Pro runs hotter on battery?!?!

[Michael_B]

My Surface Pro 128 runs cool when plugged in and just surfing the web... but switch to battery and it gets pretty warm, quickly. Both of our Pro's do this and it's becoming annoying and uncomfortable after a while. I will throw a thermometer on it to get a measurement.

I have tinkered with the power profile that I use - changing things like active/passive cooling (have tried both), limiting max processor utilization, network power settings, timings, video power settings, etc. Etc. Basically everything in the power profile.

My question: has anyone else experienced this? If so, have you resolved it? Is it just a quirk that I should get used to

Thanks,
Michael

 

[bosamar]

Do you have a Non Contact Digital Infrared Thermometer Gun? That would be very accurate. I would imagine it's hot while the battery is charging, then after fully charged and plugged it cools off.

 

[Michael_B]

This is front side ... about 1.5" from top and 2.5" from right edge of screen. RUnning on battery for approx 20 minutes - just IE and MAIL apps open

 

[bosamar]

What's the room temp?

 

[Michael_B]

Ambient room temp probably around 74F

 

[bosamar]

I don't think that temp is terminally hot but I'd contact support to see what they have to say. Microsoft Surface support | Surface help and how-to | Surface setup and troubleshooting

 

[leeshor]

View attachment 446

This is front side ... about 1.5" from top and 2.5" from right edge of screen. RUnning on battery for approx 20 minutes - just IE and MAIL apps open

That doesn't look all that warm in my opinion.

 

[ArnoldC]

That's just 39 °C, that I wouldn't be concerned. Typical operating range for laptops would be around 36 °C to 60°C.

 

[Cike]

That's just 39 °C, that I wouldn't be concerned. Typical operating range for laptops would be around 36 °C to 60°C.

He's not concerned with the temperature so much as why the Surface Pro runs hotter on battery than when plugged in. Doesn't that seem strange?

 

[GreatWindows]

Have you ever used a Macbook Air or MBP or any laptop on battery before? 0_o they all get pretty warm, especially when watching video or gaming. The surface being made out of vapormag or whatever will get hot.
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Board Express

 

[J515OP]

He's not concerned with the temperature so much as why the Surface Pro runs hotter on battery than when plugged in. Doesn't that seem strange?

Not within reason. Batteries generate electricity through a chemical reaction which also produces heat. If running purely on the cord the battery will not be generating this heat after it is charged. It might not be as noticeable in laptops but they should run hotter on battery than when plugged in given the same amount of processor usage.

 

[ArnoldC]

I'd be interested to know what is the power plans on Plugged and Battery mode of the OP's Surface Pro. All laptops I used have a throttled down setting when in battery. I did set my Acer S3 to High-performance on Battery power and it is hot at the center bottom, which is where the battery is. Since then, I use Plugged mode when I edit my photos which require 100% performance.

In addition, on Battery power the Cooling is set to Passive, not Active. Which will cause it to be hotter. A combination of Passive cooling and High-performance CPU + High-perforance GPU is the exact recipe to cook eggs when running on batteries.