Ubuntu – Prevent nvidia to raise performance level to avoid overheating

graphicsnvidiaoverheating

I have a serius problem about my GPU in my laptop. Whenever, I use my laptop to do something about graphics, the heat keep raising until hit 100 C and keep raising until my laptop suddenly turned off.

This is happens even if I just watching video, both offline or online. Then, i check in NVIDIA X Server Settings. And I see, whenever a my laptop doing graphical tasks, performance level raising and so the heat. I want to keep it down. I don't care about smooth graphics or something like that. I just wanna my laptop keep "alive" while i'm doing my work.

I see the PowerMizer Settings only give me three choices: auto, adaptive or prefer maximum performance. No one of those choices can prevent performance level from raising. Maybe, I have to do something about Graphics Clock, Memory Transfer Rate or Processor Clock? Is there anyway to prevent my GPU to raise it's performance level?

My Laptop is Toshiba Satellite L745 with specs like this:

  • CPU: Intel Core i3-2350M
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 525M
  • RAM: 4GB

Best Answer

You have a few options: (higher numbers are more difficult)

1/ Go to your BIOS and disable the NVIDIA card entirely. (refer to the operator manual of your machine as all BIOSes are different)

2/ Buy an refrigeration laptop cooler. (basically a mini-fridge for a laptop)

3/ Close the laptop, unplug all power cords and batteries, turn the machine on (yep: without the power cord and battery, just to get rid of the last smudge of electricity).

Gently vacuum clean (200Watts) the entire laptop and clean it entirely with specialised computer screen cleaner (it's not only good for screens; it's good for the entire computer)

4/ Go to a store and buy a can of compressed CO2 (carbon dioxide) Compressed air will not give the same spectacular results.

Close the laptop, unplug all power, etc.. Keep the can upright and forcibly blow out all the holes in the laptop (2 second bursts). Then open up the laptop and gently blow out the keyboard and speakers.

6/ If the computer overheats, turn the CO2 can upside down and give a few bursts (1sec each) into the holes of your computer while it is running. T° will go down spectacularly!

8/ Disassemble your laptop entirely and clean all individual parts.

10/ Put it back together...

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