Average 622/722 Temperature thread, Is your's Hot?

Mark_AR said:
I don't mean to disrespect, but where do you get your exceptionally incorrect info?

My 622 has been powered on since 6:30 PM(roughly 6 hours)

#1: The fan is NOT running continuously.
#2: The fan is located on the RIGHT side and not on the PS side.
#3:THe fan rotates CCW to draw air into the right side of the unit and exhaust it on the left so cooler incoming air circulates through the entire unit. Doing it the other way would actually cause more heat inside the chassis by sucking air over the PS first.

Chassis layout:

Unless there has been a major design changes since the 962 became the 622 the following pictures are still accurate.(Taken about 12:00AM 5/22/06)

PIC1: Overall layout of components of the 622(962).

PIC2: Shows fan NOT running on my 622 that is currently ON (nearly 6 hours at time of writing). Pic was taken through the chassis slot on right side of unit.

PIC3: Shows my 4" fan fitting neatly into the space between the drive/UHF antenna pcb and the fan/tunnel. Tilted slightly, it pushes air down between the mobo and hard drive. I still have to finish the plexiglass cover to contain the airflow.
Ok sorry I was wrong about the layout, because I opened mine, and it looks like yours inside. BUT..... My fan is running all the time like I said, not in high speed like at startup, but it's running. Maybe yours is cool enough not run, but mine ru7ns right now. Almost not possible to hear, but it's running!
 
That is entirely possible. I don't intend to find out how hot it needs to get before it does kick on though... ;)

Boy if I money was no object, I'd put a Zalman Reserator on it.

*sigh*
 
The only problem with any *internal* cooling solution is that it requires you to crack open the case, which is not a big deal unless you're leasing, the laptop cooler solution is the best for us leasers so far! it's just too bad cooling was such an after-thought with the 962 / 622 team, i'll bet they'd have avoided a lot of swapped out receivers in the long run if they had spent 25 more minutes on cooling design (and about $1 on a second fan or heat sink on the Broadcomm chip!
 
Very interesting information here. Adding fans, providing more airflow underneath, these things might help. I also suggest, unless you have little kids or pets that might get inside, take the top cover off and leave it off. That should help the heat to escape.

My 522 has been running that way for months and its operation since removing the top cover has been amazingly trouble-free. As soon as my new 622 arrives, I will remove the cover before ever plugging it in the first time. It appears from what I've been reading here that the 622 is plagued by the same heat problems as its predecessors all the way back to the 721.

See this thread for an interesting discussion of the overheating modulator chips on the 522. I bet the same thing is going on in the 622 and causing all sorts of "software" issues.
 
Pepper said:
...I also suggest, unless you have little kids or pets that might get inside, take the top cover off and leave it off. That should help the heat to escape....
See this thread for an interesting discussion of the overheating modulator chips on the 522. I bet the same thing is going on in the 622 and causing all sorts of "software" issues.
One caution, pepper - the intact cover is possibly a critical contributor to the intended cooling airflow path! If that's true then some hot components might not get their intended airflow if the pattern is disrupted. What you suggested is part of what I will try, but then I will also make sure that the heat generators are receiving an alternate, and hopefully greater, amount of cooling airflow. Just something to consider....

I remember that earlier thread as well. Any time a circuit board is showing signs of heat stress, the components that are mounted to that area are running way too hot for whatever reason and that situation should be mitigated. Heat stress changes the thermal and dielectric properties of the PCB as well and might thus have other performance consequences particularly at high frequencies.

Good information in this thread from all contributors! We should keep this one updated as more data become available...!
 
I'm going to town today to see if I can find one of those IR temp probes. I think auto stores carry them. This is a good excuse to finally get it. :D

I would argue with E* that taking the cover off does not constitute voiding the warranty, but then I don't work for E*. Just that alone can help remove a substantial amount of heat from the case. Disclaimer- Doing so may void your warranty!

They can argue about hazardous voltages, kids, moisture, pets, etc... There *is* a shock hazard, so unless you know what you are doing and own the unit, you should never open the cover and never do so while it is plugged in.

Now if I were to start pulling parts and tapping data streams, I can see where they might get their knickers in a bind but I neither have the means or the motivation to do any of that.

I just want to protect my investment and have relatively trouble free operation.

I can say since mine runs cooler...

I don't have any audio sync or stuttering issues. (I did the first day)

My closed captioning works. (Never tried it until last night when I saw it was a possible bug in the 622 Bug Thread)

No idea if the HDMI output works. I still have to get an adapter cable to DVI.

BTW: My 66'F low was because I opened the window on one cool night/morning and had an oscillating fan blowing directly on the 622 with the 4" muffin fan blowing air between the MOBO and HD. Now I'm waiting for a cooler morning that isn't humid to get my numbers even lower. ;)
 
Mark_AR said:
I'm going to town today to see if I can find one of those IR temp probes. I think auto stores carry them. This is a good excuse to finally get it. :D...
I have an inexpensive DMM that includes a temp. probe input and the thermocouple for it. I got it at Sears for less than $30. I'm sure there are other possibilities as well. The best choice might be a remote IR temp. meter - just "point and shoot" for the temp. reading - but they're rather expensive. Maybe some of us can borrow one from work for the weekend. The only problem with that technique is that if covering-up the original surface was part of the experiment, like putting a fan on the BroadComm chip, then you can no longer "see" the heat-emitting surface for the remote IR meter to give you an "after" reading. There the cheap TC might still be the best choice. But an overall scan with the remote IR meter to find all the hot spots in the first place would be an excellent place to start...!
 
