HP DV7 GPU overheating even after reapplying compound and new copper

Modifyinc · 04 Oct 2015

I have a HP DV7-1130US running W7 x64.

About every 10 mins, (30 mins if it has been sitting for a while), the screen starts to flicker then the laptop freezes. Couple of seconds later the screen goes black. I have to power the laptop down by holding the power button for 5 seconds.

So I feel confident the issue is with the GPU since there are obvious signs of the display acting up every time this happens. It happens also to the external monitor when I have it plugged in to the vga port on the laptop.

I cleaned and reapplied some Artic Silver to the CPU and GPU and used a shaved down pre-1982 penny for the GPU. Yet the laptop still does the same thing, so at this point I’m lost as to what could still be contributing to this. I wanted to check the temperature of the GPU but apparently this model does not have a sensor gauge for the GPU. I have tried GPU-Z and HWMonitor but no temperature results, only clocks rates etc.

I performed a clean installation Windows 7 and it went through the whole process without issue, but within about 10 mins of using the desktop, it started again. I hadn't even installed any drivers yet. So I don't think its a driver issue. There are no errors reported when it happens or when I power it back on afterwards.

Any suggestions?

Thank you
Mike

Laith · 04 Oct 2015

Yup, it is probably a dead GPU.

Modifyinc · 04 Oct 2015

Laith said:

Yup, it is probably a dead GPU.

Seems a little much if it can run for 30 mins. Maybe dying, but not dead I would think.

ThrashZone · 05 Oct 2015

Hi,
Yep I would use real temp for temperatures
Download Real Temp 3.70 | techPowerUp

Modifyinc · 05 Oct 2015

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
Yep I would use real temp for temperatures
Download Real Temp 3.70 | techPowerUp

Thanks for the suggestion, though I don't think it will make much of a difference since the other two did not report a temperature value when they are known for showing temperature values for other GPUs.

ThrashZone · 05 Oct 2015

Hi,
Here's what it looks like and at the bottom it shows thermal state

E5200 is my cpu on this machine,
Attachment 372988

Modifyinc · 05 Oct 2015

When I reassemble the laptop, I will certainly try it. Thanks again!

Looking at it again though, that image is only showing the CPU thermal status isn't it? I don't see anything for the GPU.

ThrashZone · 05 Oct 2015

Yep,
A gpu would use another utility for it not sure what is available for Radeon cards :/
NVidia cards we can use a few which usually come on the drivers disk
My asus 980 came with gpu tweak to overclock the gpu
My evga 980 hybrid didn't come with one I had to download it from evga's site which I can't remember the name of it off hand I haven't reinstalled on my second assembly I don't need it.

Indianatone · 06 Oct 2015

I think it is a conman failure with that laptop. The graphics chip and cpu are on the same heatsink (IIRC) and basically the Gpu overheats and the BGA (Ball Grid Array) connections on the bottom of the chip become dry jointed which means intermittent operation once the unit as a whole gets above a certain temperature. You can find tips online of how to reflow the chip solder or if you are luck you can pick up a good working motherboard cheap and replace that.

https://www.google.com/search?q=HP+D...utf-8&oe=utf-8

My brother tried everything and a couple of years ago picked up a brand new motherboard which cured it (for the time being).

Mellon Head · 06 Oct 2015

+1 on the BGA advice, though I would be reluctant to try to reflow the solder under the BGA, unless you didn't care if you broke the motherboard. Trying to reflow a chip like that can cause other components to overheat and become dislodged or fall off. Most board fabrication houses won't even do it. At least the ones that we use. They'll try if we insist, but they won't guarantee the BGA will work afterward.

I think the OP is better off picking up a new motherboard for this one, if he can find one. Or else, sadly, a new laptop.