# Laptop Cooler



## Emidol (Jul 4, 2009)

Good tidings, fellow geeks!

I use my laptop a good portion of the day, and consequently its fan struggles a bit. The laptop itself has as of yet never overheated, but the air coming out of the fan is at times untenably hot, so much so that I have to move my laptop around regularly in order to avoid ill consequences to the surface it lies on.

Hence, I am considering investing in a laptop cooler. Do you have any advice, recommendations, ideas, etc?


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## ToeClaws (Jul 4, 2009)

I use the Vantec LapCool-2: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1047073&CatId=3486

My laptop is on anywhere from 6 to 12 hours a day (not that I'm always using it that much, rather, I just leave it on) so I decided to get that cooler for it.  I have a 15.4" model, but it's nearly as big as a 17" laptop, so it hangs over the cooler a little, but the legs on the bottom of the laptop still all hold it up fine.

One thing I had to modify though was that the LapCool-2 had very little clearance underneath, so I put on these big fat 8mm rubber feet in each corner and one in the centre to give it airflow space underneath, and that worked beautifully.  It's powered by the USB and has a rotary dial that lets you adjust the speed.  For most of the time, I just use low speed which keeps cool air gently flowing under the laptop where it's cold-air intakes are.  If I'm really pushing the laptop, I can crank it up.


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## AshleyAshes (Jul 4, 2009)

Emidol said:


> I use my laptop a good portion of the day, and consequently its fan struggles a bit. The laptop itself has as of yet never overheated, but the air coming out of the fan is at times untenably hot, so much so that I have to move my laptop around regularly in order to avoid ill consequences to the surface it lies on.


 
Your laptop isn't making sufficent heat to damage any surface but flesh.  I mean, you'd need to reach like 90'C minimum to start melting tables and that'd require direct contact between that and the source.

You can injure your legs but this can happen even when the laptop is at nominal temperatures.  You only need about 54'C to burn your skin.  That's actually not insanely hot by laptop standards.  But then, metal, silicon and PVC plastic have a higher melting and burning point that you're measly human flesh.

You should just not put your laptop on your lap.  There's a reason that no company formally calls them 'laptops' anymore, they call then 'notebooks'.


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## Emidol (Jul 4, 2009)

AshleyAshes:

Meh, I call them laptops because I'm old-fashioned. Worry not, I am not yet senile enough to put it on my lap; it's actually plugged into a freestanding monitor and is on my desk 95% of the day.
Also, I do acknowledge that the chance of the hot air actually melting anything is exceedingly low; however I prefer not to risk having a nasty shock when stretching my arm past the fan to reach some random object.
To sum it up, Emidol ain't crazy, just cautious and old-fashioned 
At any rate, thanks for your reply.


ToeClaws:

Thank you very much for your recommendation; I gather this particular cooler gives you no trouble? If so, I'll consider it, bearing in mind your suggestion vis-a-vis elevating it. But first I'll wait to see if anybody has other recommended coolers in order to compare and find the one best suiting my needs.


Everyone out there:

More suggestions please?


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## Runefox (Jul 5, 2009)

I agree with ToeClaws: The Vantec LapCool line is traditionally quite good, especially in comparison to the no-name brands. While anything that raises the laptop up off the surface is going to increase airflow efficiency, the LapCool fans are usually much better in terms of airflow and noise than the competition. If you want a little more bang out of it, you should look into the higher end LapCool 4, which has a built-in 4-port USB 2.0 hub and storage compartments. There also appears to be a model with a card reader built-in as well. It's about one and a half times as expensive as the LapCool 2, though, so it's up to you whether or not the extra utility is worth it. Do bear in mind that both of these prices are in Canadian Dollars (I just did a search for the LapCool 4 on the same site as ToeClaws linked, TigerDirect). I haven't really been able to find any UK retailers with the product, but being that I'm searching out of Canada, I'm not sure I'm getting accurate results.

