Nvidia 8600M GT Overheating issues + Slow HD Playback.

[superjose]

Hi guys, I have a Dell XPS M1530. 4GB RAM, 2.4 Core2Duo, 320GB@7200 RPM;Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT @ 256mb. Bios Revision A12. Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

Ok, this issue has been around for more than a year. I just don't get why my Video Card at idle is around 80°C, and when doing some intense tasks as medium graphic gaming, it's temperature will reach at 101°C. This even provokes that HD Videos (720p - 1080p) doesn't play correctly (laggy) using MPC (K-Lite Codec Pack), and less laggy using WMP 12.

Now. I re-installed Windows Vista x64, and although the problems still persists, it will reach to lower temperatures, consume less processor power and RAM. Incredibly, but true, it will let me play Full HD videos without lag. But I just can't go back to Windows Vista; although videos are playback better and the Video Card has a better performance, it's god damn slower than 7, so Vista I would like to use it as my last resort.

At second, I thought it was a BIOS problem, since I downgrade it @ A09 it worked good, I was able to play HD content on Win 7, but still was @ 80 degrees.

Here's a pic using Win7:
Programs opened:
Firefox (3 tabs, 1 flash content site)
Opera (8 tabs, no flash content site)
Outlook 2010
Windows Task Manager
KIS 2011
Encarta Dictionaries
JDownloader
Snipping Tool

Notes**
use my laptop on a flat surface. I do not block it's vents. I only work with Opera/Firefox and Adobe Flash mainly open. I have KIS 2011 as Anti-Virus (Not trial).

 

[Prof Kerfuffle]

It could be the 64-bit os, that maxed my laptop out and all hardware was supported, try a 32-bit instead even if it came with a 64-bit os like my HP laptop did.

Otherwise I would conciser it to be a hardware issue.

 

[yowanvista]

Hi guys, I have a Dell XPS M1530. 4GB RAM, 2.4 Core2Duo, 320GB@7200 RPM;Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT @ 256mb. Bios Revision A12. Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

Ok, this issue has been around for more than a year. I just don't get why my Video Card at idle is around 80°C, and when doing some intense tasks as medium graphic gaming, it's temperature will reach at 101°C. This even provokes that HD Videos (720p - 1080p) doesn't play correctly (laggy) using MPC (K-Lite Codec Pack), and less laggy using WMP 12.

Now. I re-installed Windows Vista x64, and although the problems still persists, it will reach to lower temperatures, consume less processor power and RAM. Incredibly, but true, it will let me play Full HD videos without lag. But I just can't go back to Windows Vista; although videos are playback better and the Video Card has a better performance, it's god damn slower than 7, so Vista I would like to use it as my last resort.

At second, I thought it was a BIOS problem, since I downgrade it @ A09 it worked good, I was able to play HD content on Win 7, but still was @ 80 degrees.

Here's a pic using Win7:
Programs opened:
Firefox (3 tabs, 1 flash content site)
Opera (8 tabs, no flash content site)
Outlook 2010
Windows Task Manager
KIS 2011
Encarta Dictionaries
JDownloader
Snipping Tool

Notes**
use my laptop on a flat surface. I do not block it's vents. I only work with Opera/Firefox and Adobe Flash mainly open. I have KIS 2011 as Anti-Virus (Not trial).

Update your drivers: NVIDIA DRIVERS 258.96 WHQL

 

[superjose]

Update your drivers: NVIDIA DRIVERS 258.96 WHQL

I have that update.... And I've tried with others. What I still don't get is why does it overheat? I'll try installing 32 bit.... but that doesn't seem the case, since Vista x64 doesn't present those very hot issues, although it is 80 degrees when idle.

But thanks for the fast reply? Anybody any more suggestions?

Vista presents 71 Degrees Celsius when Idle and 89 Degrees Celsius when FHD playback.

It will really piss me off if it's hardware issues.

Extra Note:
- WEI gets lower if I only install this recent updates.

I originally have 5.7 (With 197 update installed prior to the 258)

Let me explain:
I format my PC, and I install Nvidia's recent update, I will get a 5.2 in Graphic performance.

But

I install first 197 update, then 256 or 258 update, I will get (thanks to the 197 update) a 5.7 rating. Why is this?

 

[yowanvista]

Update your drivers: NVIDIA DRIVERS 258.96 WHQL

I have that update.... And I've tried with others. What I still don't get is why does it overheat? I'll try installing 32 bit.... but that doesn't seem the case, since Vista x64 doesn't present those very hot issues, although it is 80 degrees when idle.

But thanks for the fast reply? Anybody any more suggestions?

Vista presents 71 Degrees Celsius when Idle and 89 Degrees Celsius when FHD playback.

It will really piss me off if it's hardware issues.

Extra Note:
- WEI gets lower if I only install this recent updates.

I originally have 5.7 (With 197 update installed prior to the 258)

Let me explain:
I format my PC, and I install Nvidia's recent update, I will get a 5.2 in Graphic performance.

