Sometimes fans don't dissipate enough heat

[astrojuanlu]

I'm on Linux Mint 20.1 Cinnamon (more details below) and I notice that sometimes (100 % of the times after wakeup from suspend, but not only), fans don't go fast enough and don't dissipate enough heat. I know because, most of the time there is high load, fans go fast and the temperature is contained. But these other times, fans are on, but going slow (like under low load) the temperature slowly rises (I notice it under my fingers!), and sometimes it reaches the critical point (according to `sensors`) and the computer completely freezes.

Most of the questions I have seen online are about slowing down the fans, but I want the opposite. I tried installing and using `fancontrol`, but it says

Code: Select all

Error: Can't read configuration file

and I can't go past there. Any hints?

Code: Select all

$ ls /sys/class/thermal/
cooling_device0  cooling_device2  cooling_device4  cooling_device6  cooling_device8  thermal_zone1  thermal_zone3  thermal_zone5
cooling_device1  cooling_device3  cooling_device5  cooling_device7  thermal_zone0    thermal_zone2  thermal_zone4
$ sensors
coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Package id 0:  +81.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 0:        +81.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 1:        +76.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 2:        +79.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 3:        +78.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

BAT0-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
in0:           8.18 V  
curr1:         3.34 A  

iwlwifi_1-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +44.0°C  

nvme-pci-0100
Adapter: PCI adapter
Composite:    +61.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +81.8°C)
                       (crit = +84.8°C)
Sensor 1:     +61.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)
Sensor 2:     +64.8°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)

acpitz-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
temp1:        +81.0°C  (crit = +120.0°C)

$ inxi -Fxxxrz
System:
  Kernel: 5.8.0-55-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 4.8.6 wm: muffin 4.8.1 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: VANT product: EDGE2 v: N/A serial: <filter> Chassis: 
  type: 10 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: VANT model: EDGE2 serial: <filter> UEFI: INSYDE v: 1.07.04TSP 
  date: 08/18/2020 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 41.8 Wh condition: 71.5/73.9 Wh (97%) volts: 8.2/7.7 
  model: Notebook BAT type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: Charging 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 bits: 64 
  type: MT MCP arch: Tiger Lake rev: 1 L2 cache: 12.0 MiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 44851 
  Speed: 2474 MHz min/max: 400/4700 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2241 2: 2357 
  3: 2399 4: 2347 5: 2199 6: 2251 7: 2459 8: 2340 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  chip ID: 8086:9a49 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
  resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz, 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel Xe Graphics (TGL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 20.2.6 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel 
  bus ID: 00:1f.3 chip ID: 8086:a0c8 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.8.0-55-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 3000 bus ID: 00:14.3 
  chip ID: 8086:a0f0 
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter type: USB driver: r8152 
  bus ID: 2-1.4.4:4 chip ID: 0bda:8153 serial: <filter> 
  IF: enx00e04c6802f2 state: down mac: <filter> 
  IF-ID-1: br-09bd21409458 state: down mac: <filter> 
  IF-ID-2: br-4fc403add71c state: down mac: <filter> 
  IF-ID-3: br-c1a06eda2309 state: down mac: <filter> 
  IF-ID-4: docker0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.82 TiB used: 223.06 GiB (12.0%) 
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Samsung model: SSD 980 PRO 1TB size: 931.51 GiB 
  speed: 63.2 Gb/s lanes: 4 serial: <filter> rev: 2B2QGXA7 scheme: GPT 
  ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 860 EVO M.2 1TB size: 931.51 GiB 
  speed: 6.0 Gb/s serial: <filter> rev: 4B6Q scheme: GPT 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 915.40 GiB used: 93.49 GiB (10.2%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 81.0 C mobo: N/A 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deadsnakes-ppa-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list 
  1: deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu focal stable
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/git-core-ppa-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/git-core/ppa/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/inkscape_dev-stable-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/inkscape.dev/stable/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/libreoffice/ppa/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.list 
  1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/nodesource.gpg] https://deb.nodesource.com/node_14.x focal main
  2: deb-src [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/nodesource.gpg] https://deb.nodesource.com/node_14.x focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
  1: deb http://mirrors.evowise.com/linuxmint/packages ulyssa main upstream import backport
  2: deb http://mirror.tedra.es/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
  3: deb http://mirror.tedra.es/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
  4: deb http://mirror.tedra.es/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
  5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
  6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/phoerious-keepassxc-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/phoerious/keepassxc/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/scribus-ppa-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/scribus/ppa/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/slack.list 
  1: deb https://packagecloud.io/slacktechnologies/slack/debian/ jessie main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list 
  1: deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/teams.list 
  1: deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/ms-teams stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.list 
  1: deb https://paulcarroty.gitlab.io/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/debs/ vscodium main
Info:
  Processes: 318 Uptime: 2h 03m Memory: 23.29 GiB used: 10.57 GiB (45.4%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38

