[SOLVED?] Asus Eee PC 1000HE lagging horribly due to overheating.

[Drayco84]

Noticed that my netbook started horribly lagging after I had ran the updates and updated to Adobe Flash Player 11. (Not sure what else was updated.) Comp is an Asus Eee PC 1000HE with 2GB RAM and system NEVER used to lag before the update. Comp is also getting abnormally warm and STAYING warm.

Lag is affecting EVERYTHING. Web browsing speed is reduced, sound is cutting out, and even the mouse pointer is jumping around on the screen. (Lag becomes bad after Firefox is opened.)

Sadly, it's strictly a problem in PCLOS as I can have flv.s open in one window and have Firefox open and running without any problems while using Windows XP. Also COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED netbook in order to clean out the fan, but no dice. Guys, any idea what the hell is going on or theories to check?

[menotu]

I think the first port of call should be to check and post what was updated.

Synaptic > File > History.

If it is Flash related (but not sure why Flash would slow the whole system down) please see

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,106258.msg907792.html#msg907792

[Drayco84]

Last noted item that was updated was on Jun. 11, and that was the laptop-mode-tools. TBH, I DOUBT upgrading the Flash could've done this, and I've already rolled it back. (Also rolled Java back to ver. 1.5)

In other news, system is saying that both temp. sensors are reading 138 degrees F., and system runs smoother with battery removed.

EDIT: ****... I do believe this is an overheating problem. I shut it down, opened the cover to the RAM and HDD and let my desk fan blow on it for a minute, then rebooted with battery disconnected and HDD/RAM cover off. Temp is holding steady at 125-130 and I'm not having the lag.

Welp... Any ideas why this could be happening, guys? It never used to be this bad, even when it was 80-90 in the room. (Also removed laptop-mode-tools, I think it was saving power by not having using the system fan at full power, and I kinda need that ATM.)

[Yankee]

Welp... Any ideas why this could be happening, guys? It never used to be this bad, even when it was 80-90 in the room. (Also removed laptop-mode-tools, I think it was saving power by not having using the system fan at full power, and I kinda need that ATM.)

Hi,

My fan goes on at 148 degrees per gkrellm from Synaptic after I installed
a manufacturers'  bios upgrade for thermal control from the ASUS website.
Most of their earlier models had to do so.

Reboot after the upgrade, the system might be looking for an old library
and can't find it.

Remove Compact menu2 from Firefox if installed and replace with Personal
menu add-on.   Big improvement.

I run Firefox in private-mode with most auto-update options off.    Big
improvement.    Other programs too could have auto-update disabled.

Most everything else only runs once per day so shouldn't cause a serious lag.


regards,

FF

[T6]

"DOUBT upgrading the Flash could've done this"

no, this can be the problem

what version of flash do you have?

what kernel do you have?  uname -r in konsole to know this

this is a very old model, it has a atom n270 and i don't know what video card it has, is it a gma 3150 or what video card?

can you write lspci in konsole and post results?  perhaps there is a problem with the video card or the driver and the hardware acceleration used by flash with the latest update

[Drayco84]

what kernel do you have?  uname -r in konsole to know this

this is a very old model, it has a atom n270 and i don't know what video card it has, is it a gma 3150 or what video card?

can you write lspci in konsole and post results?  perhaps there is a problem with the video card or the driver and the hardware acceleration used by flash with the latest update

System IDs the video card as: Mobile 945GSE Express Integrated Graphics Controller. Need to reboot into XP to get the specs XP uses due to propriety drivers and all that fun stuff. (I might as well update the BIOS anyway... Seems Asus released a couple updates in 2009, and I KNOW I didn't install the one that offers Win. 7 support.)

uname -r : "2.6.33.5-pclos1.bfs"

Ispci: "command not found"

EDIT: Flash was rolled back to 11.1 and I've already changed the settings to disable Hardware Acceleration AGES ago. (Back when the morons released an update that forced the damn thing to be on. When they re-enabled the option to disable it, I took it. Also, just enabled and disabled it again for lulz.)

[T6]

that kernel is way too old

you need to update, as soon as possible

you updated the system but the old kernel is not working well with the updates

in synaptic you can install 2.6.38.8 or 3.2 kernel, you can install kernel in bfs or a64, both kernel works with that atom, don't install pae, your cpu doesn't support it and you don't have the amount of ram to use it

i don't know why your system doesn't respond to lspci command, did you removed it or are you using a minime version?

[Yankee]

kernel upgrade to 38.8 is stable

upgrading BIOS via ASUS,   OK

but disabling hardware accel,   can't fathom that.

flash too is working on my machine.

Oh well, just trying to help.

[T6]

why are you suggesting to update bios?

that is the last thing you should do!