But

I install first 197 update, then 256 or 258 update, I will get (thanks to the 197 update) a 5.7 rating. Why is this?

There might be some dust inside,causing the overheating issues or your card might be dying

 

[Prof Kerfuffle]

You could increase the fan speed using, Riva tuner if the GPU accepts that

I would guess that its a driver issue from what am hearing, you could suck any dust out that may be clogging the vents using a can of air or even a hover (be careful)

 

[Dark Nova Gamer]

superjose,

Overheating is an extremely common and well known issue for the nVidia 8600M GT (I have it in the laptop I'm on right now). I'm unsure why you receive slow HD playback, has it always been this way? Try running a Disk Defragment on your computer as well as Disk Clean Up (Run in the opposite order).

For the love of everything holy, do NOT install the nVidia Beta Drivers. I've tried them with this GPU on two clean installs and each time it has killed the installation.

 

[superjose]

There might be some dust inside,causing the overheating issues or your card might be dying

I think that I inspected that some time ago, but I really don't know if I actually cleaned the Video Card, since I can't identify it myself, and the booklet doesn't show....

superjose,

Overheating is an extremely common and well known issue for the nVidia 8600M GT (I have it in the laptop I'm on right now). I'm unsure why you receive slow HD playback, has it always been this way? Try running a Disk Defragment on your computer as well as Disk Clean Up (Run in the opposite order).

For the love of everything holy, do NOT install the nVidia Beta Drivers. I've tried them with this GPU on two clean installs and each time it has killed the installation.

No, it wasn't always like that. As I'm telling you, this happens when I have A12 Bios installed. When I have A09 or A08 (Haven't tried A11), it doesn't playback, but computer still gets hot.

I have used TuneUp, Ccleaner, Auslogic Disk Defrag several times, and I do use them regularly to mantain my computer top speed.
Regarding Beta Drivers, thanks for the tip, I was thinking on installing, but, since they were older than the ones Nvidia is provisioning, I didn't mess with it. (Ouch, for the twice clean installs)

I think I'll need to disassemble the whole computer, and do a full check to see if there's dust inside it. So can anyone tell me what does the Video Card look like, because when I checked, RAM, and motherboard in general had little dust.

Thanks again for the great help!

 

[Mellon Head]

If you're going to clean the dust out of the laptop, use a can of compressed air. Never, ever use a vacuum cleaner inside a computer, unless it is "static safe".

 

[superjose]

If you're going to clean the dust out of the laptop, use a can of compressed air. Never, ever use a vacuum cleaner inside a computer, unless it is "static safe".

Ok, I'll try to get a can of compressed air and I'll carefully remove all the hidden dust of the machine. Thanks.

 

[Bookman051]

Overheating -workaround

This isn't really the solution you're probably looking for, more of a workaround. I have the exact setup as you and really noticed the overheating problem when I started playing Tiger Woods online earlier this year. The GPU became HOT :devil:, video was choppy, etc. I searched online and discovered that the XPS m1530 with the Nvidia Geforce 8600m GT is notorious for overheating.

What I finally did was invest in a decent laptop cooling fan. I had an inexpensive plastic Belkin laptop pad, but that wasn't getting the job done. I bought this pad manufactured by Zalman and it has pretty much solved the overheating and video issues. Amazon.com: Zalman ZM-NC2000-S Notebook Cooler: Electronics

I know this isn't the type of solution you're looking for, but the rig we have doesn't seem to have a systemic solution to the problem.

 

[superjose]

Thanks Prof Kerfuffle and Mellon Head. I've managed to get a can of compressed air, and I've used it to clean the whole computer, specially under the processor's fan. I now have no problems at all with the computer burning itself. It seemed that it was the processor which was causing the computer overheating.

But, that didn't solved the GPU Overheating issue.

This isn't really the solution you're probably looking for, more of a workaround. I have the exact setup as you and really noticed the overheating problem when I started playing Tiger Woods online earlier this year. The GPU became HOT :devil:, video was choppy, etc. I searched online and discovered that the XPS m1530 with the Nvidia Geforce 8600m GT is notorious for overheating.

What I finally did was invest in a decent laptop cooling fan. I had an inexpensive plastic Belkin laptop pad, but that wasn't getting the job done. I bought this pad manufactured by Zalman and it has pretty much solved the overheating and video issues. Amazon.com: Zalman ZM-NC2000-S Notebook Cooler: Electronics

I know this isn't the type of solution you're looking for, but the rig we have doesn't seem to have a systemic solution to the problem.

Hey man, thanks for helping me out. I do have the Belkin Pad, since some time now, and it cooled something. I will try the Zalman. I also have searched the Internet and I also discovered that it also overheated as something normal. I will try using the tweaked version of the Nvidia drivers.

 

[superjose]

I will try using the tweaked version of the Nvidia drivers.

Don't do that. Geforce 8600 GT will work better with the mobile drivers versions.