[SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

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Pk_JoA

[SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by Pk_JoA »

Hello, I'm a new Linux Mint user but an old Linux user (5+ years). I've installed Mint 14 with Cinnamon on my Lenovo 645 laptop (3GB ram, dual core processor, ATI 4xxx series). I'm in love with Cinnamon, and overall Mint reminds me of the firsts Ubuntu(s) I was happy with (Oh, 8.10, how I miss you).

But there's one problem: My laptop is overheating. Badly. Right now, the CPU temperature is 77 degrees celcious, but usage is around 30%. I only have Chrome, Banshee, Nemo and an idle terminal opened. It is way too much heat. Adding a skype conversation and opening a .pdf lead to temperatures of above 80 degrees, and my computer turned off twice.

Now, here's the thing. I've read that proprietary drivers are way better at handling temperatures and usage, but I can't still them, as AMD hasn't released a working driver for 4xxx series and 3.5 kernels. How can I downgrade the kernel, so as to be able to use the amd drivers? Would this even work?

Another question: May it be than I am just asking too much of my computer? I say this because I have a dual-monitor setup, one 1680x1050 (external) and the notebook being 1366x1080. I've using this setup for a long time on Xubuntu, and had no similar troubles (at least not as much), so I don't think so, but then again, it was another distro and another desktop, so...

Any solutions, please? I'm getting quite desperate, I don't want the computer to go kaboon any moment soon...
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
AlbertP
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Re: Laptop overheating problem with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by AlbertP »

Please run inxi -Gx in terminal and post the output here.
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Pk_JoA

Re: Laptop overheating problem with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by Pk_JoA »

No problem, but, for the record: I have downgraded to Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon, and the problem hasn't fixed, as the sensors command shows. I'll try now installing proprietary drivers, but last time I tried, it got quite messy with my dual screen configuration. I shall report here when I'm done...

Code: Select all

joaquin@Joaquin ~ $ inxi -Gx
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS880M [Mobility Radeon HD 4200 Series] bus-ID: 01:05.0 
           X.Org: 1.11.3 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1680x1050@59.9hz, 1366x768@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD RS880 GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 8.0.4 Direct Rendering: Yes
I'm attaching as well sensors output:

Code: Select all

joaquin@Joaquin ~ $ sensors
acpitz-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +83.0°C  (crit = +200.0°C)
temp2:         +0.0°C  (crit = +200.0°C)

k10temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
temp1:        +84.5°C  (high = +70.0°C)
                       (crit = +115.0°C, hyst = +108.0°C)
AlbertP
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Re: Laptop overheating problem with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by AlbertP »

On Mint 13, you can install the ATI/AMD graphics driver from Additional Drivers in the menu. That might help, if it were your graphics card being hot... apparently, it's your CPU too (though the two might well be close to each other inside the laptop, then a hot GPU could also heat the CPU).
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Pk_JoA

Re: Laptop overheating problem with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by Pk_JoA »

AlbertP wrote:On Mint 13, you can install the ATI/AMD graphics driver from Additional Drivers in the menu. That might help, if it were your graphics card being hot... apparently, it's your CPU too (though the two might well be close to each other inside the laptop, then a hot GPU could also heat the CPU).
That's what I thought, and the reason for the downgrade, but it has solved nothing. CPU stays as high as 85+ degrees in a relatively idle computer (total idleness achieved 60 degrees). Could it just be that the fans are too dirty? It is true that I haven't cleaned it up in a while, but as the problems started *just* when I installed Linux Mint, I didn't stop to think about it... but maybe it is just that Cinnamon is more demanding that XFCE (which I guess it is), so it shows an older problem...
bimsebasse

Re: Laptop overheating problem with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by bimsebasse »

Try the Jupiter applet (google "jupiter applet webupd8"). Does wonders for my laptop.
Pk_JoA

Re: Laptop overheating problem with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by Pk_JoA »

Guys, I'm on Linux MInt 14 Live CD right now, installing it after blowing on all the fans of the laptop (not just the sidefan, as I did before). Apparently it worked. It is intalling the system (pretty heavy load, CPU usage is around 80%) and I'm getting 69 degrees at the moment. Hell of an improvement...

Thanks and sorry! That should have been my first thought, but you know how our brain likes to mess up with us sometimes (believe me, I've had two day of doing nothing else than trying to find a software-related cause and cure for this).

I'm optimistic, but it is true that I'm on the live CD. Maybe things will get worse once the system is actually instaled? I don't see any reason for it, but I'll wait to mark the topic as solved till I'm there.

Edit: Yup, definitively fixed. For comparison:

Code: Select all

joaquin@joaquin ~ $ sensors
acpitz-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +62.0°C  (crit = +200.0°C)
temp2:         +0.0°C  (crit = +200.0°C)

k10temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
temp1:        +64.5°C  (high = +70.0°C)
                       (crit = +115.0°C, hyst = +108.0°C)
AlbertP
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Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by AlbertP »

That looks fine.

