# Computer running poorly, how to tell if something fried?



## FenrirUlv (Dec 14, 2012)

Well, Ive had my laptop for a while now, almost 4 or 5 years and I swear it use to run so much smoother. We've brought it into get fixed before and the motherboard was fried but we've already fixed it. I have no idea whats wrong but i seems I cant play half my games as fast as I use to be able to and it just seems slower in general, even my internet speed. A LONG time ago I had spilt a little bit of a soda on it but it never caused problems and none of the keys had issues so I dont think that is the culprit. Im almost wondering if one of my pieces of hardware fried like the gpu or something. When I use to check my rating it was also a 6.6 for performance and is now a 4.4, dont know if thats because of new processors or just because my computer is dying. Does anyone have any idea what I could do without spending money? Ill post my specs here in a second but Everest is giving me issues so itll be a second.

Ok, so here are my specs:
Machine name: FENRISULFR-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.120830-0333)
System Manufacturer: Alienware
System Model: M15x
BIOS: Ver A05 1.00
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU       Q 720  @ 1.60GHz (8 CPUs), ~1.6GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6132MB RAM
Page File: 2657MB used, 9606MB available
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: UnKnown
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M 
       Manufacturer: NVIDIA
          Chip type: GeForce GTX 260M
           DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC

(also for the record I know my rig isnt that great, but it use to at least get the job done and never give me a problem)


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## Bulveye (Dec 14, 2012)

Without spending money? Wipe out your OS and start fresh. In most cases if something is wrong with your hardware, it'll be blatantly obvious because it won't work.


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## FenrirUlv (Dec 14, 2012)

Bulveye said:


> Without spending money? Wipe out your OS and start fresh. In most cases if something is wrong with your hardware, it'll be blatantly obvious because it won't work.


Ive done a factory restart twice actually, what I meant by without spending money is if there is a way to find out what is wrong with it. I dont know how to open up my laptop and I really dont think I should be since I know so little. Im just looking for a point in the right direction to something or someone that can help identify the main issue without bringing it to a professional and paying them. If it comes to it where some piece of hardware is malfunctioning I may just end up selling what I can of my laptop and getting a smaller desktop.


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## Kazooie (Dec 14, 2012)

OCCT is pretty good software to check the integrity of your CPU/RAM.


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## CerbrusNL (Dec 14, 2012)

When did you last dust out your laptop?

I bet it gets rather hot. See if there is a manual on how to open it up, so you can access the heatsink 'n stuff.


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 15, 2012)

When was the last time you cleaned up hard drive?

Also 4.4 is the based on the lowest system spec. So which part earned that in the WEI?


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## Gr8fulFox (Dec 15, 2012)

FenrirUlv said:


> I dont know how to open up my laptop and I really dont think I should be since I know so little.



Well, yer not going to learn anything by not opening it up. Seriously, as long as you're gentle the odds of you breaking anything while you're taking apart a laptop are pretty nill. Just be sure to ground yourself to something metal to discharge any static electricity.


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## Kalmor (Dec 15, 2012)

Gr8fulFox said:


> Well, yer not going to learn anything by not opening it up. Seriously, as long as you're gentle the odds of you breaking anything while you're taking apart a laptop are pretty nill. Just be sure to ground yourself to something metal to discharge any static electricity.


Forgot to do that once and I shorted my motherboard, safe to say i've learnt my lesson... Always get rid of static before you open it up.

To OP, you don't really need to touch any of the parts, just open up the case (check the manual if you don't know how) and look for any major build-up of dust around the vents and fans. If there is then get a can of compressed air and blow it all free and out, you can use a vaccum cleaner (with attachment) to clean up the rest. If you're feeling adventurous then you can take a look at the heat-sink and re-apply some thermal paste if needed (please research before doing this, get specific info about how to get to it in your model of laptop).


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## RitsukaAo (Dec 15, 2012)

I agree with the others, open it up and check out the guts. It could be dust, old soda, or something legitimately is broken on it. Even if you don't have the manual, you can probably go to the website of the manufacturer and get a PDF of it.


