Notebook Randomly Shutting Off

SlasherIT · 08 Jan 2011

Hi,

I ran the Prime95 Large FFT test before I was about to go to bed. After 5 minutes of preparing myself for bed (bathroom, brush teeth), the notebook shutdown. I noticed the fans and CPU was going on mad like crazy.

Later on today, I checked the Event Viewer and I see this:

The system was shut down due to a critical thermal event.
Shutdown Time = ‎2011‎-‎01‎-‎07T21:28:39.357421800Z
ACPI Thermal Zone = ACPI\ThermalZone\THRM
_CRT = 353K

Friendly View:

- System

- Provider

[ Name] Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
[ Guid] {331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}

EventID 86

Version 0

Level 2

Task 83

Opcode 0

Keywords 0x8000000000000020

- TimeCreated

[ SystemTime] 2011-01-07T21:28:39.357421800Z

EventRecordID 10203

Correlation

- Execution

[ ProcessID] 4
[ ThreadID] 64

Channel System

Computer Isabelle-PC

Security

- EventData

ThermalZoneDeviceInstanceLength 21
ThermalZoneDeviceInstance ACPI\ThermalZone\THRM
ShutdownTime 2011-01-07T21:28:39.357421800Z
_CRT 353

XML View:

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
<EventID>86</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>83</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000020</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2011-01-07T21:28:39.357421800Z" />
<EventRecordID>10203</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="64" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Isabelle-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data Name="ThermalZoneDeviceInstanceLength">21</Data>
<Data Name="ThermalZoneDeviceInstance">ACPI\ThermalZone\THRM</Data>
<Data Name="ShutdownTime">2011-01-07T21:28:39.357421800Z</Data>
<Data Name="_CRT">353</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Slasher

Jonathan_King · 09 Jan 2011

That means your laptop overheated, if you don't already know. Now Prime95 (especially the Large FFTs test) will cause your chips to heat up much more than normal, but still, it shouldn't be overheating.

Try taking a can of compressed air, and blowing out the air vents to clean out the dust.

SlasherIT · 09 Jan 2011

Hi,

So basically, the only solution is to stop it from overheating right?

If so, would the following solutions be enough:

Undervolting
Cleaning the inside's of the notebook
Arctic Silver 5??
Changing the fan??

Slasher

Jonathan_King · 10 Jan 2011

I wouldn't mess with the clock any, but go ahead and clean out the dust, and apply Arctic Silver if you like.

SlasherIT · 10 Jan 2011

Hi,

I am not gonna touch the clock, just undervolt, thats all.

Also, is there a need or would it help if I replaced the internal fans for the notebook?

Slasher

Jonathan_King · 10 Jan 2011

Undervolting may be detrimental to the stability of your laptop, and would be especially ironic given the nature of the original crashes. A major cause of Kernel Power Error 41 cases is insufficient or spotty power to the CPU, motherboard, and RAM. Undervolting is giving the CPU less power; unless you also decrease the power demand, you may create more problems for yourself.

In order to decrease the power demand, you would need to slow down the entire clock, which may very well decrease performance. It will decrease heat, however.

If you are determined to undervolt, be sure to go the whole way and underclock as well.

Decreasing the internal fans may help if the current ones are failing; it would also help if your fan blades are now covered with dust. You can also clean off the dust with compressed air; a slightly cheaper solution.