On 1/12/2012 4:01 p.m., nospam wrote:
In article ,
wrote:

One problem with laptops is that since they can't handle the heat, they run
slower than desktops with the same processor. I have a fairly fast duocore
laptop but it's dead in the water compared to my desktops.

maybe yours is like that but that's definitely *not* true for all
laptops.

But when a laptop with new core i5/7 mobile processor gets gunked up
with dust - as they all do, the user isn't going to be aware there's an
issue until or if it gets to the state that CPU core temp. at nominal
(base - not turbo) clock speed under heavy use exceeds a point where
system protection steps in.
If "turbo-boost" is disabled by the CPU itself due to core temp, unless
the user actively monitors CPU clock-speed and knows how the machine
/should/ behave, the only other feedback to the user might be that the
laptop isn't running as fast as it used to do.
It would be nice if Intel made some software which measured CPU state
under certain load conditions when a machine was new, then brought up an
alert ("time to get your laptop cleaned") when there was an apparent
deterioration in (cooling) performance.