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 15, 2012)

RitsukaAo said:


> I agree with the others, open it up and check out the guts. It could be dust, old soda, or something legitimately is broken on it. Even if you don't have the manual, you can probably go to the website of the manufacturer and get a PDF of it.



I'd wait to see what caused the drop in the WEI first. Let's say the lowest score was the hdd?


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## Kalmor (Dec 15, 2012)

Arshes Nei said:


> I'd wait to see what caused the drop in the WEI first. Let's say the lowest score was the hdd?


Aye, considering the age of the laptop I wouldn't be surprised if the HDD wasn't running optimally. If so, atleast it's not _the most_ expensive thing to replace. Yeah OP, tell us what has the lowest score on the WEI before you open it up.


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## Bulveye (Dec 15, 2012)

CerbrusNL said:


> When did you last dust out your laptop?
> 
> I bet it gets rather hot. See if there is a manual on how to open it up, so you can access the heatsink 'n stuff.


Oh jeez, this! Do you have a cat or dog by any chance? I once fixed my friend's slow laptop by removing all the cat hair that was getting trapped behind the vent for a year or so.


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## AshleyAshes (Dec 15, 2012)

Ya know... I'd never suggest that someone disassemble their LAPTOP as the FIRST thing to do in diagnosing an issue...  That's kinda, like, ya know... Dumb.


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## Kalmor (Dec 15, 2012)

AshleyAshes said:


> Ya know... I'd never suggest that someone disassemble their LAPTOP as the FIRST thing to do in diagnosing an issue...  That's kinda, like, ya know... Dumb.


I'm not suggesting that the OP mess around with any of the components, just to get a look at the build up of dust, if any, and clean it out. If the HDD needs replacing then the OP can get someone else to change it. Someone with experience.


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## AshleyAshes (Dec 16, 2012)

Raptros said:


> I'm not suggesting that the OP mess around with any of the components, just to get a look at the build up of dust, if any, and clean it out. If the HDD needs replacing then the OP can get someone else to change it. Someone with experience.



Do you have any freakin' idea what it takes to disassemblea typical laptop, so as you can have access to the heat sinks???  They don't just 'eject' from their plastic shells when you hit one little snappy bit.  You typically have to disassemble the ENTIRE thing to get it to that point, sometimes even seperating certian compontent connections from each other.

It is a stupid, stupid, STUPID suggestion.


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## CerbrusNL (Dec 16, 2012)

M





AshleyAshes said:


> Do you have any freakin' idea what it takes to disassemblea typical laptop, so as you can have access to the heat sinks???  They don't just 'eject' from their plastic shells when you hit one little snappy bit.  You typically have to disassemble the ENTIRE thing to get it to that point, sometimes even seperating certian compontent connections from each other.
> 
> It is a stupid, stupid, STUPID suggestion.



My laptop (3 years old) can easily be opened: unscrew 2 screws, slide open 3 slides, and the keyboard pops right out, granting me access to everything.
Nowadays, laptops are easier to maintain, and a laptop -Needs- to be cleaned out every once in a while. I had nearly half an inch of dust on my heatsink after only a year of use.

Nowadays, you don't need to disassemble the "Entire" thing.


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## Kalmor (Dec 16, 2012)

AshleyAshes said:


> Do you have any freakin' idea what it takes to disassemblea typical laptop, so as you can have access to the heat sinks???  They don't just 'eject' from their plastic shells when you hit one little snappy bit.  You typically have to disassemble the ENTIRE thing to get it to that point, sometimes even seperating certian compontent connections from each other.
> 
> It is a stupid, stupid, STUPID suggestion.


Yes I do infact, I've done it many times.

The heatsink was a secondary suggestion if the OP thought he could do it. What I meant was that the OP could just open up the bottom panel to take a look inside, which isn't exactly hard on a m15x, and clean out any dust that might have accumulated on the vents. Yes, I agree to clean the fans properly you need to have more knowledge about what you're dealing with. The OP can get a friend who knows what they are doing to take a look at the fans and heatsink or take it to a PC repair place/store and get them to clean it (which is the safest option).

Sorry I didn't really explain what I meant very well in the first place.

