[ZedU54]

...I just replaced the motherboard in my laptop (I know, you're all saying, it's 5 years old, why didn't I just go out and get a new laptop?...well...it's a 17-inch, much easier on my rheumy old eyes, and I simply don't have 7-800 bucks for a new one). It's an HP dv8135nr, motherboard part number 403790-001, and it was reporting false CPU overtemp conditions, causing the fan to wind up and the laptop to spontaneously shut down. Replacing the board cured the problem. Now, I know that on desktop motherboards there is an I/O chip that is responsible for reading and interpreting the temp sensor signals that come in from the CPU and other places, and that temp monitor software will usually call out that chip. I've installed CoreTemp on the laptop so I can see what the CPU is doing, and I've tried a couple other programs (CPUID and Open Source Monitor) and, while they will identify the board, they do not identify an I/O chip, so I wonder how the laptop motherboard differs from a desktop motherboard in how it handles temp data (what part of the chipset does this in a laptop?)...

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I know that on desktop motherboards there is an I/O chip that is responsible for reading and interpreting the temp sensor signals that come in from the CPU and other places, and that temp monitor software will usually call out that chip. I've installed CoreTemp on the laptop so I can see what the CPU is doing, and I've tried a couple other programs (CPUID and Open Source Monitor) and, while they will identify the board, they do not identify an I/O chip, so I wonder how the laptop motherboard differs from a desktop motherboard in how it handles temp data (what part of the chipset does this in a laptop?)...

Although notebooks tend to be proprietary, this issue cannot be divided into notebook vs PC motherboards. While it is likely notebooks, which are very susceptible to heat problems, will have sophisticated monitoring, so too can PC motherboards. Whether or not the HW monitoring controller chip identifies itself or not has nothing to do with it being a notebook or PC. I just tried various monitoring programs on this PC and I cannot identify the motherboard's monitoring chip either. However, HW Monitor from the makers of CPUID, supports most IT87 series and Winbond chips. On this machine, it does see that I have an IT87 series chip, but it cannot identify it precisely. A quick inspection of my manual's Motherboard Board Layout diagram, I can see I have an IT8720.

[Digerati]

I know that on desktop motherboards there is an I/O chip that is responsible for reading and interpreting the temp sensor signals that come in from the CPU and other places, and that temp monitor software will usually call out that chip. I've installed CoreTemp on the laptop so I can see what the CPU is doing, and I've tried a couple other programs (CPUID and Open Source Monitor) and, while they will identify the board, they do not identify an I/O chip, so I wonder how the laptop motherboard differs from a desktop motherboard in how it handles temp data (what part of the chipset does this in a laptop?)...

Although notebooks tend to be proprietary, this issue cannot be divided into notebook vs PC motherboards. While it is likely notebooks, which are very susceptible to heat problems, will have sophisticated monitoring, so too can PC motherboards. Whether or not the HW monitoring controller chip identifies itself or not has nothing to do with it being a notebook or PC. I just tried various monitoring programs on this PC and I cannot identify the motherboard's monitoring chip either. However, HW Monitor from the makers of CPUID, supports most IT87 series and Winbond chips. On this machine, it does see that I have an IT87 series chip, but it cannot identify it precisely. A quick inspection of my manual's Motherboard Board Layout diagram, I can see I have an IT8720.

[Digerati]

Hmmm, well I just had a surprise. After posting the above link to HWMonitor, I realized my installation needed updating. So after I installed it and ran it, no longer does it identify the which monitoring chip (or series) my board support. Instead it provides my motherboard brand and model number. So you might look for V1.6 under Version History if you want the sensor.

[ZedU54]

...ahhh...I wasn't specific enough...I HAVE HWMonitor 1.17.0, not CPUID, on this machine...you're suggesting I try an older version and see what it says...although you're asking to go quite a way back (v 1.6 from v 1.17?)...
...it picks up the board (identified only as 'Hewlett-Packard 309B', the CPU ('AMD Turion 64 ML-37'), and the two HDDs ('ST9100822A')...I'll check out an older version and see what it does...
...thanx...from one ex-AF to another ...

[Digerati]

Sorry, fat fingers. It is 1.16 and it only goes back to May 2010.

...thanx...from one ex-AF to another

[ZedU54]

...v 1.16 doesn't identify a chip, either...but it does give some battery information that v 1.17 didn't show...
...I was wondering about this because if I could identify the offending chip, it would be possible to replace it (as long as it isn't a BGA!) and presumably repair the board...

[Digerati]

Inspect the motherboard and punch the numbers into google.

[ZedU54]

...already thought of that. I've got a few numbers to try...

[ZedU54]

...update: none of the numbers I got have anything to do with monitoring. Most of them are things like voltage converters, etc. This board uses an ATI Radeon Xpress 200M chipset; I realize that is primarily concerned with video/graphics, but what little I was able to find about it also mentions power management. Is it possible that those monitoring functions are embedded in that chipset?...