Is My AAO overheating normal?

Lateley I have been using my AAO to listen to OTR radio in the evenings. After a few hours the unit gets EXTREMELY HOT! I mean very hot to the touch! Yesterday after about four hours it shut itself off.

Do I have a defective unit, a fan problem - or is this normal for laptops? This is my first laptop as I have always owned desktops.

BTW this happens using the electrical outlet since obviously the battery would never even last as long as three hours.

Thanks for any information you can give me.

 

Sounds like a problem to me. I have had mine on since 8ish this morning, with no issues. Can you check whether you have a dust build up issue, that might be preventing proper airflow? Does it do this on a hard surface, or is it in your lap or some other soft surface? It has to have clear airflow underneath to cool properly. Is the fan coming on? You should be able to hear the fan running, if you put your ear to the left side of the unit, where the air exit is.

 

The only way I can see this happening is something is blocking the fan duct because I know my One can run with its' fan off and it stays at 50 degrees all the time (like it is now). Now why I think this is one day I threw my One on the couch and walked away for about 30 minutes. When I came back, I noticed the left side was against the couch and the temperature was 80 degrees! So after that I threw in the freezer for a few minutes and it was back to normal. So all I can say it keep it on a hard surface and make sure nothing is near the side and tell us what happens with the temperature.

 

I've noticed that using this device on a bed, couch, etc, seems to allow it to heat up more than on a desk, lap, etc.
There's not a lot of surface to dissipate heat from, so every bit of air it can get the better.
Do you hear the fan running at all?
(on mine it's just a small whirr...best heard on the left side near the vent hole)

 

Ok kind AAO users -- I have read your replies and I am thinking that perhaps the overheating was because I was using it on the bed! I was sitting on the bed with a blanket over my legs and the AAO on my lap as I listened through a headphone.

I hope that this was the cause. What I will do is when I listen again to my OTR is I will put the AAO on another sufrace. But what do you all suggest since as I said this is my first laptop? Will it damage my table if I just use it sitting on a table or musr I buy one of those special things that I have seen in the store to sit the AAO on top of?

I am pretty sure the fan works because it is really very very noisy. That is why I listen to the OTR with earphones to help drown out some of that noise -- plus the fact that my speakers are barely audible (BTW is that a know issue?)

Thanks for everyone's help so far and I will let you all know what transpires. I really appreciate it.

 

No, your table will be fine. You could put it on a notebook, though, if you were worried about it.

Yes, it is a known issue that the speakers are sub-par. Well, not AS much the speakers, but their placement and angle. However, it is not a big deal (to me, anyway). I only really watch the occasional video online,though. Not a big music person...

 

When I have mine on the bed, mine temperature usually goes into the mid 60's, so yeah, any type of fabric = bad for the One.

 

This time of the year I'll usually just set it on a magazine or something semi-rigid to insure air flow. On my legs is just fine, as it's -15 F this morning and every little bit helps!
I have one of those laptop cooler 'thingy's for my other laptops, and they work well. One problem with them is the USB power plug usually gets ruined pretty quick, but they are solid and vented, so even without the fans running they help alot. Haven't tried the acer on it, but since it's half the size of the cooling pad it might defeat the whole size factor idea of the Acer.
Also, if you're just running it for a few hours, run it on battery, leave the ac adapter off. I know this seems to generate extra heat while charging the battery.

Enjoy!

John

 

There are "laptop trays" which are just boards with pillows on the bottom for comfort and a firm surface on top for your laptop or AA1. These should be useful in bed or on the couch and keep the AA1 cool..