[Drayco84]

in synaptic you can install 2.6.38.8 or 3.2 kernel, you can install kernel in bfs or a64, both kernel works with that atom, don't install pae, your cpu doesn't support it and you don't have the amount of ram to use it

i don't know why your system doesn't respond to lspci command, did you removed it or are you using a minime version?

Going with 3.2 bfs. Is it supposed to leave the old kernel when installing, or will that be cleared upon reboot?

AFIAK, I didn't remove it, and this is SUPPOSED to be a full version.

upgrading BIOS via ASUS,   OK

but disabling hardware accel,   can't fathom that.

Hardware accel. is one of the settings within Flash. Start a vid on Youtube (Or any other Flash vid.) Right-click on the vid and select settings. You'll get a menu and the first tab is enable/disable Hardware acceleration.

Anyway, tried updating the BIOS last night, but ASUS LiveUpdate can't find the server. Disabled Windows Firewall for lulz and it still couldn't connect. Said "Screw this" and moved on. (And yes, the comp was able to get online. Also, no, my windows install doesn't have any other security programs. I only use it for diagnostic purposes and file storage anyway.)

[Yankee]

why are you suggesting to update bios?

that is the last thing you should do!

Hi T6,

Most older ASUS' have a BIOS upgrade available.
The file was over a year old before I upgraded.
Downloaded the file and hit F-something...and
it installed itself.   Not much noticeable difference
but the most current BIOS is in it, like any other
update, isn't it ?

regards,

FF

[T6]

i never recomend to update bios, that is the last resource

if the upgrade bios process fails to complete the mainboard will end unusable

this is why i don't recommend to update and ask why you mention it

it doesn't matter if the bios is old or new, there is always bios updates but should be used only if required, the last option

"Going with 3.2 bfs. Is it supposed to leave the old kernel when installing, or will that be cleared upon reboot?"

synaptic just does what you ask it to do, if you ask it to remove old kernel, it will

you shouldn't remove it to keep it as a option if the new one doesn't work

all you have to do is open synaptic, press reload button, press search button and write kernel, from the results of the search install kernel 3.2.18 bfs

i don't know why you keep mentioning windows or why you tried to update bios, the problem here is the kernel and recent updates to pclinux, don't add all that information and steps, first things first

[Yankee]

i don't know why you keep mentioning windows or why you tried to update bios, the problem here is the kernel and recent updates to pclinux, don't add all that information and steps, first things first

Just was some discussion here about overheating, which is what the BIOS upgrade
would eliminate, if any, which was one concern from the thread's originator.

T6, I don't think the manufacturer would recommend running their machines
with an obsolete BIOS, it's just a routine update IMHO.

Have a good one.

FF

[T6]

"T6, I don't think the manufacturer would recommend running their machines
with an obsolete BIOS, it's just a routine update IMHO."

not a routine update

i had seen mainboards die in this process

current models are less prone to fail but if the laptop is overheating and by any chance the temperature causes a cpu error the process won't work and the laptop will convert into parts for other laptops

a obsolete bios has nothing wrong if it is working well, a bios update corrects errors the manufacturer did or add support for specific problematic hardware so if all is working fine you don't need the bios update

[Drayco84]

Oy... Installed 3.2 and had to spend the last few hours getting things back to custom settings after updates to PCLOS.

The MAIN problem was trying laptop-mode-tools again... And I -know- the thing is overriding the system's control of the fan as the fan was BARELY putting out any air whatsoever with it on. (Battery was DC'd, and netbook is on AC power.) Somebody might wanna look into that as it's like one heck of a problem.

T6, I had already updated the BIOS on the netbook twice shortly after I got it using Asus's update utility. (Once was to increase the amount of RAM the GPU could reserve from the system, taking it from 64MB to 128MB.) However, I -AM- fully aware that a failed BIOS update can easily turn a mobo into a paperweight when I tried updating the BIOS on a fairly cheap one. (REAL problem was that the fan for the CPU had a broken peg and it was simply overheating. Tried to force a BIOS update because that's the conclusion I came to. Solution was to replace the mobo and get a 3rd party CPU fan. Wasn't pretty, but the mobo was a crappy one anyway.) And without that utility, I'm not trying a BIOS update. The only reason I even brought it up was to tell Ferdes that it's not happening anytime soon.

ANYWAYS... System is on 3.2 Kernel... Kinda annoyed that I had to re-do my desktop settings and such, but I'll live. Temp is still hanging around 125-130 degrees.

Trying Ispci again, getting "bash: ispci: command not found".

As an aside, is there a utility or daemon that controls fan speed? Or even something that toggles how much power is going into the CPU and step that down if needed? Ditto with the HDD? I'm kinda wondering if something like that was discontinued/dropped from support.