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Blobtoe avatar Ubuntu

Laptop shutting down unexpectedly after short while

cn flag
Blobtoe

I've installed Ubuntu Server on an old gaming laptop, but I'm having difficulties. After running for a while, the laptop will shutdown unexpectedly, like the power cord was pulled (with the noticeable "click" of a forced shutdown). I'm not sure what is causing it, but I'm currently leaning towards overheating. When running idle, the temperatures (using lm-sensors) are around 50°C, but I've noticed the duration the laptop will run before shutting down will gradually shorten the more I use it, until it eventually shuts down even before booting into Ubuntu. The heat sinks are hot, but not burning to the touch. Here are some specs:

  • Laptop Model: MSI Apache Pro (GE72MVR 7RG)
  • Operating System: Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS
  • CPU: Intel i7-7700HQ
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
  • Memory: 16GB DDR4

Note on the operating system: Ubuntu was installed on a hard drive on another system due to difficulties with the laptop's display. Could this cause some configuration problems?

If the shutdowns are a result of overheating (or faulty sensor?), is it possible to see this in logs? If the shutdown is not handled by the operating system (hardware error), is this visible in logs? I've tried looking at last -x, but all I could see is the shutdown marked as a "crash". How else can I figure out what caused the crash?

The output of ls -al /var/crash:

total 8
drwxrwxrwt  2 root root 4096 Aug 24 08:47 .
drwxr-xr-x 13 root root 4096 Aug 24 08:47 ..

The output of grep -i temp /var/log/syslog* was a bit long, so I put it a pastebin: https://pastebin.com/67qV0J9i

I can post more detailed information if needed.

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in flag
matigo
The first question I have is “what crashed?” Without this information, no answer will be accurate
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Blobtoe avatar
cn flag
Blobtoe
Yes, I guess that is my question at the end of the day. How can I figure out what failed?
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in flag
matigo
The `/var/log/syslog` file may contain some clues about why the system shut down.
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emk2203 avatar
in flag
emk2203
Overwhelming majority of cases, the thermal pad or paste dried out. Especially with 'old gaming laptop' -- powerful CPU on top of the aged thermal paste. Open it up, remove heatsink, clean well, reapply good quality thermal paste, reassemble. For testing, install `lm-sensors` and run it from console to get a feel for the temperatures, but it should be the overheating CPU.
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heynnema avatar
ru flag
heynnema
When the shutdown occurs, are you running on battery or AC power? Edit your question and show me `ls -al /var/crash` and `grep -i temp /var/log/syslog*`. Start comments to me with @heynnema or I'll miss them.
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Blobtoe avatar
cn flag
Blobtoe
@heynnema The laptop's battery was removed, so the laptop is running directly from the charger. I will try with battery installed. I've also edited the question with the info you asked for.
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heynnema avatar
ru flag
heynnema
@Blobtoe Thanks for the requested data. Unfortunately it didn't give any evidence. Your idea about reinstalling the battery is a good one, and that would probably confirm a possible defective power brick, especially if it doesn't charge the battery.
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Blobtoe avatar
cn flag
Blobtoe
@heynnema No improvement with the battery connected. The laptop charged the battery up to ~20% before it shut down again.
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heynnema avatar
ru flag
heynnema
@Blobtoe Log into a different user account... create one if you don't already have one... and see if the problem occurs there. If it DOES still happen, boot to a Ubuntu Live USB and see if the problem occurs there.
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Score:0
waltinator avatar Ubuntu
it flag
waltinator

After a "sudden shutdown", aka "system crash", and reboot, or an intentional reboot, the terminal command sudo journalctl -b -1 -e will show you the end of the previous boot's log's. If there is no hint there, suspect power/ overheating.

Overheating is most likely caused by dust. Power down your system. Unblock your fans and vents, clean out the dust. Ensure air circulation. Dust that coats heat exchangers and chips is a good insulator, and bad for cooling. Don't disassemble your computer until you have downloaded the manufacturer's manual, and researched how-to-clean. Make this information available for when your computer isn't (paper, other computer) Don't use water.

Read man journalctl to see how to extract information from the logs.

You can find how I make use of journalctl easier at https://askubuntu.com/users/25618/waltinator.

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Blobtoe avatar
cn flag
Blobtoe
I didn't find anything in the logs, as they stop abruptly when a shutdown occurs. This does hint towards overheating, but I'm still not convinced as the temperatures are not critical (CPU is around 40° when it crashes).
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