But if this is a recent development, you might want to grab a can of compressed air and blow out your vents. More than likely, there's a buildup of dust on the heat sinks that's causing the extra head build-up (dust acts as an insulator which interferes with heat dissipation). That should both lower your temperatures and ease the stress on your system fans, which can be difficult to find replacements for (and to replace) if they wear out.

Other things you can try would be to use your laptop's power management software to turn down the processor speed or video speed depending on what you're doing at the time. This will also result in less heat output, and generally won't really interfere with things like web browsing and stuff like that.


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## Emidol (Jul 5, 2009)

Runefox:

Thanks a lot for your input. After due consideration, I don't believe I need the extra features offered by Lapcool 4 as opposed to Lapcool 2, so for the moment the latter is my top choice.
I have considered using the "air in a can" alternative, and will most certainly attempt it in the near future, but I also prefer to think in the long term: if I still find that the fans aren't working sufficiently well after cleaning, I will buy a cooler.
Finally, the option to change my laptop's parameters according to what I'm doing is obviously a valid one, but I have to say I'm much too lazy and forgetful to do it.


General musings:

Why does there appear to be so many canadians on this forum? Are you more tech-savvy as a country? 


Everyone else:

Moar suggestions plz!


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## Irreverent (Jul 5, 2009)

Emidol said:


> Why does there appear to be so many canadians on this forum? Are you more tech-savvy as a country?



That... and the fact that most Yanks are still sleeping off their July 4th party....

In addition to power managment, you can also set the unit to auto-suspend/hibernate when you're not using it.  Very little heat produced then.


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## AshleyAshes (Jul 5, 2009)

So... Why arn't you afraid of the laptop cooler melting? It's probably going to have materials a lower melting point than any table or desk.


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## ToeClaws (Jul 5, 2009)

Emidol said:


> ToeClaws:
> 
> Thank you very much for your recommendation; I gather this particular cooler gives you no trouble? If so, I'll consider it, bearing in mind your suggestion vis-a-vis elevating it. But first I'll wait to see if anybody has other recommended coolers in order to compare and find the one best suiting my needs.



The only problem I had with it came several years after buying it where the fans began to make a bit of noise - took it apart, oiled them, and all has been fine since.  All fans eventually are gonna need oil or grease, so there's no way to avoid that.  The Laptop 4 one sounds good - wasn't out when I got mine.


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## Emidol (Jul 5, 2009)

Irreverent:

Despite this being an obvious thing to do, I keep forgetting ^_^; I know there is the option to have it be automatic after a certain preiod of inaction, but I often spend some time in front of my computer, thinking of what to write, so it's not the best choice.
Unfortunate, but I blame early dementia 


AshleyAshes:

The main reason I'm not afraid of the cooler melting is that, if it works properly, it will reduce the laptop's heat. I would find it delightfully ironic if my laptop cooler melted. It's a bit like putting food in a freezer, only to have the freezer catch fire XD


ToeClaws:

Duly noted. I'm not a very hands on type of person, so I'll probably ask one of my more tech-savvy friends to help me oil the fans if need be. Yes, I realise it's not a difficult task at all, but I prefer to be cautious


Everyone else:
MORE SUGGESTIONS!! MOOOOOOORE!!! I COMMAND YOU!


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## AshleyAshes (Jul 5, 2009)

Emidol said:


> AshleyAshes:
> 
> The main reason I'm not afraid of the cooler melting is that, if it works properly, it will reduce the laptop's heat. I would find it delightfully ironic if my laptop cooler melted. It's a bit like putting food in a freezer, only to have the freezer catch fire XD


 
Remember, energy can not be destroyed, it can meerly be transformed.  So the heat doesn't go away, it's just relocated. 

On that note, I had a smoke alarm catch fire once.  Good news?  It went off as it caught fire.


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## Ikrit (Jul 5, 2009)

AshleyAshes said:


> Remember, energy can not be destroyed, it can meerly be transformed. So the heat doesn't go away, it's just relocated.


 coolers slow down molecules to reduce heat, so the hot energy is transformed into cold energy.


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## SnowFox (Jul 5, 2009)

lazyredhead said:


> coolers slow down molecules to reduce heat, so the hot energy is transformed into *cold energy*.



