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[Elios83]

Just wanted to share here on gaf a problem I'm having, hoping I can get a few suggestions.
I have a notebook from Asus, model N53S,Core i7 2GHz CPU, Geforce GT550M switchable with the Intel HD Graphics integrated GPU, 6GB of ram.
I bought it about three years ago, it still worked pretty decently with games with a bit of overclocking on the GPU side.
Since last summer (August) I've had this problem: performance in gaming applications degrades quickly over time (a couple of minutes) from normal (what it used to be) to totally unplayble. There are absolutely no artifacts on screen, just degrading frame rate with a lot of audio stuttering.
I put 70 hours into Witcher 2 at high settings, 720p, 30fps.....now I just can't play the game anymore.
I've tried every possible solution I could think about, doing a full format and using the original drivers in the recovery disc, totally disabling audio hardware in the system properties thinking about a conflict between recent nVidia drivers and the Realtek High Definition Audio Drivers, I've tried to disable the HD graphics GPU thinking about a conflict between the two GPUs but I found out it's not possible because even if the GF550 renders the frame, the integrated GPU is always used to display it.
I thought it could be a problem with Steam games, so I tried with other benchmarks and non steam titles and the problem is still there.

So I'm really out of options and I think it's an hardware problem, maybe my GPU is toasted? Really old games using the Intel GPU seems to run fine. As I said I used to overclock it, but nothing extreme (from the core/memory 740/900MHz stock frequencies to 880MHz/990MHz and it has always been stable at those settings non stop). Is this some kind of known problem with some components in my notebook?
Fortunately I play games mostly on consoles but I like to play specific titles on the PC.
Tim to think about a new PC (a desktop this time) as a Christmas gift?

 

[Mr. Desu]

It's probably getting super duper hot and it needs to be cooled. Just buy a cooling pad and give it a shot.

 

[Armaly]

Do you play in your bed? Maybe the sheets are causing it to gradually get hotter over time.

 

[ShadowLag]

Probably:

1. Overheating

or

2. If you have an HDD and not an SSD it might be getting damaged from a lot of bumps/moving around. This happened to my laptop. Constant disk activity and everything was super chuggy after awhile.

 

[Mozz-eyes]

Yeah sounds like overheating, my old Macbook Pro used to do something similar.

Take it apart and smash some compressed air into it.

Maybe reapply the thermal paste, too, if you can.

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

Your hardware is overheating and the thermal paste on your CPU likely needs to be replaced.

Invest in a cooling pad and/or see if you can crack your notebook open and replace the thermal paste if you can manage it. Also try some compressed air around the vents to loosen and release any dust that's accumulated from use.

Definitely don't continue to play it where it can't ventilate heat effectively. It'll only degrade further.

 

[Elios83]

It's probably getting super duper hot and it needs to be cooled. Just buy a cooling pad and give it a shot.

I haven't noticed temperature anomalies using standard monitoring software like evga precision, GPU runs at max 75 degrees celsius as has always been the case.
Are those things expensive and effective in cooling down the internal components being an external device?

Do you play in your bed? Maybe the sheets are causing it to gradually get hotter over time.

No I always use it on my table and there's a lot of space and ariflow.

Maybe I should open it and see if there's dust, how's the state of the thermal paste or if there are burn signs somewhere.

Thanks to all who replied so far =)

 

[Goldenmoney]

I think 3 years is a pretty good life for a laptop, especially for people who use it a lot. Might be time for an upgrade. I'm not sure if you can stick a new graphics card in there. New laptop would probably be smarter anyways, though a desktop pc would definitely be the best option for heavy gaming.

 

[Inumbris]

Yep, it's safe to say that it's most likely a cooling problem (as mentioned above). I second the suggestions of cleaning the intakes/exhaust and replacing the thermal paste; it really does make a world of difference.

As to why you aren't noticing an actual temperature increase, it's possible that the performance on your hardware could be being throttled so as to keep the system at reasonable temps.

 

[DonMigs85]

-Defrag your HDD and make sure at least 20% space is free
-Install the latest Nvidia driver
-make sure Windows is up to date
-run a system scan with Malwarebytes

 

[Anion]

If it is overheating
1st clean out the fans with a vacuum before you take more invasive steps like repasting

 

[Elios83]

I think 3 years is a pretty good life for a laptop, especially for people who use it a lot. Might be time for an upgrade. I'm not sure if you can stick a new graphics card in there. New laptop would probably be smarter anyways, though a desktop pc would definitely be the best option for heavy gaming.

Upgrading the GPU of course is not possible Just the Ram and hard disk.
A desktop is what I need performance wise at this point because for work and personal interests I'm into scientific simulations, rendering with 3ds Max, Maya and so on.
Problem is that these days the only good way of assembling a good desktop is by buying the components separately and assembling them by yourself also I'd need to buy a dedicated monitor again which turns me off :/

Btw at this point I'm gonna try to dust the internals off and replace the thermal paste if possible and see how it goes, if I see improvements I'll try with the cooling pad, otherwise I'll think about buying a new PC.

 

[Elios83]

Mission accomplished, it was overheating.
I used vacuum cleaner and compressed air on the vents, the internals to my surprise were pretty much clean, the dust was deep inside the main vent. I dust my PC off every week and the external part of the vent always looked clean, the problem was inside.
And I lost my mind trying everything software related in the last two months
There were no freezes, nor artifacts on screen, GPU temperature was normal and I have no bios or software based options about limiting CPU/GPU perfomance when a certain temperature is reached, it's done internally automatically without any notice.
Btw now it seems like my notebook is back to its former self!! Not much considering it's three years old but at least I can play my Steam catalogue
Thanks to all those who helped me.