Lenovo T61 Thinkpad Running Hot! (95C)

chucklz1515

chucklz1515

Hi Everyone,

A little bit of background on my setup:

I moved to FreeBSD from Windows due to some complications with malware (you can check out my story through my shameless blog plug).

More recently, I had to give up the Lenovo W510 laptop as I was changing jobs. My dad had a spare Lenovo T61 so I decided to use it. A number of things were different, most were just modules. The most important I think is that this Lenovo T61 laptop has a Nvidia GPU where as the Lenovo W510 had an Intel/Nvidia hybrid GPU setup (to which I only used the Intel for compatibility purposes).

Now, on the Lenovo W510 I did notice some heat problems. Sometimes, when I compiled VLC for example, I saw 100C on my 8 CPUs, but nominally it sat at 85C - still very hot. On this Lenovo T61 I am seeing an idle temperature of 95C on the 2 CPUs. My strongest suggestion is some mis-configuration with Xorg or something, but I don't know where to start as I am using the pre-compiled binary Nvidia driver package.

I looked at the TuningPowerConsumption wiki, but it did not change anything (perhaps I did it wrong). As you might guess, I'm pretty new to FreeBSD.

Thank you all in advance for you help :)
 
Obviously, a T61 is pretty old. There are known problems with the fans and the attachment of fan to CPU chip on older Thinkpads. Check whether the fan is really running at full RPM. You may have to take the machine apart and either replace the fan (it is possible to find replacements, for example on eBay), or at least put new heat-conductive paste between the heatsink and the CPU chip.

I've done this before, but it takes a few hours, lots of small tools, and a good web page or youtube video with instructions.
 
I didn't know that the T61 had heat problems, thanks for that.

There's also no doubt that this is not only old, but may need a CPU compound change. I just took a look at the acpi_ibm values and it was set to automatic with a fan_level of 0 and the RPM was reporting 3800rpm (max). I set it to manual and cranked it to fan_level 7 but there was no change.

What bugs me is that Windows runs pretty cool and I'm wondering why FreeBSD runs hotter.
 
I have a problem with my GT610 Nvidia video adapter since x11/nvidia-driver was at revision 390.48. It is running hot because power reduction by adjusting clock doesn't work anymore and stay to maximum performance.
I solved this by using x11/nvidia-driver-340 which supports my GT610 and is running like before.
There is something wrong with the nvidia-driver-390.48, previous revision was running as expected.
 
Ah, I didn't know that the newer Nvidia port did that. I any case, I'm using the x11/nvidia-driver-340 port as my GPU is too old for the x11/nvidia-driver port.

I recently ran a sysctl dev.acpi_ibm.0.thermal and it gave me this result according to the acpi_ibm() man page:

1. CPU = 92
2. Mini PCI Module = 58
3. HDD = 45
4. GPU = 87
5. Built-in battery = 50
6. UltraBay battery = -1
7. Built-in battery = 37
8. UltraBay battery = -1

This leads me to believe that it is not the GPU as it would have the highest temperature. I still need to replace the CPU paste, but I have a feeling that there is some configuration I'm missing with the CPU.

I understand that this laptop is old and won't perform well, but it's all I have right now. Besides, I thought FreeBSD loves these old IBM laptops :p
 
Do you have powerd_enable="YES" into /etc/rc.conf ?
 
dlegrand said:
Do you have powerd_enable="YES" into /etc/rc.conf ?
Click to expand...
Yes. I have also set the flags to this:
powerd_flags="-a hiadaptive -b adaptive"

I also set the C-States in /etc/rc.conf:
performance_cx_lowest="Cmax"
economy_cx_lowest="Cmax"

P-States and throttling in boot/loader.conf:
hint.p4tcc.0.disabled=1
hint.acpi_throttle.0.disabled=1
 
chucklz1515 said:
(you can check out my story through my shameless blog plug).
Click to expand...

I'm all for it. With practice promotion can become seamless. ;)


chucklz1515 said:
More recently, I had to give up the Lenovo W510 laptop as I was changing jobs. My dad had a spare Lenovo T61 so I decided to use it. A number of things were different, most were just modules. The most important I think is that this Lenovo T61 laptop has a Nvidia GPU where as the Lenovo W510 had an Intel/Nvidia hybrid GPU setup (to which I only used the Intel for compatibility purposes).

Now, on the Lenovo W510 I did notice some heat problems. Sometimes, when I compiled VLC for example, I saw 100C on my 8 CPUs, but nominally it sat at 85C - still very hot. On this Lenovo T61 I am seeing an idle temperature of 95C on the 2 CPUs. My strongest suggestion is some mis-configuration with Xorg or something, but I don't know where to start as I am using the pre-compiled binary Nvidia driver package.
Click to expand...

I have two T61 and both use the dreaded Nvidia Quatro NVS 140M with the x11/nvidia-driver-340. I say dreaded because those made after a certain date in 2008 are notorious for overheating. Mine predate that, I don't know about yours. All I set are the powerd flags.

Both are at idle now with CPU temps between 45c-48c. A while after I got my last one it started getting hot while compiling ports, but is fine with regular use. I need to take it apart and probably replace the thermal paste, as if it was the only thing on my to-do list.