What you could also try is updating your BIOS if you have any issues with fan control. That helped a bit on my HP laptop. But after all if the issue isn't clearly software related, cleaning is the best thing you can do.

Lenovo often has service manuals on their website describing how to take apart the laptop to clean every bit of it from inside.
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bimsebasse

Re: Laptop overheating problem with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by bimsebasse »

Pk_JoA wrote:Edit: Yup, definitively fixed. For comparison:

Code: Select all

joaquin@joaquin ~ $ sensors
acpitz-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +62.0°C  (crit = +200.0°C)
temp2:         +0.0°C  (crit = +200.0°C)

k10temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
temp1:        +64.5°C  (high = +70.0°C)
                       (crit = +115.0°C, hyst = +108.0°C)
Well, if that's good enough for you :)

Code: Select all

acpitz-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +46.0°C  (crit = +93.0°C)

coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Core 0:       +45.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 1:       +39.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Pk_JoA

Re: Laptop overheating problem with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by Pk_JoA »

bimsebasse wrote:
Pk_JoA wrote:Edit: Yup, definitively fixed. For comparison:

Code: Select all

joaquin@joaquin ~ $ sensors
acpitz-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +62.0°C  (crit = +200.0°C)
temp2:         +0.0°C  (crit = +200.0°C)

k10temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
temp1:        +64.5°C  (high = +70.0°C)
                       (crit = +115.0°C, hyst = +108.0°C)
Well, if that's good enough for you :)

Code: Select all

acpitz-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +46.0°C  (crit = +93.0°C)

coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Core 0:       +45.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 1:       +39.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
How did you even...? Is that a laptop? Idle, I guess. From what I read, that's cold for a laptop, maybe normal for a desktop, but I may be wrong.
bimsebasse

Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by bimsebasse »

Laptop, just browsing, using internal Intel graphics (have Nvidia Optimus) and CPU set to powersave with Jupiter.

I'm IT-supporting my parents' laptop with old AMD processor running Windows Vista - it's an oven by comparison.
Pk_JoA

Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by Pk_JoA »

bimsebasse wrote:Laptop, just browsing, using internal Intel graphics (have Nvidia Optimus) and CPU set to powersave with Jupiter.

I'm IT-supporting my parents' laptop with old AMD processor running Windows Vista - it's an oven by comparison.
Oh, Nvidia Optimus looks good. That may plus Jupiter may do the trick. I don't care much about battery consumption because I use my laptop as a stationary computer (since my desktop overheated and burnt, yes... the problem chases me), so I just took out the battery and connected it to the power supply.
AlbertP
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Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by AlbertP »

Optimus may look good, but it isn't as "good" on Linux. Though with bumblebee you can get decent battery life.
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bimsebasse

Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by bimsebasse »

Yep, my stats without Bumblebee are not great. But with Bubmlebee, and if you can get it to play along with your Optimus, it works very well on Linux even if nothing is automated like it is in Windows with a proper Optimus driver.
satyavacas

Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by satyavacas »

Done this, and it solved my problem. Temp drop from 65 to 50 degrees.

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=Linux"

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1920148

IBM T60 / ATI X1400.
Last edited by satyavacas on Sat Dec 29, 2012 12:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
cosmin103

Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by cosmin103 »

Hi, I've installed Linux Mint 14 on my HP Pavilion dv6, 4GB RAM, AMD Phenom(tm) II N830 Triple-Core Processor, and I have a problem: the cpu temperature is 75 with nothing opened. I searched to solve the problem and first I've installed jupiter and set performance to power saver but nothing changed. Then I found that it may be from display drivers and that I have to install proprietary drivers. I've done that and still nothing changed. After that I've found that i need to edit grub2 config file like this:
instead of this: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" I put this : GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash pcie_aspm=force".. the temperature is still 75 and if i open for example skype it's going up to 85 !! Any idea what the problem is ?? thanks
satyavacas

Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by satyavacas »

Did you do "sudo update-grub" after editing /etc/default/grub ?
newbie36

Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by newbie36 »

satyavacas wrote:Done this, and it solved my problem. Temp drop from 65 to 50 degrees.

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=Linux"

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1920148

IBM T60 / ATI X1400.
This worked (partially for me) as temp dropped from 80 to 60°c, but I still gett 76+ on GPU and 64+ on CPU; any ideas how to solve this?

Also it seems to be a Dell issue, I also have a Vostro1310...

I also tried to add fan control but without much success (pwmconfig does not detect any fan modules even after installing i8k module).

any help would be much appreciated!
AlbertP
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Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by AlbertP »

newbie36, please open a new topic and in that topic please post: your computer model, graphics card model (if known) and the output of this command in terminal:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fx
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newbie36

Re: [SOLVED] Laptop overheating with Mint 14 using Cinnamon

Post by newbie36 »

AlbertP wrote:newbie36, please open a new topic and in that topic please post: your computer model, graphics card model (if known) and the output of this command in terminal:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fx
Thanks, I thought the rule was to avoid opening other posts if unnecessary, just learned it's exactly the contrary.

Anyway, my question is here, if you have any inputs: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=158331. Thanks
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