What can I do to lower CPU temperature on an old ASUS U46S while playing old games?

Gonzo100100

Gonzo100100

Gonzo100100

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I have an old laptop ASUS U46S with the following specification:

Intel Core i5 2410M @ 2.30GHz

4.00GB Single-Channel DDR3

1023MB NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

Finally, in the past I changed HDD for a SSD:

465GB Crucial_CT500MX200SSD1 (SATA (SSD))


I can play very old games on it with no problem, like fallout 2, or Baldur’s Gate 2.

I also can play less old games like Civilization 5 or Crusader Kings 2. However, the CPU gets hot, and the cooling system works very loud. It makes me worry that this kind of exploitation will finish this old laptop very quickly while it is a laptop for purpose of basic office work and browsing the internet and with SSD it is great for its job.

Anyway, I have this crazy idea that maybe there is something I could do that would let me play Crusader Kings 2 with no worry that the CPU will fry as Speccy shows that the temperature is quickly rising above safe level of 80*C while gaming. My question is, can I do anything to achieve that? If I could spend like £50 on it, that would be OK. More than that is probably not worth it because I guess for £300 I can get better laptop that will run CK2 with no problem along with even more modern games.

My first thought is that I perhaps could change the cooling system, is there a point to it? If yes, what should I get?

Second is that I could thoroughly clean the interiors but I’m not sure if it will help enough.

Do you have any suggestions?
 
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Absolutely clean the laptop thoroughly - if it hasn't been cleaned since it was new, it's probably very dusty.

At the same time you can apply new thermal paste to the cooling system - this should cost less than £10 in materials which you can use many times.

Also make sure you're using the laptop as intended - it needs easy airflow so should sit on a hard flat surface, not your actual legs or a cushion, blanket etc.

There is also a utility for adjust the voltage requested at certain clock speeds - I think it's called throttlestop. This will effectively undervolt the CPU to produce less heat.

While you're at it I would check whether you can upgrade to 8GB RAM as a pair of 4GB sticks should be very cheap at the moment.
 
So far, I have disassembled the laptop, it’s considerably more complicated than working on normal PC, it's fun nevertheless. So, as I am writing this post, I am in the process of cleaning the internals.

I have a thermal paste, Grizzly’s, Noctua’s and some generic one too. I will apply the paste most definitely.

About RAM, if you think it will help, I can get more RAM. I am not sure if you meant I should buy a set of 2x 4BG RAM and remove the one I have or its ok to buy 1X 4GB in addition to the one I have.

The options I found:

2x 4GB:
8GB MEMORY RAM FOR ASUS U46SV <-(that's mine) U48CA U47VC U46SM U48CM U44SG U43SD U43JC U42SD - £35

Or

1x 4GB:

DDR3-12800 (PC3-1600) or... DDR3-10600 (PC3-1333) for £22.34 each

I am not sure which one will be compatible with the one I already have if any...

EDIT:
This is what is on my RAM "elpida chn j2108bcse-dj-f 1128r800720"
and on the sticker: "ddriii 4gb-1333 ssa302g08-gdjec 1131"
so, I can imagine the DDR3-10600 (PC3-1333) for £22 should work fine.
I also found: ASint SSA302G08-GDJEC DDRIII 4GB-1333 but it's £45.
If somebody could confirm that the £22 should be safe to use I would buy it, otherwise the more expensive one for £45 perhaps...
/EDIT

Also, what I found,

KLIM Cool + Laptop Cooler Laptop in Metal - The Most Powerful - Air Vacuum USB for Immediate Cooling - Cooling Pad to Solve Overheating [ New 2021 Version ] for £30

And

TopMate C302 Laptop Cooling Pad Ultra Slim Notebook Cooler, Laptop Fan Cooling Stand with 2 Quiet Big Fans Blue LED Light, Chill Mat with Built-in USB Cable Plug and Play, for 10-15.6 Inch Laptops £12.77

Is it worth to buy gadgets like that?

I’ll check the throttlestop when I put the laptop back to its former state.
 
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I think those cooling trays can help a bit, but mostly you just need to place the laptop somewhere it will get airflow to its vents. Raising it up a little so air flows underneath is sometimes enough. Maybe assess how the cleanup and repaste work before deciding on additional purchases :)

In all honesty for generic 1333MHz memory I'd suggest buying any old laptop RAM - so long as it's the same type (usually Unbuffered, unregistered). The CAS latency is the only spec that's particularly relevant but there's not much difference between CL9 and CL10. I'd expect to pay more like £10 or so for a 4GB stick.
 
Cleaning out the laptop / fan, then refitting good paste is already the best you can do.

As someone else has mentioned, after this try under-volting, but not sure how you do this on a laptop, normally it's done in a computers BIOS.

Re memory.

If you add another 4GB SODIMM you have dual channel memory, this should help speed things up.

Looking at "ddriii 4gb-1333 ssa302g08-gdjec 1131", you require some standard 1333 memory, if you can find that same part number on-line for very similar cost I would, otherwise get a generic 4GB 1333 of a good make such as Kingston, Corsair or Crucial.
 
Gonzo100100 said:
Thanks for your answers.
I found and ordered used Elpida EBJ41UF8BCS0-DJ-F 4GB PC3-10600 DDR3-1333 204-PIN Laptop RAM for £14
I hope it will be alright.
Click to expand...

That memory should be fine.

One thing, after fitting the memory, run a Windows 10 memory diagnostic, so your confident the memory is OK.
 
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