Fan/CPU problems

[Skepsikyma]

I have a dv7-1240us HP Pavilion laptop that's worked fine so far. However, WoW started to freeze on me earlier, even with optimal framerate and lag. It would seize up, stay that way for a while, and then just start working again. I monitored the cpu usage levels and noticed that they plummeted during the freezes and rose again when the program funtioned properly. I also noticed that the fan had stopped kicking into 'high' mode. It only blew softly. The air coming out of the back was also very hot, though it cooled down once I stopped running WoW. I'm thinking that the fan may be malfunctioning, causing the CPU to overheat, which triggers some mechanism which limits its usage levels, causing certain programs to freeze up. Is that what's happening here? If so, what could be wrong, and what steps could I take to remedy the situation?

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

I do not normally suggest BIOS updates but in your case make sure you have the latest. The fan controls and temp sensors operate at the BIOS level and not at the OS level. New video drivers might also help. The laptop is new enough that I doubt it is a dust accumulation inside but if it is in a dirty environment or you are a smoker this is a final possibility.

[Skepsikyma]

Thanks! Do you know how I would go about doing a BIOS update? I've never done anything on that level before...

[Skepsikyma]

Never mind, I finally figured it out! And thanks you SO MUCH, it worked! I was never so happy to hear that obnoxious fan roar when I switched my computer on!