[SOLVED] Laptop overheats so quickly the BIOS update fails

[BrianofNazareth]

I hate asking for help. Really I do but I need ... something.

HP Pavilion 17-G188CA
Windows 10
AMD A10-8700P
1yr 3months old so out of warranty

Laptop overheats regularly: Event ID 88 "The system was hibernated due to a thermal event" - and Windows 10 will no longer update (v1703 install attempt generates a "Your BIOS needs to be upgraded before you can upgrade to Windows 10" message). CPU Temp app shows temps approaching 97C on all 4 cores during light usage.

I cleaned the fan, & when that was not sufficient I cleaned & applied new thermal paste to the CPU.
Running BIOS version f.17 - acquired BIOS f.43 & attempted install - install fails (black screen / fan running high) & BIOS is rolled back. Tried BIOS f.41 same results. Per HP the f.41 is required to support Win 10 v1607

Put laptop in freezer (yes I did) for ~1/2 hour and was able to install BIOS f.19 while laptop suspended in freezer so the air it's pulling in is ~0F - the overheating is delayed long enough (barely) to complete the install (it shuts off during the "verifying BIOS" phase). Bios f.41 is larger & takes more time to install so the install fails - & then it has to go through the recovery process again. During BIOS update & recovery fan is always running at maximum speed.

IR thermometer shows the copper tube between the processor & heatsink at almost 100C just before it shuts off so I am assuming that the CPU app is telling the truth & that the new thermal paste is working correctly.

I have dialed back the processor speed in the Windows power settings so it appears to be stable when running, but I'm unwilling to give the laptop back with daily "updates failed" messages popping up.

Opinions?
Suggestions?
Judgements?
Snark?
All are welcome. Thanks to all who take the time.

 

[MichaelBits]

Check the heat pipe (the copper tube you refer to).
It's most likely bad, any cracks or odd bulges?
Heat pipe is what actually does the cooling.

 

[Diggs]

Is heat getting to the fins of the radiator? (Temp at fins?) It sounds like the heat pipe has dried out.

 

[NYJimbo]

Could also be thermal chip/circuit damage. If so, its a goner. I had a HP where we put a new heat sink/fins and still did the same thing. Could be a missread. Just sayin.....

 

[Diggs]

Could also be thermal chip/circuit damage. If so, its a goner. I had a HP where we put a new heat sink/fins and still did the same thing. Could be a missread. Just sayin.....

I agree with @NYJimbo for it to be reaching those kind of temps that fast. There is damage somewhere probably in the chip itself (which as discussed elsewhere is incredibly rare). An empty heat pipe wouldn't make things happen this quick.

 

[Krynn72]

I'd wager that it's not the chip itself. If I had to guess, I'd say there is a component shorting to ground which is close enough to the temp sensor that the heat from the short is triggering the message.

So check the heatsink first to see if it's leaked, then if that's fine you're probably looking at component level board repair, which probably isn't going to be worth doing on a Pavillion.

 

[BrianofNazareth]

Check the heat pipe (the copper tube you refer to).
It's most likely bad, any cracks or odd bulges?
Heat pipe is what actually does the cooling.

Heat pipe looks to be in good condition. I've not come across a bad heat pipe that I am aware of.

Is heat getting to the fins of the radiator? (Temp at fins?) It sounds like the heat pipe has dried out.

Hard to get a good reading on the radiator as this model uses the rear casing as ducting to channel the air from the fan through the fins, so when the case is off the fan is pretty much useless. However, the air exiting the fins should be hotter than it is (in my experience) and I am starting to think the problem may be caused by poor connection between the heat pipe & radiator. I did not know heat pipes have fluid in them! Learn something new every day...

As stated, if it doesn't overheat & shutdown before Windows boots it is working (with the CPU power scaled back 20% via Windows Power Settings). It has been running all weekend successfully - until I restarted & accessed the BIOS to run diagnostics... It shut off ~15 seconds into the processor test.

 

[DanF]

So what is the idle temperature? And how long does it take for it to overheat and kills itself off?

Is it easy for you or worth getting a replacement heatsink/pipe? If yes, then I'd say get it and see how that works. I wouldn't give it back to the customer if the system still has issues.

Also... "I hate asking for help. Really I do but I need ... something." ... Why? You get to learn something new every time you ask a question

 

[mikeroq]

I would replace the heatsink and if that didn't solve it replace the motherboard. Motherboard is a bit pricey with having a soldered on cpu.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/809104-001-...314159?hash=item25bd746e2f:g:yggAAOSwMNxXUgEB

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-HP-17-G...827611&hash=item43fd528c1d:g:VZYAAOSw241YjPi7

 

[BrianofNazareth]

So what is the idle temperature? And how long does it take for it to overheat and kills itself off?

System idles at ~34C. It overheats & shuts off intermittently- idled all weekend w/o problem & then temp climbed steadily up to 105C & shut down with one Chrome window open (no user activity) on Monday. However when attempting to update the BIOS, it overheats every time before it finishes writing the blocks.

Is it easy for you or worth getting a replacement heatsink/pipe?

Yes they can be found for <$10 on eBay; just takes a week for it to arrive.
Thanks to your excellent explanation of how the heat pipe works, I can see that the heat pipe appears to be working at least up to the point where it changes from copper to black...paint? (where the heatsink is attached).

 

[NJW]

@BrianofNazareth : At least give the heat pipe a rudimentary test – this site is quite useful. If you have any other laptop heatsink assembly kicking around, do a comparative test, as it isn't always obvious what should happen.

 

[BrianofNazareth]

Replaced the heat pipe & now it works. Thanks Technibblers! Never thought a heat pipe would go bad...