[ZakGordon]

I'm not familiar with your GPU (probably an on-board intel device from your -fxi report you posted) so this might not work but check this link out:

https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/nvidia.html

you might need to look for specific versions of that for your GPU type, but yes it can sometimes be difficult in Linux to control GPU fans. One option might be to look in your Bios settings and see if the on-board GPU has some options you could adjust?

Good luck and one other option i use on one specific computer, is to use a 'fan pad' device that my laptop sits on and blows air upwards into the vents on the underside of the laptop. You can think of options like that is a software solution is not working for you.

[cliffcoggin]

The air ducts may be blocked with dust and fluff. Try blowing through them with a jet of compressed air.

[astrojuanlu]

Thanks both. Yep, this laptop doesn't have an Nvidia GPU, it's an Intel integrated one.

I had also considered using a "fan pad", but I was wondering if, if I'm not able to diagnose what the problem is, if I could "force" the fans to go faster somehow.

[mikeflan]

sometimes it reaches the critical point (according to `sensors`) and the computer completely freezes.

Is that really a thing that happens? I am sceptical that high CPU temps would cause a system freeze.
Is the critical point near 90 Deg C?

[astrojuanlu]

Is that really a thing that happens? I am sceptical that high CPU temps would cause a system freeze.

It's been some time since it last happened (because now when the fans don't go fast enough, well, I reboot the computer). But also I don't know how to check for certain. I just observed a correlation.

[deepakdeshp]

See of there is any setting for fans in BIOS like fan always on.

[ZakGordon]

sometimes it reaches the critical point (according to `sensors`) and the computer completely freezes.

Is that really a thing that happens? I am sceptical that high CPU temps would cause a system freeze.
Is the critical point near 90 Deg C?

Yep 100% is a thing that can happen with Mint in some situations (i have a posting history with some deeper details on that - and one dead from heat laptop to prove it!).

astrojuanlu i would maybe look to install a temp monitor tool like Psensor (you can find it in the Software Manager) if you have not installed that already and just keep a record of your running temps for a while (and don't leave your computer on for long periods of time without supervision). I have a link in my sig that might help with your overheating issues, but you may well be in the market for an active cooling pad to sit your PC on or some other hardware fix like that.

[astrojuanlu]

Thanks a lot @ZakGordon! Yeah, I had installed psensors and I saw that guide, although all those approaches are a bit black-boxy. In any case, I am convinced - I will buy a cooling pad.

[ZakGordon]

Just don't expect too many miracles IF you simply have a system that runs hot under Mint. I have my long suffering acer travelmate that has lived a good six years or so under the hot conditions Mint gives it (vs the same laptop when it was under windows). I've tried all the tricks, and even with a cooling pad and the stuff in my sig, i won't expect to run this particular laptop on youtube video's for more than 10 mins at a time, the temps will hit +80 degrees C and that is just not going to give it a long a life as it should get (imho).

So yeah sometimes you will just have hardware that behaves like this under mint (but interestingly will sometimes not have the same heat issues under Ubuntu).

My main desktop is also Mint and that is fine, no over-heating issues at all.

Fingers crossed you can find some kind of solution to your issue, but really if you are hitting the kind of limits i just described above (and can not live with that), you might have to consider looking at Ubuntu, just to see if that solves your particular hardware over-heating issues. Good luck