Bad, Bad, Bad Idea taking the cover off and leaving it off during operation:

Like mentioned before, the cover is actually part of the design in cooling, it does create / promote some kind of air flow, just like running your computer with the cover off, cooling actually works better when there is a clear intake -> airflow path and outport. This is not the reason why I say *Bad* three times.

However this is:
In those photos (of the inside of 622) that thing to the left of the unit is a power supply, which can shock you real good and not to mention fry the unit. Also there is extra danger of ESD or something (metallic) falling into the opened cover and shorting out your 622. The cover protects against this and acts as a ground to protect the unit from ESD.

Your best (safest) bet is to increase cooling / airflow outside of the unit, by either mounting an exhaust style fan near the outport and/or a new intake fan near the existing fan and / or using a laptop cooler mentioned before.
 
abricko:

This would be true, true, true, IF it were built like a PC. In a PC, you have numerous points of airflow from the Power Supply fan, case fan(or fans) and the CPU fan and maybe even video card fan. et.al.

Did I just not mention about voltage dangers near the power supply and such?:rolleyes:

ESD(Electrostatic Disharge) is a danger if you start poking around inside the unit with your fingers and/or metal objects without touching the chassis first.

Essentially the entire case is made of metal so ESD should be a minimal risk. (Warning - Don't go scuffing around the carpet with your tennies before messing with any electonic equipment..):shocked

So for those that don't know any better.. Yes, it is a bad, bad, bad, idea... Otherwise...Be your own judge.
 
This is built like a PC... back in the old days (which this unit is probably equivalent to) there was typically one fan, (your power supply think 386 / early 486) which was an exhaust fan that drew air in from the front and out through the rear.. this does not happen if you leave the case open.

Also static can be built up easily (and w/o scruffing your carpet) certain times of the year (low moisture and such)...

I'd still stay your chances of messing up your unit (even for those who know what they are doing) are high and it's not a good idea to operate the unit exposed... as they say accidents happen and that case lid can prevent quite a few of them...

Still I enjoy seeing what people are coming up with to fix dish's poor attempt at cooling this device. All I was doing is warning the masses not to mess with it unless they absolutely know what they are doing (and are not leasing their box).
Hack* away guys!

*note the term is used in this statement to refer to tinkering not stealing!
 
OK, I'll grant that.

Tinkering with an open case should not be attempted by anyone not knowing what they are doing. (Excluding myself)

I've been in electronics for 25+ years now with a scroll that sez I gradgitated from Ohio Institute of Technology Electronic Technician program. (now DeVry)

Lets not debate semantics here. We are all working toward a non-invasive cooling fix with the laptop coolers until E* acknowledges they screwed up.

I, on the otherhand am working on an invasive approach.:devil:

Now, Where did I put the chain saw? :eek:
 
I'm studying this while waiting on my 622.
I like non-invasive options such as a laptop cooler. I believe laptop coolers pull air downwards and away from the unit. I wonder if this would conflict with the 622's intended airflow design? Sure, if the 622 fan isn't running, a downwards fan will probably help evacuate heat. However, once the 622 fan kicks on, where's that air intended to go? Pulling the air out the bottom may end up starving some components (like ones near the side exit).
Just a thought.
 
rrfrey said:
I'm studying this while waiting on my 622.
...I wonder if this would conflict with the 622's intended airflow design? ...once the 622 fan kicks on, where's that air intended to go? Pulling the air out the bottom may end up starving some components (like ones near the side exit).
Just a thought.
I've said that before - in theory there is an intended airflow and if we change that there could be unintended consequences.

That said - I still contend that the 622's heat management is marginal and represents an economical tradeoff, i.e., the cost of additional heat sinking and/or more or better placed fans vs. the cost of replacing units while under warranty for heat-related failures. Were the designers erring on the side of reliability? I don't think so! I think a number of the reported glitches are related to heat.

I just got done reading the Maxtor guide on HDD design considerations (to which someone kindly provided the link recently). It was interesting that Maxtor projects (just) a 5 year min. lifetime for the HDDs and a relatively high annual return rate of 3% for HDDs operating at 60 deg. C (~140 deg. F) which is the max. rated temp. (How many 622 owners are reporting HDD temp maxs. at or above 140 deg. F ??) If those numbers are accurate then I think we are well advised to find ways, non-invasive or otherwise, to reduce the 622's internal temperatures as far as possible, especially the HDD!

I recently received the fans I ordered and I also have my replacement 622 ("E" version) in hand, so my experiments will begin shortly. More to follow...

Welcome, rrfrey, BTW...
 
Just an update after 12 days with the Targus Notebook Cooling Chill Hub (BTW, I didn't pay anywhere near MSRP on this puppy :D)...

Previous Temps (5/18/06):
High Temp 136
Low Temp 111
Avg Temp 122

New Temps (5/30/06):
High Temp 132
Low Temp 105
Avg Temp 116

4-6 degree drop, depending on the gauge... It's not the 10-20 degree drops I was hoping for but, I think I might also add a small fan (exterior), on the intake side, to increase cross ventilation. Incidentally, the laptop cooler fans fire air upward into the small vents on the bottom of the 622's chassis.
 
I installed my 622 on Tuesday evening 5/31.

High: 129
Low: 71
Avg: 104

I have now removed the top cover to see if that will help bring these numbers down.
 
After 3 weeks in my A/V cabinet - Glass doors - Open back. Temps were...

High: 138
Low: 78
Avg: 114

4 days after adding a laptop cooler.

High: 122
Low: 69
Avg: 109

They have been dropping everyday so I will post final results when temps stabilize.


NightRyder
 

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