ASUS 11.6" Vivobook runs HOT...is it too HOT?

For a long time I've wanted to shift back to a small/light laptop for traveling and carrying to school. I've been carrying a Dell XPS 1645 for the last couple of years, it will still do anything but is like carrying a bag of bricks. Now that my desktop is more or less complete I picked up an ASUS 11.6" Vivobook w/i3 at staples on a deal that was too good to pass up.

Overall I'm really happy with it so far. I tossed in an SSD and it boots lighting fast, programs open in a flash, size is great, speed seems ok for 90% of what I do. Certainly slower than my 1st gen i7 dell doing intensive processing tasks, but I don't do that much and large jobs i can do on my desktop now.

BUT, I put on HWMonitor just because I always check temps with everything i have and it runs hot.
- Minimal programs open it seems to high in the 65-73C range
- I tend to normally leave a lot of stuff open and multi-task quite a bit, with everything open its running at 75-82C

Peak I've seen is 87C so far, playing youtube while compressing a huge PDF file...that seems pretty darn hot

Can someone recommend a good data logger for CPU temp, clock speed and/or fan speed, as I am interested to see if it is throttling the CPU.

The laptop itself doesn't feel hot, where my old Dell was plain HOT, it is being used on a hard surface and not my lap...


[EDIT] I really like the ASUS but I'm debating if I should put my Dell 1645 up for sale or if I should wait a bit, I think I'd be lucky to get $500-600 for it depending how much of the extras I include with it.

Core temp and CPUz will give you ll the info you need.

I'd say HSF is dusty.
Open it, change the TIM and clean the dust.

My low end ACER (Core2Duo P6100@2GHz) was running in the 80's.
I did what I suggested above, and now it's topping@62°C with a 21°C ambient).

EDIT: your CPU will throttle when it reaches the high 90's.

manu2b said:

Core temp and CPUz will give you ll the info you need.

I'd say HSF is dusty.
Open it, change the TIM and clean the dust.

My low end ACER (Core2Duo P6100@2GHz) was running in the 80's.
I did what I suggested above, and now it's topping@62°C with a 21°C ambient).

EDIT: your CPU will throttle when it reaches the high 90's.

Click to expand...

Almost no dust I looked at it when I installed the SSD, I can't change the TIM without voiding the warranty...they put a sticker over one of the screws and since its only a few weeks old I can't do that yet...

[EDIT] Thanks for CoreTemp suggestion!

Well, not much you can do then...

There is no way to see if there is dust unless you open up the fan:

manu2b said:

There is no way to see if there is dust unless you open up the fan:

Click to expand...

I had the entire back off the computer when I put the SSD, so I could see the fan then...

Did you take the fan out and check the air exhaust? That's usually where the dust piles up.

manu2b said:

Did you take the fan out and check the air exhaust? That's usually where the dust piles up.

Click to expand...

No didn't pull the fan, not sure if I can or not, next time I open it I'll have to look and see how easy it is to pull. As I was thinking about adding a Intel Advanced-N 6235 card so I'd have bluetooth as well...

Temps this evening have been fine, been doing more basic stuff and hasn't gone over 60C, but also it's colder at our house today ambient around 62F.

I'll have to watch the temps over the next week or so while I'm working and see how things go...

Just blow it out with compressed air. Also try using an external fan to assist in cooling.

NiHaoMike said:

Just blow it out with compressed air. Also try using an external fan to assist in cooling.

Click to expand...

Compresses air might not work: my fan/rad was so full of dust was that the exhaust completely clogged up.

I had to take the fan out of the radiator (was sealed with a kind of tape) to take around 5cm3 of compacted dust, lol!

NiHaoMike said:

Just blow it out with compressed air. Also try using an external fan to assist in cooling.

Click to expand...

manu2b said:

Compresses air might not work: my fan/rad was so full of dust was that the exhaust completely clogged up.

I had to take the fan out of the radiator (was sealed with a kind of tape) to take around 5cm3 of compacted dust, lol!

Click to expand...

I do have a laptop cooler at home I'll have to try that and see if there is a difference and maybe this weekend take it apart again and get a better look at the fan setup.

Overall I still really like the laptop so far...

I'm looking at this card for bluetooth, $22 on amazon w/prime shipping...
Intel Centrino WiFi Card Advanced-N 6235 Dual Band Bluetooth
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-6235AN-HMWWB-Centrino-Advanced-N-Bluetooth/dp/B007QXLIWI

I'd need a 2nd antenna, but I could steal one from an old parts laptop

Only other issues I have atm is when I put the SSD in I did a clean install of Windows 8 and I have several "Unknown Devices" that I have yet to figure out what they are, even after installing most of ASUS's drivers

I have an ASUS zenbook and with normal web browsing it's about 56-58C. Playing trackmania I've seen it up to about 80C or so. It definitely feels warm but it seems to be fine.

cullam3n said:

I have an ASUS zenbook and with normal web browsing it's about 56-58C. Playing trackmania I've seen it up to about 80C or so. It definitely feels warm but it seems to be fine.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, I've recorded the temp over the last 4 days and it seems to be mostly be running in the mid 50Cs to 60Cs with occasional runs into the 70Cs and only a few times it broke 80C. So right now its looking better, I'll just keep watching it and see how it does.