computer freezes up,failure to respond,screen goes black

[47sawdust]

I'm having intermittent problems with my laptop.It is a Dell precision M4400 running Windows 10.Here are the symptoms.
Screen freezes up.

Mozilla firefox failure to respond.

Screen goes black.
These don't all happen at the same time.I have done a restore as well as a complete refresh and re-install of Windows 10.Sometimes I have to force shutdown which I think is not good.

Any help would be appreciated? Advice on repair or replace.This computer is protected by MaCafee and is used to check weather,sports,email,FF,youtube,CL and ebay.

Thanks,Mick

[Ianab]

Common cause of that is the CPU heatsink getting clogged with dust. Laptops have very small and fine finned heatsinks that eventually clog up with fine airborne dust.

Here is a video that goes though swapping out the CPU on that model, which doesn't actually look too bad on that model. You only have to remove the bottom cover and you can see the fan / heatsink assembly. Remove the fan and you will find a big dust bunny clogging the copper cooling fins beside it. Brush and blow the dust out, then reassemble and see how it goes.

If you are really keen you can remove the heat sinks and heat transfer pipes, and replace the thermal paste on top of the chips themselves. But if the cooling fins are clogged up, I'd simply clean those first as that's probably all that's wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2VtgkL2Knk

[Jeff]

I would also recommend to be conscious on what kind of surface you use your laptop on. It needs to stay cool. Having it on your "Lap" or a pillow, or something soft is not a good way to use it. Even a solid hard surface can limit heat dissipation. I have a small grate I sit mine on. It is actually a baking cooling rack. Its only about a half inch high, but it keeps air flow under the computer. They make devices that you sit the laptop on that have usb powered fans. I never liked them because they take up a usb port.

[47sawdust]

Thanks for the replies.The laptop does sit on the fan cooled surface.I will do some housekeeping on the CPU as suggested and see how that goes.

I just watched the video,thanks a lot.I am a little out of my element here and the video was excellent.

[Jeff]

If the heat sinks are already dirty, no airflow from the fan. But I think using a usb powered fan to create airflow to remove heat caused by using a usb powered fan is kinda, circular. 

[47sawdust]

Jeff,
That's a very good point.I won't have a chance to open the critter up until tomorrow.

[47sawdust]

I opened up the back of my laptop today and yes there were some dust bunnies in there,got that squared away so it should run cooler.Thanks for the help.

[Jeff]

http://www.reviversoft.com/blog/2012/11/a-guide-to-blue-screens-of-death-dpc-watchdog-violation/