alienware laptop over heats

[pcmatty]

hi all
this is to anyone who has a alien-ware mx18 laptop

anyone know why near top of keyboard feels hot.

seems after a little play on train simulator 2013 it gets hot.
even if i only been on it 10mins or so.

how can i keep it cool coz when it gets hot it slows the game down and its annoying

hope someone can help
thanx matt

 

[JackALope52x]

Hello pcmatty,

How old is the laptop? It seems that something isn't cooling properly. If you have any pets it might be that one of the intake fans took in too much hair / dander and is not working right, or a fan could just be broken all together. Is it possible to remove the keyboard or a panel on the backside of the laptop in order get a closer look and see what is overheating specifically? It sounds like your graphics card is over heating which is causing the performance drop.

 

[pcmatty]

its only couple years old maybe 2 yrs
will try and have a look but i dnt want to damage anything

 

[JackALope52x]

its only couple years old maybe 2 yrs
will try and have a look but i dnt want to damage anything

Try using some compressed air to blow out the vents if you are not comfortable with taking it apart. Is it still under warranty? If so just call up Dell and I am sure they can fix / replace it for you. If not then again I would recommend taking a peak inside. Here is a video I found that you might be able to use, I hope it helps.

Alienware M18x r1 r2 complete teardown / how to take apart / disassemble - Hidevolution.com - YouTube

 

[windude99]

Just blow compressed air into the intake vent and the exit vents.

 

[kbrady1979]

While you are blowing air in there, you should be able to see a cooling fan from the bottom, pretty much right under where it gets hot. If you can see a fan, shoot a jet of air on it and see if it spins easily AND freely. It should spin when you hit it and it should keep spinning for a second or two. Also......for a laptop like that, there might be an access panel on the bottom that allows you to get to the cooling apparatus without tearing the laptop completely down. If there is, you are in business.