I remember one of my friends at school who got an A in physics talking about cold energy and I was like


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## Darkwing (Jul 5, 2009)

Laptop coolers?

I found this cheap $20 usb one at Walmart and it never failed me since ^_^


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## Ikrit (Jul 5, 2009)

SnowFox said:


> I remember one of my friends at school who got an A in physics talking about cold energy and I was like


i can see why....called cold fusion


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## AshleyAshes (Jul 5, 2009)

lazyredhead said:


> coolers slow down molecules to reduce heat, so the hot energy is transformed into cold energy.


 
Did you just say... 'Cold Energy'?


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## Bacu (Jul 5, 2009)

lazyredhead said:


> i can see why....called cold fusion


Ho ho ho.

I had a laptop that overheated alot. I did try one of those cooling things, but it didn't do any good. In the end, two overturned saucers under the back feet of the laptop helped more.


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## AshleyAshes (Jul 5, 2009)

lazyredhead said:


> i can see why....called cold fusion


Yeah, cold fusion doesn't exist.

There is no such thing as 'cold energy'.  Cold is an a reduction of energy.  The heat energy is essentially disipated into the area untill it is unnoticable.  Imagine dropping a bucket of red dye into the ocean.  You'll see a noticable bloch of red water in the ocean however it will eventually mix in untill it's unnoticable.

The heat energy can also be absorbed by materials in the area and even converted to other forms.

THere is no such thing as 'cold energy' however.  We can't even make 'cold'.  Know how your fridge works?  It doesn't make cold air.  It REMOVES heat.  It basicly removes the heat from the air inside your fridge and expells it out the back of the fridge.  The heat energy is only relocated.  The cold is just a reduction of the of thermal energy.  This is also why, if you were to open your fridge and freezer to cool your house on a hot day it wouldn't work.  Not only that, but from the inefficency of the motor and compressor on the fridge, the very act of it TRYING to remove heat from the fridge and expell it out the back, it will PRODUCE heat, making your house hotter.

This is why air conditioners have to be put in windows.


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## Shino (Jul 5, 2009)

I just keep my tablet either on a hard surface or keep it in the open as much as possible. Setting a notebook down on a soft surface or in your lap is one of the worst ways to dissapate heat. Not to mention that it can block the intake vents.



Emidol said:


> Why does there appear to be so many canadians on this forum? Are you more tech-savvy as a country?


 Maybe. There's a reason why I have a not-so-secret desire to get Canadian citizenship. Or it could just be that America has a much higher idiot-to-geek ratio. That, and Irre's also the first tech role-model I've had in a _very_ long time.

*bows down to the mighty Canadian otter*


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## Emidol (Jul 6, 2009)

AshelyAshes:

It is true that the cooler does not reduce the heat per se, but as far as I know it will dissipate it over a larger area, lowering the average temperature of the hot spots.
Also, I need to put a smoke alarm on fire now. Itâ€™s FOR SCIENCE, you see.


Darkwing:

Thanks for the input. Can you tell me the brand and name so I can look it up?


Bacu:

A simple, yet efficient suggestion. Iâ€™ve put a couple of memo pads under the back corners of the laptop and it seems to work rather well. Thanks a lot.


Shino:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWX8uWf2LhQ


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## Irreverent (Jul 6, 2009)

Shino said:


> That, and Irre's also the first tech role-model I've had in a _very_ long time.
> 
> *bows down to the mighty Canadian otter*



:shock:  I have a fanboi?

I HAVE A FANBOI! <3


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## Shino (Jul 7, 2009)

*cringes*

Probably shouldn't of said that out loud, huh?
Aw, well, You can run circles around me tech wise (which is usually my job), you live in Canada (major points there), you're a respectful mod that's not lock-happy *cough*xaerun*cough* and both your avatars are freaking awesome. Besides, I guess it could be worse. At least I'm not worshipping whitenoise...

And wow, that video is special. In a "Mommy, hang this on the fridge" way.

Hmm... I'm off topic now, aren't I?


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