GE Logiq C5 Premium: shuts down during scanning
What happened
In this reported case, a GE Logiq C5 Premium ultrasound shut itself off during normal work. After the thermal pad under the CPU heatsink was replaced, the unit first refused to boot; when it did boot, it powered off again about a minute later.
What was checked
- The engineers tried several different thermal pads under the CPU heatsink, varying type and thickness.
- They read the CPU temperature in BIOS; around 58 °C at idle was reported in the case.
- A failed processor connection was suspected and then ruled out; the shutdown pattern pointed to overheating rather than a board fault.
Cause
The engineers attributed the shutdowns to CPU overheating: the replacement pad was mismatched in thickness or contact pressure, so heat transfer to the heatsink was poor and the system tripped into thermal protection. Given the checks described, this is a probable, not fully confirmed, cause.
The cause is probable and was not fully confirmed.
What was done
The reported fix was to fit a thermal pad matched to the actual gap — thicknesses in the 0.5–3 mm range with roughly 20–30 % compression were cited in the case — so the heatsink clamps evenly. An alternative that worked in this case was a 1 mm copper plate with thermal paste on both sides, or soft aluminium. CPU temperature was then checked in BIOS to confirm cooling before the machine went back into service.
Safety
Unplug the scanner from mains and let the CPU and heatsink cool before opening the PC compartment; after any thermal interface work, confirm stable temperatures and complete an electrical safety test before the unit returns to clinical use.
Lesson: A thermal pad is a precision-fit part, not generic filler — the wrong thickness or stiffness leaves the CPU overheating even with the heatsink back on, so match it to the gap and verify temperatures before closing the unit up.
Covered in the course: Ultrasound Service — Level 2: Fault-Finding →
Written from an anonymised case shared by service engineers. It is not a manufacturer instruction and grants no authorisation. Independent note; names are trademarks of their owners.