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Is your HP tx1000 too hot or not?

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hp-pavilion-tx1000-tablet-pc-hotornotAlmost since its debut, we’ve known the tx1000 convertible notebook (with optional touchscreen) from HP were hot devices – literally. In the user reviews I read of the notebook, heat was a recurring theme. At the time, however, the issue seemed to be one of comfort, not operation. Now, a couple years later, the long-term effects of the heat problem are manifesting as system failures.

The Consumerist puts a tx1000 user named Bobby at the forefront, sharing his story of heat-related failure and worse: his inability to get help from HP.

The catch is none of us can get HP to do anything. They know it is a problem, it is all over their own message boards (and never with an official fix- that would admit it is a problem), and they won’t do anything about it. it is the heart of what they sold me failing, in a years time, and a $400 fix- almost 1/2 its original cost.

I dug further and found several other users who confirm his story. The problem stems from the GPU either being damaged by the heat or damaging itself by overheating. Unfortunately, the problem has only started to manifest in the past year or so, after most early buyers’ warranties have expired.

There is a fix, but it involves removing the motherboard, heating the GPU with a lamp (or, as others have reported, a hair dryer), and affixing a penny to the GPU as a heat sink. Video demo on YouTube (and posted below), along with comments confirming the results. Definitely not for the feint of heart (I’ve never gone as far as removing the mobo from a working PC), but it seems to do the trick. If you’re not knowledgeable in electronics, I’d recommend consulting and/or hiring someone who is before trying it yourself.

Has anyone run into this problem or tried the fix? I checked our forums for mention of the tx1000 problem and came up empty. What about tx2000 and tx2 users? Any major heat problems, or do you think the problem is limited to the 1000 series?

27 Comments

27 Comments

  1. Lew

    08/31/2009 at 3:25 pm

    I have a tx2 and they fixed the problem by putting a noisy fan inside.

  2. Andrew

    08/31/2009 at 3:35 pm

    The TX2000 gets really hot to the point where it burns my skin. I have a two year extended warranty on it so hopefully it gets covered there is a problem.

  3. Modnar

    08/31/2009 at 4:05 pm

    Yes it does extend further than the TX1000… Tx2000 had similar issues but not quite as bad. TX2500 (what I have) the situation was sort of improved by better airflow but that lead to a noisy as fan but it still can get to the point of burning hot if you play games on it as the graphics chip is horribly inefficient heat and power wise.

    No idea about tx2 users but heard its kinda fixed.

    Still they are the literally hottest laptops I’ve ever come across even compared to massive desktop replacements.

  4. Xavier Lanier

    08/31/2009 at 4:56 pm

    I agree, more heat in the tx2000 than I’d like. One of the downsides of having GPU in a tablet.

  5. Joe

    08/31/2009 at 5:51 pm

    I have the tx2525nr, and very recently had the same problem. Turning on the computer only turns on the blue lights. I didn’t immediately recognize what the problem was until I did a little Internet research and found that it was precisely this problem.

    Fortunately, having bought it only last October, it is still covered under warranty. I barely received the box from HP to send it to them.

    I paid a LOT of money for this computer, and have otherwise been very happy with it. I haven’t purchased the extended warranty, but am seriously considering it after this whole experience.

  6. ComeON

    08/31/2009 at 5:59 pm

    User Error. People don’t know how to effectively use their PC and start blaming other people. I never have heat issues. I put it in Power Saving mode in normal use and High Performance only if I’m watching HD video or something.

    https://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/de24b25d-cd69-4947-b2a0-eb26c1eef0771033.mspx

  7. Charles

    08/31/2009 at 7:41 pm

    I’m glad you’re bringing this problem to everyone’s attention. Hopefully HP is listening. I bought my TX1120 from CompUSA and had the service plan on it. Had it repaired 3 times while it was in warranty, and then it went out of warranty and I couldn’t justify the repair bill for the 4th time. Bought a macbook after that. Much happier.

  8. Flash

    08/31/2009 at 9:14 pm

    I’m not saying that there aren’t issues, because there obviously are, but I’ve had a TX1000 and still have my TX2000 series and neither have had any heat issues whatsoever. I gave my wife my TX2000 and often it’s running on high power 24/7 with the screen closed (connected to a dock/monitor and it’s not even warm. The fan runs, but no loudly and not all the time.