For now, when I compile ports I use an Opolar Gaming Fan while doing so. You clamp it to the frame, on the exhaust vent and it sucks air through the laptop. You can monitor the temperature of the air coming out of the laptop, set it to auto so it spins up when needed, or set it manually to one of 13 speeds when it's hard at work.
I don't think this is the exact model I have, mine has a digital readout of temp and got it on ebay 2 years ago

https://www.amazon.com/LC05-Cooling-Auto-Temp-Detection-Compatible/dp/B00XKU47Y2

The first indication I got mine was overheating was a syslog warning it had reached 100c. Within seconds of placing the fan the temp started to drop. It really works and is worth the price.
 
Ah, I was afraid that I needed to get one of those. I'm not sure if I'm willing to spend money on a computer I plan on trashing. It's just a temporary laptop that I need to check email or ssh into servers.

Mine predate that, I don't know about yours. All I set are the powerd flags.
Click to expand...
Would you mind sharing your powerd flags? I'm wondering now if I have set them incorrectly as I noticed it has an idle temperature of 82C when on battery. Not much, but beats an overheat shutdown :p
 
Mine are the same as yours.

Code: 
powerd_enable="YES"
powerd_flags="-a hiadaptive -b adaptive"

I guess I had been running them reversed the whole time till michael_hackson was kind enough to point that out for me. I use my laptops as desktops and always leave then plugged in and powered up while in use.

I have a T43, two T61, X61, T400, W520, and a Gateway and Sony laptop. The X61 serves as my .mp3 player. I use one of my T61 with widescreen for general desktop activities most of all. Yours are definitely running hotter than any of mine at idle, and the T61 I mentioned is the only one that gets overly hot during a workload.

Have you tried opening it up and seeing if it's just filled up with stuff blocking airflow? Or tried blowing it out with canned air through the vents? You might be able to replace the thermal paste and have what I'd consider a perfectly good laptop.
 
Trihexagonal said:
Have you tried opening it up and seeing if it's just filled up with stuff blocking airflow? Or tried blowing it out with canned air through the vents? You might be able to replace the thermal paste and have what I'd consider a perfectly good laptop.
Click to expand...
I had it open earlier as I needed to bypass the supervisor password by shorting the pins on the EEPROM. It's pretty clean (no bunnies), but I didn't wipe it down or anything. I was hoping that I didn't accidentally loosen a screw for the heatsink during the process, but I will find out more when I change the paste.

Trihexagonal said:
I have a T43, two T61, X61, T400, W520, and a Gateway and Sony laptop. The X61 serves as my .mp3 player. I use one of my T61 with widescreen for general desktop activities most of all.
Click to expand...
Wow, you got a nice collection! I definitely don't have the desk or lap space for all of that. Most of my servery stuff sits in jails on my FreeNAS. Only physical boxes are 2 thin Dell and Lenovo PCs. The Dell is my mail server. The Lenovo I just got working this morning as my replacement router with Bind9, isc-dhcpd, pf, miniupnpd, and soon to be a Compex WiFi adapter.
 
chucklz1515 said:
I definitely don't have the desk or lap space for all of that.
Click to expand...

Neither do I really. I live in a small apartment and usually keep 2 running for desktop use and that doesn't clutter things up. The music never stops on my X61 and it sits on a table close to my recliner. If I'm gaming then I'll have my W520 set where I can move it and play from the recliner.


The cable guy had to come over not long ago when I had 4 out and asked how many I had, 8 at the time. I showed him what a FreeBSD desktop looked like, my .mp3 player and that I actually had more than could have online at once. He asked if I could, would I?

When I told him I had ran 7 online at once with a switch he got the funniest look on his face like he was in awe, just stood there staring at me and I had to usher him out the door. :)
 
Trihexagonal said:
The music never stops on my X61 and it sits on a table close to my recliner.
Click to expand...
Oh, that gives me an idea for a bluetooth or WiDi enabled raspberry pi hooked up to some audio gear so that the music can be controlled from a device (I would get a sonos, but I don't like the idea of an always-online closed-box device on my network). Should work nicely with the local Plex server.

Trihexagonal said:
When I told him I had ran 7 online at once with a switch he got the funniest look on his face like he was in awe, just stood there staring at me and I had to usher him out the door. :)
Click to expand...
That reminds me of the time I called my ISP to ask if they were blocking SMTP port 25 out (which they were for anti-spamming reasons) as I was trying to send out emails. I told him about my setup and he was in shock that I was running all this out of my apartment. He then told me about the ISP's mail relay I could access but had many questions about the servers.

Trihexagonal said:
I say dreaded because those made after a certain date in 2008 are notorious for overheating. Mine predate that, I don't know about yours.
Click to expand...
I was able to look up my model of T61 and it is indeed a 2009 version. Time to buy that fan.
 
I keep mine updated when it's a major thing but that's the only time it's online. I either listen with lightweight headphones through the jack, or run a patch cord from that jack to my vintage stereo and back out to full sized headphones.

3littlebears.jpg
 
I may have marked the best answer a little too soon. I tried out sysutils/powerdxx and I was blown away by the results. 57C idle! Very impressive! At max load I saw it hit only as high as 89C. There's a little choppiness when nothing is happening, but that is to be expected when you downclock CPUs. In any case, thank you very much diizzy!

Now, how do I change the "Best Answer" for this thread?
 
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