Also alienwares are gaming computers, they are meant to be highly customizable so their parts are easier to access than most.

EDIT: Also what Cerb said. Laptops nowadays are easier to take apart.


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## shootmister (Dec 16, 2012)

Raptros said:


> Forgot to do that once and I shorted my motherboard, safe to say i've learnt my lesson... Always get rid of static before you open it up.
> 
> To OP, you don't really need to touch any of the parts, just open up the case (check the manual if you don't know how) and look for any major build-up of dust around the vents and fans. If there is then get a can of compressed air and blow it all free and out, you can use a vaccum cleaner (with attachment) to clean up the rest. If you're feeling adventurous then you can take a look at the heat-sink and re-apply some thermal paste if needed (please research before doing this, get specific info about how to get to it in your model of laptop).



Don't use a Vacuum because the can generate a lot of static, Stick with the compressed air.


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 16, 2012)

This is why I suggested to see what part has the problem first. I don't advise opening things until a last effort. It's not that laptops aren't hard to partially open these days, but kinda like a car, you just don't open up the hood if you haven't looked at the obvious first ...you know?


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## Kalmor (Dec 16, 2012)

shootmister said:


> Don't use a Vacuum because the can generate a lot of static, Stick with the compressed air.


Never had a problem with it personally. Must be the attachment I use (the one with no bristles), or that I've just been really lucky. I'll take your word for it though, I don't want to fry the computer I've spent ages working on.

@Arshes nei - Yeah sorry that was partly my fault. I jumped too quickly to a conclusion when I should have really thought about it first. Let's wait for the OP to tell us what the lowest score on the WEI is before we suggest anything.


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## FenrirUlv (Dec 19, 2012)

Holy shit, last time I forget to recheck FA forums.



CerbrusNL said:


> When did you last dust out your laptop?
> 
> I bet it gets rather hot. See if there is a manual on how to open it up, so you can access the heatsink 'n stuff.



I last dusted it about I dont know, 6 months ago? Id feel comfortable enough with opening it just to do some compressed air I guess or something.



Arshes Nei said:


> When was the last time you cleaned up hard drive?
> 
> Also 4.4 is the based on the lowest system spec. So which part earned that in the WEI?


Thats the weird thing, I clean it regularly and defrag regularly. Ive actually recently dont a factory restart as well and should be clear of most junk files. The part that got the spec was in graphics for desktop performance on Aero (I dont know if that was there before or what) so I dont think thats anything too major since most of the others I recognize and are the same.



Bulveye said:


> Oh jeez, this! Do you have a cat or dog by any chance? I once fixed my friend's slow laptop by removing all the cat hair that was getting trapped behind the vent for a year or so.



I do, I have two dogs and two cats, though the cats are never near the computer anymore. My dog is usually in my room and a husky so lots of hair. I actually had to recently get a bunch of hair out of the keyboard even so that may be it. Ill try and open her up and simply to some compressed air or light dusting and then post back with an update. Thanks for the help guys!


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## Kazooie (Dec 19, 2012)

Ok, apparently I was not firm enough.*

RUN OCCT.

IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW *(cpu temp with load/memory performance/cpu preformance/cpu damage/memory damage)


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## FenrirUlv (Dec 19, 2012)

Kazooie said:


> Ok, apparently I was not firm enough.*
> 
> RUN OCCT.
> 
> IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW *(cpu temp with load/memory performance/cpu preformance/cpu damage/memory damage)



Will do, accidentally passed over last time.


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 19, 2012)

Well if the Graphics is 4.4 did you update the drivers?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/296191-33-need-underperforming-graphics-card


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## FenrirUlv (Dec 19, 2012)

Arshes Nei said:


> Well if the Graphics is 4.4 did you update the drivers?
> 
> http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/296191-33-need-underperforming-graphics-card


I have, I update them from nividia directly (which then gives me this annoying ass error when trying to go to the Nvidia display panel "NVIDIA Panel extension can not be created" which I cant seem to fix either).


Also, After running OCCT Ive found my fourth core is running rather hot, even while not in use. Could this be a sign of needing that dusting?


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