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#1 2008-08-28 21:59:23

jasbolski
Member
Registered: 2006-06-29
Posts: 5

KDE4 Laptop Overheating

Hi everyone.  I have been using Arch for at least 5 years now, although I rarely participate in the forum.  I'm having a problem that I can't seem to find any info on, and I'm not sure how I can fix this.  Let me explain.

I have 3 computers running Arch, and the upgrade from KDE 3.5.9 to KDE 4.1 has been smooth and works fine on 2 of my 3 computers.  My laptop... a HP Pavilion tx1420us has not been so smooth.  For some reason, once I log into KDE, the laptop just heats up, and within 2 minutes it shuts off, I'm sure it is to protect the GPU or CPU from burning up.  I decided to downgrade with the KDE3 repository, and that went fine, but so many things now are needing kdebase (4) as a dependency.  Today I upgraded compiz-fusion to the compiz-fusion repository at http://compiz.dreamz-box.de/.  It has the kdebase dependency.  I allowed it to install, and now, although everything is working normally in KDE 3.5.10, and Plasma doesn't seem to start up, the laptop overheats and shuts down again.

I can fix this by uninstalling kdebase again, and just sticking with KDE 3.5.10, and not upgrading anything that needs kdebase4, but I really don't want to.  If I can find a fix for this, I would be much happier. 

I believe that the problem is with my Graphics card and not the CPU, although I'm not sure.  The CPU does run like crazy, and it heated up to 94 C and then went down to 88 C before the machine shut off.  I do have a nvidia card, I have done most of the fixes that help run KDE4 better.  I have also installed the latest beta nvidia driver that is supposedly supposed to fix MOST of the problems with KDE4.  All of this doesn't seem to help a thing. 

If anyone could help me out on this one, I would be VERY appreciative.  Thanks in advance for any help that you could give me.

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#2 2008-08-28 22:22:17

Rasi
Member
From: Germany
Registered: 2007-08-14
Posts: 1,914
Website

Re: KDE4 Laptop Overheating

Let me guess... nvidia?

*edit*

ah you said you have nvidia... well let me tell you that their beta drivers/fixes didnt work for me at all.
I am using the free nv driver for now, everything else only gives me trouble.

Last edited by Rasi (2008-08-28 22:23:16)


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#3 2008-08-28 22:26:58

jasbolski
Member
Registered: 2006-06-29
Posts: 5

Re: KDE4 Laptop Overheating

Just an update... It really seems like the problem is my CPU, and not my Graphics Card.  Basically it just runs and runs at full speed (although cpufreq works perfectly on the computer), and eventually heats up and shuts off at about 90C.

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#4 2008-08-29 07:16:09

richs-lxh
Member
Registered: 2008-08-23
Posts: 76

Re: KDE4 Laptop Overheating

Hi Jasbolski.

I haven't got Kde on a laptop, but i did have a google for suggestions for you.

These are two that came up in the search:
1.

A work around might be to go into the BIOS and disable SpeedStep (if it has it) so the laptop runs at its lowest speed (600-800mHz). The laptop will run much cooler. If all you do is email and surfing I don't think you'd notice the speed difference.

2.

If you have kpowersave installed - see right bottom corner in your KDE desktop and select "CPU freq policy" as DYNAMIC

Not sure if that's any help, but i'll post back if I stumble across anything worthwhile. I have come across quite a few bug reports for most major distros regarding Kde4 and Laptops overheating, so you aren't alone.

richs-lxh

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#5 2008-08-29 11:04:54

thisllub
Member
From: Northern NSW Australia
Registered: 2007-12-28
Posts: 231

Re: KDE4 Laptop Overheating

What processes are using all the CPU?

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#6 2008-08-29 13:18:11

smakked
Member
From: Gold Coast , Australia
Registered: 2008-08-14
Posts: 420

Re: KDE4 Laptop Overheating

90 degrees is pretty hot if that is celsius i would be getting the laptop checked it shouldnt get no where near that even on full load, it sounds like the hsf is not making good contact with the cpu., Put it this way we use high end laptops with t9800cpu dual core and teh full 6 meg cache and we run these things compiling or doing calulations for 12 hours a day adn they never get near 60 degrees ?

Edit just checked teh specs of that machine, no way it should be getting that hot it is a turion from amd.

Last edited by smakked (2008-08-29 13:19:33)


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#7 2008-08-29 13:20:01

jasbolski
Member
Registered: 2006-06-29
Posts: 5

Re: KDE4 Laptop Overheating

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

Thank you all for your help.  STRIGI and NEPOMUK were the problem.  After logging into KDE3 again, I checked which processes were taking up all of the CPU.  It was STRIGI.  Since I only had kdebase4 installed, I couldn't find a way to disable those... so I had to reinstall all of kde4, and was able to go into system settings and disable them.... and... Everything worked perfectly!

cpufreq works perfectly now... my laptop is running usually at it's lowest speed... 800 mhz, and it doesn't heat up at all!  I have NO IDEA why Nepomuk and Strigi would cause this problem on my laptop (no problem on my other computers), but it does.

Thanks for taking the time to help me out on this one!

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#8 2008-08-29 13:23:02

jasbolski
Member
Registered: 2006-06-29
Posts: 5

Re: KDE4 Laptop Overheating

smakked wrote:

90 degrees is pretty hot if that is celsius i would be getting the laptop checked it shouldnt get no where near that even on full load, it sounds like the hsf is not making good contact with the cpu., Put it this way we use high end laptops with t9800cpu dual core and teh full 6 meg cache and we run these things compiling or doing calulations for 12 hours a day adn they never get near 60 degrees ?

Edit just checked teh specs of that machine, no way it should be getting that hot it is a turion from amd.

Smakked... it is now running down at 800 mhz most of the time, and is currently at 51C.  Is that too hot?  It has been like that since I bought it.  I never thought much of it.

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#9 2008-08-29 13:56:22

smakked
Member
From: Gold Coast , Australia
Registered: 2008-08-14
Posts: 420

Re: KDE4 Laptop Overheating

Yeah still hot for one of them cpus My old turion based Laptop used to run at around 31 degress just surfing the web, under load about 60 degrees at the most, if it is under warranty i would get it looked at.


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