Hey everyone! I'm having some serious issues with my Dell G15 5525. For a while now, it's been crashing on startup, flashing a BSOD with an IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error related to ntoskrnl.exe and some other error messages. A couple of months ago, I took it to a repair guy, and while he helped at first, the problem came back after a few weeks. I've read that this could point to a memory error, so I decided to run memtest86. However, when I opened up my laptop to check the two 8GB memory sticks, I noticed some heat damage in the silvery area near the back. I'm going to post an image in the comments. Does anyone have advice on how to go from here? How serious is the heat damage? Should I run memtest and see what the results are?
4 Answers
The BSOD you're experiencing might just be a symptom of that heat damage. It sounds like there might be a heat pipe leading to an exhaust fan in that area. You might try repasting and replacing the thermal pads; however, proceed carefully, as using it could be risky if the damage is significant.
Any mention of damage definitely raises a red flag. Considering the heat damage you've mentioned, I'd be very cautious. Typically, ntoskrnl.exe errors can stem from bad drivers or software issues, but given your situation, it seems like the heat could be a root cause. Out of curiosity, is your warranty still valid, or have you backed up your important files?
Your laptop's definitely running hot, and a repaste could help, but there's no guarantee it's not too late. Those heat issues can be tricky. If you can, take a look at the components under the heat damage; there's a good chance it could be affecting performance.
It sounds like you've got a few things going on. First off, if you can access Windows or Safe Mode, check if there are any dump files in C:WindowsMinidump. These can help diagnose the BSOD. You'll want to zip them up and upload them to a file-sharing site like catbox.moe or mediafire, as Reddit restricts certain links.
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