heat issue or video card?

I have a Compaq NX9010 business laptop, 80 gig hd, 768 ram, 2.6 ghz processor, xp pro sp3, Radeon IGP 345m video card.
I think I may be having a heat issue. When I’m running large programs (games, graphics) my computer shuts down without warning. I had this problem 9 months after I purchased the system (2004) and had it sent back to HP for repairs. They fixed the problem but never told me what it was. The warranty expired after 3 years and into year 4 the problem has resurfaced.
I think the computer shuts downs because it’s running hot while I’m using those graphic intense programs. I can feel the heat coming from the fans and it can get so hot it will burn you. I looked on one of the post and someone said the fans could be dirty and not blowing as efficiently which may cause it to overheat and shut down. I have cans of compressed air but I’m skeptical of shooting it into the computer thinking it may cause more problems. I was also wondering if it could be the video card causing the shutdown and not the heat issue. If that is the case, then do I have 2 problems ( heat and video card)?

 

It could very well be dust in the heatsinks. I have cleaned many laptops with canned air, and none were damaged. Of course, that is up to you.

Have you tried a program like CoreTemp to check the cpu's temperature? http://www.majorgeeks.com/Core_Temp_d5665.html

Cleaning it would be the cheapest solution. I would clean it out to eliminate one possible problem.


E

 

its difficult to damage fans with a can of compressed air. At work, we use an air compressor which uses much more pressure than a can of compressed air could. If you get the fans spinning fast from the air, don't stop them. Let them slow down on their own.

 

I am surely no expert, but my laptop (DELL) was running at 118 to 122 F when running a big game or doing scanning... Dumb me, but I have never thought to clean out the air slots on the bottom, which I did and the temp lowered, to about 116 to 120 depending on what I was doing.
So I bought a CHILL MATT) and as true as I am sitting here, and no matter what I am running my temp has gotten no higher than 104F it usually runs around 98 to 102 .
A $24. investment worked for me.
Good luck
scott

 

trying the canned air

 

I forgot to mention I have a P4 this program will not run on a P4

 

Everest http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

Or SIW http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4387.html

Should give you some temps.

E