    Often different locations get different versions of the same model. I wonder whether the US builds have something that we (Aus) don’t. We never got the 2.4 CPU for example. Only the 2.2.

    It’s certainly worth persueing for those who do have an issue though.

    Gordon

  9. Maxim

    08/31/2009 at 9:46 pm

    I have tx2500. It would occasionally become pretty hot but not to the point when it effects it’s efficiency. I should add though that I not really using any GPU costly applications. I have recently got upgraded to SSD and now it’s almost cold most of the time.

  10. Dan Meyers

    08/31/2009 at 11:49 pm

    Yeah, my tx2000 was an oven. It did have a fan, but it blew very hot air out the side. I thought the issue had something to do with the small ~2 inch area where the vent was blowing the hot air. It seemed easy to accidentally cover it { depending on sitting on lap with blanket or my arm/stomach when holding it for inking… }

  11. Michele Gabriele

    09/01/2009 at 1:06 am

    I’m Michele writing from Italy. I had very bad experience with tx1250el i bought 2 years ago. Same overheating problems and wireless card missing that i read about for a lot of users in some forums. 4 times in assistance the first year under garancy but now that i’m in the second year i let the notebook just not used.

  12. Michele Gabriele

    09/01/2009 at 1:08 am

    @ Charles
    I’m following your choice too.

  13. Oliver

    09/01/2009 at 1:41 am

    I Have a tx2110US with this issue and it has been warranty repaired twice by HP in the UK(new mobo + heatsink)… Great customer service… Awful reliability.

  14. Andrew

    09/01/2009 at 6:51 am

    @ Charles and Michele

    I had a macbook prior to my tx2000. Don’t think I will ever go back to a macbook. The tablet mode is too useful for me. Perhaps when the mac tablet comes into existence

  15. sbtablet

    09/01/2009 at 7:32 am

    We had 2 TX 1000’s. One lasted just over a year, and died of heat exhaustion. The other was sold VERY cheap to a friend of our son’s, who seldom uses it now because of battery life issues. It has to stay on leash now, battery stays charged for less than 20 minutes.

    We found them so hot we took to using a generic cooling pad with them. Couldn’t comfortably hold them on the lap for long otherwise. I will say they were a good introduction to tablet for newbies who wouldn’t have paid $2000 plus for anything at the time.

    My spouse now has a TX 2500 that doesn’t seem to have the heat issue. But yeah, the 1000 sure didn’t live as long as expected. If I hadn’t already recycled it, I’d try the penny fix.

  16. Matthew

    09/01/2009 at 7:37 am

    My tx2000z stopped booting a couple months after the 1-yr warranty expired (mid-June.) I was pissed. After finding out that the tx1000 also had this problem (and they never fixed it,) I was even more pissed. After finding out that the annoying fan speed/noise was related to a bios update to ‘extend the life’ of my computer (past warranty,) I was even more pissed. After finding out that the computer would get so hot that it underclocked itself when running my scientific calculations for work, I truly felt cheated. I could never figure out why long simulations ran so slow on my laptop even in ‘performance’ mode.

    In conclusion, I will never buy an HP product again. I will never buy an NVidia product again, and I am not a big fan of AMD’s Linux support.

    I know 2 ppl who have had HP’s fail for this reason, and I know one other who had another brand with NVidia card fail (Dell?). That may not seem like a lot, but I don’t usually discuss computers with people.

  17. Peter

    09/01/2009 at 9:00 am

    I got a tx2051 at the gottabemobile.com CES party in 2008. A couple of months after the warranty expired I started having the same problems as other people. First the wireless went out. For a couple of months I used a USB WiFi adaptor as a workaround. Now it wont even boot. I contacted HP and all they did was confirm that the tablet was out of warranty and it would cost $400 to repair. On HPLies.com there is a list of over 1000 users with the same problem. I was looking at getting a tx2 to use the multitouch with Windows 7 but I am really reluctant to deal with HP again.

  18. Alejandro

    09/01/2009 at 9:43 am

    I bought a tx1040 in December of 07, a little over a year later (enough to be out of warranty) the graphics chip, apparently died from the overheating. A couple of months later, I tried the fix you mentioned, and it came back to life miraculously.

    Sadly, it only lasted for another month before the graphics chip died again. The really sad thing is though, HP knew about this issue a very long time ago and didn´t recall the laptops. Very poor form on their part.

    I´m dying to buy a TX2, but with this experience, I definitely will not.

