Computer crashes due to overheating CPU (Best Buy service...)

[writhziden]

System Manufacturer/Model Number
Sony VAIO VPCCW17FX (~2 years old)
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium OEM 64 Bit (~1 month since clean install, 1 week since repair install)
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T6600 @ 2.20GHz
Motherboard
Sony VAIO (Version R0210Y5 10/28/2009)
Memory
4.00 GB
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce G210M
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio/NVIDIA High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
SONY
Screen Resolution
1366x768
Hard Drives
Toshiba 5055GSX 500 GB (455 GB {System} 10.42 GB {Recovery} 100 MB {System Reserved})
PSU
Sony Corp.
Case
Laptop
Cooling
Laptop Fan
Keyboard
VAIO Laptop Keyboard
Mouse
HP USB Mouse/Synaptics PS/2 Port Touchpad (Disabled)
Internet Speed
Download: 19.15 Mbps Upload: 1.67 Mbps
Other Info
Network Adapter Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter

Alright, my turn for some help. I gave Best Buy my Sony VAIO laptop to fix it since I have the three year extended service. All I was getting fixed was a key on my mouse pad. I figured, no biggie.

They replaced my motherboard because the mouse key input was faulty. My computer now shuts off if I do any intensive task. For example, I scanned my computer for viruses with Malwarebytes and it turned off. There are no crash reports, and nothing in the logs to indicate the crash, but I will upload the full report anyway. I also have a CSV file with the temperature readouts (CPU gets up to 88 C, so I think this may have something to do with it, lol, but the temps right at crash were 54 C after climbing to 83 C or 78 C).

If I run any of the Prime95 tests, my laptop crashes fairly quickly.

Small FFTs (maximum FPU strtess, data fits in L2 cache, RAM not tested much) ~3 seconds
In-place large FFTs (maximum heat, power consumption, some RAM tested) ~0.5-1 second
Blend (tests some of everything, lots of RAM tested) ~3 seconds

I would appreciate a second opinion as to whether this is heat related or power related.

 

[JMH]

Sorry re the delay.
Found this & attending to same now....
Temps very high.

 

[zigzag3143]

System Manufacturer/Model Number
Sony VAIO VPCCW17FX (~2 years old)
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium OEM 64 Bit (~1 month since clean install, 1 week since repair install)
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T6600 @ 2.20GHz
Motherboard
Sony VAIO (Version R0210Y5 10/28/2009)
Memory
4.00 GB
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce G210M
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio/NVIDIA High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
SONY
Screen Resolution
1366x768
Hard Drives
Toshiba 5055GSX 500 GB (455 GB {System} 10.42 GB {Recovery} 100 MB {System Reserved})
PSU
Sony Corp.
Case
Laptop
Cooling
Laptop Fan
Keyboard
VAIO Laptop Keyboard
Mouse
HP USB Mouse/Synaptics PS/2 Port Touchpad (Disabled)
Internet Speed
Download: 19.15 Mbps Upload: 1.67 Mbps
Other Info
Network Adapter Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter

Alright, my turn for some help. I gave Best Buy my Sony VAIO laptop to fix it since I have the three year extended service. All I was getting fixed was a key on my mouse pad. I figured, no biggie.

They replaced my motherboard because the mouse key input was faulty. My computer now shuts off if I do any intensive task. For example, I scanned my computer for viruses with Malwarebytes and it turned off. There are no crash reports, and nothing in the logs to indicate the crash, but I will upload the full report anyway. I also have a CSV file with the temperature readouts (CPU gets up to 88 C, so I think this may have something to do with it, lol, but the temps right at crash were 54 C after climbing to 83 C or 78 C).

If I run any of the Prime95 tests, my laptop crashes fairly quickly.

Small FFTs (maximum FPU strtess, data fits in L2 cache, RAM not tested much) ~3 seconds
In-place large FFTs (maximum heat, power consumption, some RAM tested) ~0.5-1 second
Blend (tests some of everything, lots of RAM tested) ~3 seconds

I would appreciate a second opinion as to whether this is heat related or power related.

Mike

From the looks of the excel sheet and your description I suspect heat. I have had a heat issue with a Dell and it exhibited the same kind of behavior.

First (if it is out warranty) you should probably blow out the heat tube carefully with compressed air. Make sure its off and the can is help upright

If that doesn't cure it, may be time for a thermal paste re-install. How comfortable are you with doing that?

