User: reservoir Date: 2009-07-08 13:54 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Do you know exactly how hot it's been running? Are you running something that shows temperatures?

Overheating could definitely be a problem.

http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php perhaps if you don't have one? That's from 5 seconds of googling however. I'd give you the one I use because it is awesome, but it is also for macs.

Also normal questions of, have you defragged lately, scanned for viruses, latest video drivers, etc, etc.

Edited at 2009-07-08 01:54 pm (UTC)

User: tevriel Date: 2009-07-08 19:11 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

No, just the fact that it's kind of hot to the touch even when not doing anything that intense, these days.

Drivers, virus scans, defrag are all fine.

trs80's suggestion (below) that it could be dust clogging internal fans is distinctly plausible.

User:	trs80 [typekey.com]
Date:	2009-07-08 18:15 (UTC)
Subject:	(no subject)

Personally, I'd be tempted to pull it apart and look for dust clogging up the internal fans. If you're not comfortable doing that yourself, I'm happy to have a look.

User: tevriel Date: 2009-07-08 19:09 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Would that void the warranty? 'cause I don't want to.

It does sound plausible, though. It would explain it running hotter than it used to, too...

User:	trs80 [typekey.com]
Date:	2009-07-08 19:27 (UTC)
Subject:	(no subject)

Having just pulled the back off my running ASUS laptop (which I've cleaned several times), it's possible to remove the fan and clean the dust without removing any "Warranty void if removed stickers", but this may be different for yours. Their warranty terms http://support.asus.com/repair/repair.aspx?no=201&SLanguage=en-us include "The warranty will not apply if: (a) the product has been tampered, repaired and/or modified by non-authorized personnel;" but I reckon it'd be hard for them to tell, or that they'd care much.

The Perth ASUS service centre is in Morley http://www.asus.com.au/610/html/aboutasus/service_centre.html - you could ring 1300 278 788 and ask if they'll clean it for you.

Hmm, it's past 3am. Time for sleep.

User: tevriel Date: 2009-07-08 19:33 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

I can see, like... the main panel?

*googles* I'm not sure when I'd be seeing you, or anything, so if I go for home cleaning probably Chas and I can manage?

Or else, yeah, I'll call them and say OI my six-month-old laptop is NOT RUNNING WELL FIX PLS.

User:	trs80 [typekey.com]
Date:	2009-07-09 12:18 (UTC)
Subject:	(no subject)

Yeah, it's fairly straightforward - the most difficult thing in mine is removing the fan cover, which has some tiny screws.

User: tevriel Date: 2009-07-09 13:03 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

In news that is both awesome and somehow frustrating: per your advice, I took the back off my laptop. The fan wasn't that dusty, according to Chas, but we blew air through it and from the vent with my Rocket air blaster thingie, and some dust puffed out - and a tiny ball of fluff also made an appearance, and was removed.

Apparently, the tiny ball of fluff was somewhere critical, because my laptop is now running cool instead of ridiculously hot again, and performance has returned to normal. (And Left 4 Dead is running at 70-100fps, dropping to 50 on horde rushes, instead of 20-10/freezing up, by way of a very rough benchmark.)

TINY. BALL. OF. FLUFF.