Arch Linux

tomdbike

Member

Registered: 2008-09-07

Posts: 25

Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

Hey,

Underneath my Touchpad, I have a black chip (quite big), no heatsink and gets very hot over time. I think its either the southbridge or northbridge. (most likely south).
How can I decrease the heat?

(I never noticed this heat in Ubuntu Gusty. But I did in Hardy and its in Arch as well.) Maybe its to do with the kernel?

How can I reduce the heat?
Whats causing it?

Thanks,
Tom

bluewind

Administrator

From: Austria

Registered: 2008-07-13

Posts: 172

Website

Re: Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

As my crystal ball doesn't work right now please tell us a bit more about the laptop. Model number would be a good start.

sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

I can't honestly see how you can tell temperature differences between distro's.

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tomdbike

Member

Registered: 2008-09-07

Posts: 25

Re: Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

I thought it was to do with the kernel? (different Distro's, different kernels).

My laptop:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 03)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f3)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8039 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 14)

2GB RAM
Intel processor (some 2 core one (not core duo tho)).
Intel 965
120GB HDD

the temperature becomes hotter when time goes by. I don't know how hot it is but it gets very warm to touch the touchpad. Great for winter tho >.>

Maybe this is just normal and its me. But I was wondering if any body knew about this.

byte

Member

From: Düsseldorf (DE)

Registered: 2006-05-01

Posts: 2,046

Re: Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

Some laptops have problems related to ACPI and their fan. If it doesn't spin despite the laptop getting hotter, that would explain this.
So, does your fan spin? You should have no problem recognizing that audibly.

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1000

tomdbike

Member

Registered: 2008-09-07

Posts: 25

Re: Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

Some laptops have problems related to ACPI and their fan. If it doesn't spin despite the laptop getting hotter, that would explain this.
So, does your fan spin? You should have no problem recognizing that audibly.

Yeah, my fan is fine. No problem there.

Infact, it has nothing to do with my fan.

The heat im talking about is from underneath the touchpad. Not the CPU or GPU or fan. Thats totaly somewhere else. Under the touch pad gets very hot and I think its the southbridge. (since its a quite big black chip with Intel on it.

sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

If the machine is not crashing/overheating then I wouldn't worry about it. It is probably running within its specs.

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tomdbike

Member

Registered: 2008-09-07

Posts: 25

Re: Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

If the machine is not crashing/overheating then I wouldn't worry about it. It is probably running within its specs.

Ok

Thanks

iBertus

Member

From: Greenville, NC

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 2,228

Re: Heat from Southbridge or Northbridge in Laptop

My HP used to get really hot under the touchpad and was crashing alot. I had a machine that had known linux issues and so I had to reinstall vista for almost 3 months. I've since reinstalled Arch and the heat and crashing seem to be gone.