Feel free to PM , or Skype

US

 

[writhziden]

I actually blew everything out before submitting it to Best Buy. Temps were getting to about 55 C maximum during stress, 30 C during idle. I just submitted it back to Best Buy for them to fix it since it was their mistake that caused the problem. I am guessing they either did not put the heat sink on properly or did not apply enough thermal paste/spread it enough. I will mark the thread solve when I get it back if the computer is fixed.

I am not as comfortable working on a laptop as I am on a desktop, so I was hesitant to open the machine up, especially while it is still under extended warranty. I have read online about questionable claims by Best Buy's sales team that all damage is covered under their warranty (which is the same thing they told me; spills, dropping, etc. should be covered), but then some people have said Best Buy rejected that claim when they brought a machine in broken. Do not know whether it is true, and I do not care to test whether it is true. Figure I'll let them try to fix it, and if they do not fix the problem they created this time, I will ask for a replacement computer or ask them to pay my tuition, whichever they prefer.

Anyway, I will let you guys know when I get the machine back whether I still require assistance. Thankfully, the tech working last night agreed with me on the heat issue. The tech I called there said the laptop should shut off if it gets over 55 C... Said my sensors must be faulty and the computer was fine. Funny since the max temperature for my laptop processor is 100 C and it was getting to 90 C before shutting down.

 

[JMH]

Keep in touch Mike..
Good luck from us both.

 

[zigzag3143]

I actually blew everything out before submitting it to Best Buy. Temps were getting to about 55 C maximum during stress, 30 C during idle. I just submitted it back to Best Buy for them to fix it since it was their mistake that caused the problem. I am guessing they either did not put the heat sink on properly or did not apply enough thermal paste/spread it enough. I will mark the thread solve when I get it back if the computer is fixed.

I am not as comfortable working on a laptop as I am on a desktop, so I was hesitant to open the machine up, especially while it is still under extended warranty. I have read online about questionable claims by Best Buy's sales team that all damage is covered under their warranty (which is the same thing they told me; spills, dropping, etc. should be covered), but then some people have said Best Buy rejected that claim when they brought a machine in broken. Do not know whether it is true, and I do not care to test whether it is true. Figure I'll let them try to fix it, and if they do not fix the problem they created this time, I will ask for a replacement computer or ask them to pay my tuition, whichever they prefer.

Anyway, I will let you guys know when I get the machine back whether I still require assistance. Thankfully, the tech working last night agreed with me on the heat issue. The tech I called there said the laptop should shut off if it gets over 55 C... Said my sensors must be faulty and the computer was fine. Funny since the max temperature for my laptop processor is 100 C and it was getting to 90 C before shutting down.

Smart move Mike

Let us know if we can help.

 

[writhziden]

Thank you both. Appreciate the second and third set of eyes checking my readouts. I mostly just wanted a second opinion so I had a little more backup to convince Best Buy's Geek Squad that there actually is a problem and it is not my imagination.

 

[JMH]

Imagination?
Bah humbug!

 

[writhziden]

Anyway, I will let you guys know when I get the machine back whether I still require assistance. Thankfully, the tech working last night agreed with me on the heat issue. The tech I called there said the laptop should shut off if it gets over 55 C... Said my sensors must be faulty and the computer was fine. Funny since the max temperature for my laptop processor is 100 C and it was getting to 90 C before shutting down.

Update: I got the computer back to the local Best Buy store. They replaced the fan/heat sink system to fix the overheating problem. Hopefully it is fixed, but I did not have a chance to check.

The case/mouse key is still broken, though the contact was fixed so the key works better than before, but it can only be pushed in on one side of the key, and the key is physically at a slant. Sound no longer worked, so they were going to re-install the OS to see if it was a driver issue or hardware issue... Basically, my computer is going back to the Best Buy Geek Squad service center to be fixed a third time.

Let's hope that after six weeks of Best Buy fixing my computer, it actually works again. I'll let you know when I finally get it back.

 

[writhziden]

Alright, so Best Buy ended up offering to replace my computer with a comparable system because they could not resolve the sound problem. For my research, I need a dedicated graphics card because I plan on doing GPU programming for the robots. My previous laptop had a dedicated graphics card, and the laptop computers with dedicated graphics that Best Buy had in the store or available for store credit were all more expensive than my VAIO laptop. I ended up having to pay for the difference in prices to get a computer that could do what I need.