M3 compute stick overheating/CPU throttling

[PeteOwen]

I've been experiencing what I believe to be performance issues - mostly network response related - using my M3 compute stick/Windows 10 and have just started using an app called Aida64 to monitor check hardware performance under normal and "stress" testing conditions - I guess that it's just using Intel data just not visible to us oiks 🤦‍

While most of this stuff really is way beyond me, one of the things I've picked up on is a suggestion that overheating has been detected and CPU performance is being "throttled" by, on occasion, as much as 45%.

While I know that there are other potentially related issues (notably reports from others about streaming issues with Windows 10 when caching to SSD drives), in my own simply world, I cannot hear any increased fan noise that I'd expect if my little helper was overheating.

Does this ring any bells with anyone either as a personal experience or an expert cos I'm getting to the point where I'm about to throw in the towel with my stick because of the variability of  regarding its performance - silent scream

Pete

[n_scott_pearson]

Have you verified that your fan is actually working at all? I had a fan fail and had to replace it.

...S

[PeteOwen]

Thanks for the thought.

In my inexpert wanderings, I actually came across a setting dealing with the fan and, if my memory serves me well, I set it to run continually but, at a low level which was just about detectable.  Right now, however, I'm not detecting anything so, I think you may be right.

Do you know if Intel provides any diagnostic for checking the status of the fan

Assuming that it could be the problem, how did you go about replacing it - my stick is out of guarantee so, happy to play cos, I just happen to have another, unopened one(Atom based),  somewhere

P

[n_scott_pearson]

Intel doesn't have any publicly-available diagnostic tool. I will check the 3rd-party tools today. I checked my m3 version yesterday: 70c at idle, so my fan is not working again either (so much for fan I pulled from a dead unit; maybe that was why it was dead).
The Atom-based units use unique fans from the m3/m5-based units, so you can't get fan from your dead unit. I do know that you can purchase replacement fans through Amazon (in U.S. anyway). I am away from the house right now; I will look up reference when I get home.
...S

[n_scott_pearson]

Sorry, I couldn't find the reference. When I get the chance, I will look for the dead fan I replaced amd look it up by part number...

...S

[PeteOwen]

Thanks for this.  I'm now pretty sure that my fan has died because the temperatures recorded using Aida64 are up near the top end of the tolerated scale and the fan graphic is not displaying anything at all.

As such, I'd be very interested to know how to go about acquiring and installing a replacement - I actually know someone who's going to be far better than me at this so .... your help is much appreciated

[n_scott_pearson]

So what I need to do is open mine to get the fan identifier. Opening these cases is tough and you could damage it just looking at it cross-eyed. I have to remind myself how I did it last time. Still, it's a task for tomorrow; today, the wife gets what's left of my evening.

...S

[dohio69]

The Intel Stick actually sucks, its a design failure that they are not willing to admit. The stick has a 2 or 3 year warranty but fails overheating after a while, replaced by warranty 3 times but the warranty starts with the first purchase no matter how many times you receive a brand new replacement, so when it failed for the 4th time they just told me that my warranty was over. Unbelievable how the biggest cpu company in the world could mock their loyal customers with that kind of "warranty" maybe thats why the product is out of stock with intel when other brands still sell it as its a great space saver concept when it works properly...

 

[AlHill]

I have two compute sticks that have been running 7/24 since 2015 and 2016, and I have not experienced any of what you claim.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)
[Windows 11 is the new Vista]

[dohio69]

Thats why my comment was backed up with the real box photos including serial numbers Intel actually replaced 3 times when yours is just plain text that cant be linked to a 24/7 use from 2015 so far. Why would i buy 3 times the same product when it kept failing each time after a while in the first place??? No reason to lye,  still all my laptops and pcs are Intel yet this particular product has an overheating problem...

PS: Real photos as always of the heating after playing 10m a movie on Chrome, nothing else (W10 21H1 updated)

[AlHill]

Some of us handle equipment better than others. 

As for backing up my comments, I do not need to.  Just search the forum.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)
[Windows 11 is the new Vista]

[dohio69]

I have no doubt that in your mind you are super handler spending most of your day behind that keyboard, must had a blast in college. My only intention was just to warn others or at least to push their warranty before it expires. Those 3 boxes were exchanged by Intel itself for a reason. Going out now to a soccer game and letting you and your comfy chair handle more comments to prove them wrong or lying not with real photos but just plain text, cheers

[AlHill]

I see where the problem is.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)
[Windows 11 is the new Vista]
 

[PeteOwen]

Still no clear explanation of problem but, symptoms described have become less consequential in terms of overall performance after resolving a problem with MS 365 OneDrive where my system seemed to be holding multiple copies of folders within folders as a result of ........ mmmm, well, I've actually no idea but, cleaning up the duplications in my filing system (most notably my Pictures file) and, thereby, reducing the number of files to be synchronised seems to have improved matters dramatically and to the point that I'm wondering if the the original problem described should have been reported to MS rather than here 🤦‍

Still not absolutely sure of anything but, relieved to be back up and running with only the occasional - and far less consequential and short lived - return of the original symptoms which seem now to involve ridiculously high use of the SSD for minutes rather than extremes of same

[n_scott_pearson]

I have samples of all four models of Intel's Compute Sticks (FC, SC, CCm3 and CCm5) and all are still running perfectly fine after multiple years of use.

As for your picture, 174F (79C) is a perfectly normal temperature to see from this type of operation.

...S