I try at all times to keep the poerpack on a piece of metal flashing.
kali


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## TRS-80 vet (Jun 18, 2005)

Quote:
Originally Posted by brite750
you mean Ive been sticking my cd's in the ventilation slots, crap



TRS-80 vet said:


> I've been pluggin' my vent holes with an ethernet cable, and an AC power cord *D'OH*
> 
> ...sure stopped that whistlin' sound tho'


Oh great! Now it just sucked in the crossover cable . And it's whistlin' again . Drat. 2XDrat.


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## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

thanks guys, :up: solved for now, I will look at those coolers and get one soon, 
I am still installing and updating my files on the new laptop, and it is working very hard, sometimes it goes up to 55 degrees C* or more,(never found out what would the danger level be,and why the bottom feels a lot hotter then what it shows) then I notice, I plugged the exhaust with the side of the couch , yeap, I am sitting here nightly while also watching tv and sorting pictures on an external drive for cd burning(thousands of them). so as much as I have read here and on google about hot laptops it seems I am just so used to my old Toshiba, that never became too hot.


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## guitar (Jan 15, 2006)

i set up an old computer fan to a power supply pointed it into the side fan and it doesn't get hot anymore i've been useing it like this for 2 years now


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

PC Pitstop Exclusive: Notebook PC Explodes
What's a notebook battery fire? 6 foot flames, 1000 degree temperatures, and 5 separate explosions each one progressively more severe.
http://www.pcpitstop.com/pcsafety/video.asp


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## kaligt55 (Jan 16, 2006)

Hi, I don't think another fan blowing on the computer or the cord is the point. The point is I want it fixed if there is a problem. There have been to many fires and getting hold of HP is taken up four days already. Sorry sears was included in that. Can you iagine being on the phone aguing with these idiots for four days?


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