Laptop

[Rickitycrate 10]

Hi guys, I run OFF on my laptop. It does a fair job but I want to switch to a desktop as soon as I can because I am a bit concerned about the heat generated while playing OFF for extended periods. My question is; does anyone have experience with those laptop coolers you can set your laptop on? Are they a gimmick, can anyone recommend a brand? Any advice is appreciated. I try to keep the dust off the little screen but it seems to collect fast.

[Rickitycrate 10]

Ha! You always have an idea. May not be practicle but you're always thinking. You do give me the idea to see if there is a Consmer Reports article out there. Thanks Uncleal.

[Rickitycrate 10]

Well now after searching the net it sounds like the muffin pan is not such a bad idea. I think I'll just design some elevator shoes to raise the machine from the surface it sits on now. I seldom use it on my lap, figures doesn't it. Main thing is to increase the airflow.

[Rickitycrate 10]

No Unc, not that high. Right now I estimate the rubber pads give a 1/8th inch clearance and if I feel the desk top after a flight the desk top is pretty warm as well as the front left corner of the laptop get s hot. So I am thinking of a quarter inch clearance or even up to 1/2 . May be overdoing but I fail to see any harm.

 

Those USB fan units are a gimmik I think. Just let it breathe.

Edited September 10, 2009 by Rickitycrate

[FastCargo 412]

As someone who has exclusively gamed on a laptop for over 3 years, a few pieces of advice.

 

1) Regularly use compressed air to blow out the vents. I've seen dust kill a lot of video cards because the intakes/exhaust get blocked. Try to blow out the intake and exhaust...blowing into either could drive dust further into the system.

2) I would NOT use tape anywhere if you can help it...the heat will cause the adhesive to soften...causing your 'feet' to slide and leave a mess, as well as possibly cause the laptop to fall.

3) The best thing I've found is jack up the back about 1/2 to 1 inch, leaving the front 'feet' of the laptop on your gaming surface (I use a flat hardback book that the laptop fits on). The material for the 'jack' should be semi-firm...an eraser-type material is good because it's grippy and can support weight, but flexible enough to conform to the laptop's shape. I would also locate the vents and try to keep the 'jack' clear of them. This also elevates the laptop enough to allow good keyboard use, without sacrificing support for your wrists/forearms if you are at a desk. The height you can 'jack' up the laptop will depend on overall size...I used to use just shy of 1 inch on a 17 inch laptop and it was comfortable.

4) NEVER game (preferably never use) with a laptop directly on your lap. Not only does it get hot of course, but your clothes and skin will conform to the vents, effectively creating a seal and driving up the heat.

 

FC

Edited September 10, 2009 by FastCargo

[Rickitycrate 10]

FC, I can see your points and I agree. Thanks for sharing your experience. I like the idea of the back being higher as the warm air will flow in that direction passively drawing the heat away.

[+Erik 1,812]

This is a common problem for a lot of laptops. The good manufacturers recognize this and do what they can to minimize problems resulting from dirty cooling. Most laptops today have heat sinks on both the CPU and the video processor. The cooling fans are generally designed to pull or push air past the heat sinks which in turn cools the CPU and or video processor. By design there is very limited air movement through the case of the laptop which is why cooling is critical for laptops. The problem generally is that because a laptop goes where you go it collects dust or is by "nature of the beast" used in places where dust may be. The end result is that the cooling heat sinks become clogged and cooling efficiency is then cut dramatically. Keeping your systems cooling clean and your components cool is key, even on desktop models, but especially with laptops. The most common reason for HDD failure is actually heat. Heat also can cause memory to fail and components soldered on the board to become un-soldered or what is commonly known as cold soldered as the actual tinned solder looses it's conductive properties from being heated / cooled / heated / cooled many times over. Heat in all types of system is generally considered an enemy so you are wise to be suspect and or worried about this condition.

 

Cooling stands, cooling pads, docking stations, and the like generally have a common concept in mind and that's to either assist in cooling by forcing or pulling additional air through the laptop cooling ports or to increase the airspace between the cooling surface and the flat surface used to rest the laptop on. You'll notice that a lot of cooling fans and ports (where air enters or exits) a laptop case are found on the bottom of the case. One of my peeves about this design is that setting this type of configuration in your lap (remember it's a laptop) will actually block the ports or fans from doing their job. Again because of design it's difficult to design a case that allows maximum cooling where both in/out ports are located on the sides, front, or back.

 

Now that I've rambled on about design and the causes the fixes vary in complexity and cost.

 

1) Keep the heatsinks clear of dust, hair, lent, etc. - You can use compressed air to blow air both directions through the cooling system and you can use a household vacuum with nozzle attachment to assist in this process if you like. Either process requires a certain amount of caution, remember we are cleaning an air ducted passage that contains a metallic narrow surfaced fin heat sink. The idea is you want to move enough air through the duct to clean the unwanted debris but you're not forcing tornado force winds through the duct by using the family leaf blower or shop compressed air at 120psi. (General Housekeeping)

 

2) Have the unit serviced or DIY, case off cleaning which generally means to remove the case so you can get to the cooling components to clean them, replace fans, or replace conductive silver compound usually found between the CPU or VPU and the actual cooling heat sink. With laptops this is generally an extensive project. It's not just a simple matter of removing the screws from the bottom of the case (wouldn't that be too easy). Most laptops are built so that splitting the bottom half of the case requires removal of the LCD first which is generally step 8 or so after cosmetics, keyboards, and peripherals are removed. (Experience required!)