  19. vm-01

    09/01/2009 at 10:19 am

    It’s the same fix for the XBOX 360. It is only temporary because your basically resetting the solder. It will eventually overheat again.

    I had an TX1220US which suffered the same fate after 2 years. The damage was gradual since touch was the first thing to go. Now it doesn’t boot up. I’m outside the US and it doesn’t make sense to send it to HP for me.

    I was led to believe the NVIDIA chip was the culprit but I guess it’s HP’s fault if the same thing happens on the TX2000 series using an ATI chip.

    If you have one without problems try using battery saver mode more often, and consider getting an external fan. You’ll protect your investment and maybe give your laptop an extra year or 2.

  20. Jason

    09/01/2009 at 10:21 am

    My TX1000 died from heat also, worst laptop I’ve ever bought. If you live in a cold environment then this is the perfect hand warmer, but if you live in the desert (like I do) then this really is an awful laptop. There should be a warning on the box.

  21. Dave

    09/01/2009 at 8:25 pm

    I have purchased 5 HP/Compaqs for my business (marketing/advertising). THey always look good in a price for spec. BUt they have all failed in disapointing ways. I was sworn off Compaqs when my current tx1320CA (Canadian version)lured me back. I am very disapointed. Mostly because I love this convertible. The size and weight were perfect for me. It was my first venture into a tablet and the touch screen was not the greatest for inking. Unfortunately like a lot of people with these tx1000s, mine started shutting down piece by piece, first the wifi(1 month out of warranty), then the touch screen, then the webcam, now my microphone input jack has stopped working. I want to replace it with another convertible with a digitizer this time but I am not even sure where to start. I know the High end HPs get good reviews here but I think I would have to be stupid to buy another HP. And call me old fashioned but I feel like if i drop over a grand on a laptop, I should be upgrading for performance not because of manufacturing and design failure.

  22. Dale

    09/01/2009 at 11:07 pm

    I’ve been tempted to test wether or not “doubles as a frying pan” should be added to the tx2000’s specs.

    Don’t get me wrong – I love my tx2000, but sometimes it’s just too loud for class use when the fan gets going, and it’s definitely too hot for my coin purse.

    So far, the ~90*C heat has killed my wifi card, and quite possibly the hard drive.

  23. Jeff

    09/02/2009 at 8:42 pm

    I had one, it recently bit the dust due to the heat issue, I couldn’t justify replacing it after having it for just 2 years. I’m still looking for a decent laptop to replace it, right now I’m between a HP Mini and a Samsung Q1-UP.

  24. Steve

    09/07/2009 at 10:43 pm

    Yup,

    Sign me up too – HP Tx2000z cto died almost a month after the warranty expired. Same heat issue – it would get hot to the pint of pain if you had it on your leg or touched the bottom. HP really screwed the pooch on this one.

    Had sworn off HP until I finally gave in and bought the Mini 2140 with the HD screen. Love it, but will not touch an HP Tablet again!

  25. HP asa ka

    09/08/2009 at 1:53 pm

    After 1 year and 3 months to be exact, my tx2000 just died during watching movies. After reading from forums related to this problem, all of them are saying it is the GPU – NVIDIA chip. Then I opened up my laptop and found out that the chip is truly fried. It has a distinguising burned color on its surrounding.

    And now…I have to try the fix that I found on this page by revitalizing the soldered parts of the chip using a lamp and a penny.

    I hope this works…

  26. Lohshp

    09/10/2009 at 10:34 pm

    Hi,
    I’m a TX2000 owner from Malaysia, bought it just afet 1 year & 4 months,I facing the same problem.

    Thank to the youtube video, I’ve fix my Tx2000 with a hot air gun.
    Now work perfectly….. Hopes It could last long.

  27. mimi

    09/19/2009 at 12:40 pm

    damn. i got a tx1320 in november 2007 and in april 2009 and started crashing like someone said, piece by piece, wifi first, then camera. started asking around and found same problem on several known people and on the web. got freaked out. ‘fortunately’ i got a 2 year warranty from old CompUSA partner, TAP, and got wifi repaired.

    bbut its still damn hot and now no bluetooth nor IR and some black and green stripes on screen. i dont know whose fault was it now, if TAP or HP.

    any, no more HP products, like they said, the seem a super price for the specs, but in the end, they cost way more expensive with repairs.

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