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fan running high and battery drains fast

post #1 of 16
2/26/03 at 8:19pm
Thread Starter 
I've had my 8880 since August. In the past, the fan rarely came on for an extended period of time... now however it comes on and stays on LOUD high power the whole time I am using my computer...

I have also noticed that my battery drains quicker (probably related to the extra power draw from the fan but thought I'd mention it)

Right now the laptop is on my table in a 70 degree room (it has plenty of venting space) and the fan will not shut off - I am not running anything much more than a web browser.

Is it possible that the heat sink is no longer functioning or that I did something to mess up the laptops ability to cool down?

I've also noticed some clicking (I saw this in another thread) it usually only occurs within 5 minutes after I boot up or wake up from sleep mode.

It's hard to code with my laptop screaming like an airplane banshee!!!

Does anyone have any suggestions?
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post #2 of 16
2/26/03 at 9:58pm

Re: fan running high and battery drains fast

Quote:
Originally posted by draklava
I've had my 8880 since August. In the past, the fan rarely came on for an extended period of time... now however it comes on and stays on LOUD high power the whole time I am using my computer...

I have also noticed that my battery drains quicker (probably related to the extra power draw from the fan but thought I'd mention it)

Right now the laptop is on my table in a 70 degree room (it has plenty of venting space) and the fan will not shut off - I am not running anything much more than a web browser.

Is it possible that the heat sink is no longer functioning or that I did something to mess up the laptops ability to cool down?

I've also noticed some clicking (I saw this in another thread) it usually only occurs within 5 minutes after I boot up or wake up from sleep mode.

It's hard to code with my laptop screaming like an airplane banshee!!!

Does anyone have any suggestions?
From a recent post, I'd recommend first checking to see if ANYTHING is blocking the vents or the fans AT ALL. Some guy got a napkin in there somehow, and that wasn't such a hot idea.

Cheers.
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post #3 of 16
2/26/03 at 11:43pm
Quote:
From a recent post, I'd recommend first checking to see if ANYTHING is blocking the vents or the fans AT ALL. Some guy got a napkin in there somehow, and that wasn't such a hot idea.


Actually it probaly was "a hot idea" hehe, sorry couldn't help it.
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post #4 of 16
2/27/03 at 1:53pm
I suppose a significant buildup of dust and gunk could also cause this.Maybe some compressed air to blow out the heatsink fins?

I also find the fan on my 5660 runs an awfull lot.I'm half inclined to pull the heatsink,give it a good lapping and apply some quality thermal grease to see if I can increase the heat transfer functionality a bit.In my experience with desktop machines,heatsinks are often far from perfectly manufactured and can be slighly warped at the base and very roughly machined,resulting in only semi adaquet thermal performance.

I don't recommend anyone do this though,unless they know what they are doing!!!I am also uncertain as to what affect this could have on your warranty...?
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post #5 of 16
2/27/03 at 7:13pm

re fan

my 5660 fan runs more when wlan card is running probably due to
increased power usage.
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post #6 of 16
3/3/03 at 4:24pm

I'm having the same problem. I have an 8880, just 4-5 months old whose fan is on all the time. Sounds like a plane taking off. A friend has an older sager (don't know the model) and he commented how loud my fan(s) were.

I was considering contacting Sager Tech support for help. Have you made any progress?
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post #7 of 16
3/3/03 at 4:43pm
Thread Starter 
No - I tried cleaning out the fans, took off the heat sink cover and took a look around but do not see any reason why this would happen all the sudden.

Also - it seems to happen more at home (on my kitchen table) then at work on a desk even thought the room temperature at home is very similar to my office.

It happens when the computer is idle so it's not like I'm taxing the CPU - It will just kick on all the sudden and not shut off even if I stop using the laptop.

It is really pissing me off and I'm thinking about contacting support as well.
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post #8 of 16
3/3/03 at 5:23pm
Have you tried pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the Windows Task Manager and looking at Performance and Processes to see if something (other than what you know of) is tying up large amounts of the processor when it acts that way?
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post #9 of 16
3/3/03 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
Yah - I usually keep task manager up most the time - the fan stays on even when the CPU is idle
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post #10 of 16
3/4/03 at 6:35pm
I had this problem (worse actually, I'd slow down and turn off due to overheating) and it was greatly fixed by resetting the BIOS to default, despite having never messed with the settings in the first place. Slightly after that, it was solved completely by taking off the bottom panels and doing some shaking/blowing.

NP8880, but 'should be the same.

Now the low fan cycles on occaisionally. The high-level fan is never on except boot or 4+ straight hours of gaming (during which it only cycles shortly).
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post #11 of 16
3/4/03 at 9:36pm

I've been working the problem myself and came up with a similar solution as the last reply. I took the panel off the bottom of the comp and removed a small bit of dust (kind of looked like the scum that gathers in your jean pockets) and the computer doesn't seem to go to high fan mode as much. I stress that the amount was extremely small but I can't argue with success.

Now I just discovered a new problem. Battery won't hold a charge. It takes a good hour to charge to 100% but if I unplug the a/c afterwards it goes to 0 in about 3 minutes. Funny thing is that I've never used the battery. Great computer for the price despite the irritants.

Good luck all.
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post #12 of 16
3/5/03 at 12:35am
Thread Starter 
I noticed my battery draining fast too (I think I mentioned that in the subject of this topic but I digress)

so I decided to run a quick test to see how fast... I unplugged my power at 9:58 and at 10:32 I got the low battery warning. That's pretty bad (better than 3 minutes but not useable!)

What's the deal here. I agree this is a great laptop but this is a serious problem. Sager should at a minimum document the battery loses it's charge after a short time (5-6 months) and should send a replacement.

I have two batteries. I am curious if I will see similar performance with my backup or if this is specific to a single battery.
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post #13 of 16
3/5/03 at 7:09am
My battery lasts about 45 minutes on my 8887 if I'm watching a DVD with the power pluged in (the last 15 minutes it seems to kick in the max battery savings and stretch out the last 15% of the battery)

If I play a game, it can last about 30 minutes top.
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post #14 of 16
3/5/03 at 12:32pm
I did a test of my battery as well. Unplugged a/c with 100% battery at 8:58. At 9:02, Windows informed me I needed to replace my battery immediately...4% life.

4 minutes to 4 percent!

It must be defective as I've run on battery maybe 10 times.
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post #15 of 16
3/5/03 at 1:00pm
Make sure you cycle your batteries like it says in the manual when you first get your laptop and regularly. If you have a defective battery, get an RAM on it.
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post #16 of 16
3/5/03 at 3:07pm
Thread Starter 
I got this from Sager tech support - have not tried it yet

Quote:
You may need to recondition the battery.

You need to discharge the battery thoroughly. Power on the
computer and press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<S> to enter the system configuration
utility. Let computer stay in CMOS setup using battery power only.
After the first time power shuts off, wait 15~20 minutes and do it
again. After the second time power shuts off, insert the AC adapter
to charge the battery. Do not turn on power. Pay attention to the
charging time. The longer charging time, the longer running time.

If the battery running time does not improved after that procedure, you need to send the battery in. We can replace it.
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