 

3) Once the cooling surfaces have been cleared or cleaned using a supportive device like a cooling pad or docking port can never hurt. Just remember buying additional cooling for a dirty cooling system may not affect the cooling of the equipment all that much. (Get Out Your Plastic)

 

 

Good luck and happy flying!

 

E

A propeller is nothing more than a big fan. If you don't believe me just turn it off and watch the pilot sweat.

[FastCargo 412]

2) Have the unit serviced or DIY, case off cleaning which generally means to remove the case so you can get to the cooling components to clean them, replace fans, or replace conductive silver compound usually found between the CPU or VPU and the actual cooling heat sink. With laptops this is generally an extensive project. It's not just a simple matter of removing the screws from the bottom of the case (wouldn't that be too easy). Most laptops are built so that splitting the bottom half of the case requires removal of the LCD first which is generally step 8 or so after cosmetics, keyboards, and peripherals are removed. (Experience required!)

 

Nice! I wanted to talk about taking your laptop apart regularly to do exactly what you said. When I was modding my XPS m170, I did all those things (clean, Arctic Silver, etc) and it made a big difference, especially for overclocking. The actual work isn't that difficult, most laptop makers have a service manual you can download for free that takes you through it step by step. But it's not for the easily distracted or intimidated...it's very tedious.

 

The reason I didn't bring it up was that anyone experienced enough to tackle something like this probably already knows about the dangers of overheating...

 

FC

[Rickitycrate 10]

Excellent tutorial Erik. FYI, I'm not seeing any problems, I am thinking prevention here. So all your input is right on the mark to help me maintain my laptop. I can't afford to replace it so I better take care of it. Thanks also to FastCargo and Uncleal.

[Rickitycrate 10]

I raised my laptop to increase the gap for increased airflow. Instead of guessing what the temp was I downloaded an Nvidea program the gives a temp. While running OFF for an extended time the heat reached 76C in think that's around 175F or so. Does anyone know if this is a safe high temp for an Nvidea 9300m?

[FastCargo 412]

Personally, I think that's fine. However, I think one of the best resources is notebookforums.com. They'll usually have information on your particular laptop, especially if it's closer to a performance model. You may just have to use the search engine heavily.

 

FC

[sitting_duck 3]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1203373

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=387992 (this one is good)

 

if you happen to drop a burger on that laptop, i like mine medium rare....

[The_Black_Knight 0]

Recommended.

 

NZXT ACC-NT-CRYO LX Aluminum Notebook Cooler 120MM Adjustable Fans

 

Extremely powerful, well built cooling system with a powered 4 USB hub sized for up to 19" laptops.

Portable and adaptable to meet you growing computer needs.

This will keep your 800 lb gorilla happier, and healthier in the long run.

 

Power adapter, not included however.

Runs about $70, but worth the money.

Solid aluminum constuction, with adjustable fan speed.

 

It dropped the heat coming out of my 17" laptop by nearly 20+ degrees.

You can search for it on Amazon, New Egg, Tiger, or direct from the manufacturer.

Designed for more for high end gaming, not just general purpose like the Targus and other companies.

Probably the best designed laptop cooler, other than some rediculously hi-tech fluid cooling system (for several hunderd dollars), I have seen in the last couple of years.

[The_Black_Knight 0]

A small update, I realized I made an error in the description.

The power adapter for this laptop cooler is included in the complete package.

This cooler actually requires TWO USB ports to function properly, IF using the 4 port USB hub is used without external power.

Something worth mentioning, because of the requirements for the fans and hub simultaneously, puts a substantial drain on battery use if not turned off.

One USB connection for the power and fans, and one for the USB ports.

The way to get around this, is use the included power adapater, therefore reducing your overall power consumption.

 

I crossed wires in description, because I was thinking about my Logitech premium 4 USB port which I also use (the LED lights showing hub connection are useful).

It does not include a power adapter, but is easily configurable with a standard, 3.5 mm recharger.

Yes, I have a mass of cabling from my laptop (even with wire loom), but with this cooler system, it basically turns into a "ad hoc" docking station.

Incredibly sturdy and portable for a 19" cooling system, easy to clean too!

[Rickitycrate 10]

Update: Thanks to the many suggestions here I have seen an improvement in temps and performance. What I did so far was I cracked open the laptop and blew out the dust by the fan and sink. I see temps of 48 to 50C with low processing load and around 78C after a long OFF session. Framerates went up and steadied. I was able to increase my AA and sliders. So I'm happy to do this every three months or so to get the best from my underpowered laptop. I did not see what I would call a lot of dust but what there was made for problems. My advice, keep 'er clean.