Laptop coolers

[jeremywilhelm]

So I just picked up an MSi GX740 and I here it runs a little warmish. Anyone know if laptop coolers are worth it? Never used one, never even seen one before, but I saw some on Tigerdirect.

Thoughts?

[Hack&Lube]

Laptops are designed to function within a certain thermal envelope as they are from the factory. There is no need to get a laptop cooler in most cases. That heat is normal. In any case, the laptop coolers that are common do little to help the actual laptop internals, they only blow air onto the plastic and cool the bottom of the plastic body. They do more to keep your desk or your lap cool than the inside of your laptop.

The only thing that would really help is a fan that is setup to hook into your laptop's existing exhaust system.

[Rathji]

I have an old laptop that heats up to the point where it shuts down. When I am at home and using it on my desk I sit hockey pucks under the 4 corners to keep it elevated and improve airflow. When I am out at school with it I normally use a gatorade cap under both back corners. It also helps with typing because it increases the angle of the keyboard slightly.

[FanIn80]

This is the one I use:

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...6%28ME%29.aspx

My CPU temps used to run around the 65-70 degrees mark. Now they hover around 56ish, with my current max temp in HWMonitor at 62 degrees. I know running at 70 degrees isn't that big of a deal, but whatever. I bought it and it lowered my CPU temp by about 10+ degrees. That's all I really care about.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

This is the one I use:

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...6%28ME%29.aspx

My CPU temps used to run around the 65-70 degrees mark. Now they hover around 56ish, with my current max temp in HWMonitor at 62 degrees. I know running at 70 degrees isn't that big of a deal, but whatever. I bought it and it lowered my CPU temp by about 10+ degrees. That's all I really care about.

Why do you care about the CPU running at 70 degrees when the mobile intel CPU’s are rated to operate all the way up to 100 before they begin throttling? I seriously don’t understand people’s fascination with keeping CPU’s cool.

I’m not bagging on you personally, I just don’t get it.

You should watch the CPU temperature on a Mac Mini sometimes - Apple is known for two things. First, quiet machines. Second, for exploiting the thermal envelope of the CPU right to the limit. It’s not uncommon for me to see the temperature on my Mini hovering around 98 degrees while doing an encode, and the fan still isn’t spinning at max rated speed. Using the thermal envelope to its full potential is why they are quiet machines.

That’s the way its supposed to be done.

If PC temperature freaks (and I know a few..) built cars, they’d all have radiators the size of Mack trucks mounted on mid-size sedans. Again, not bagging on temp freaks, I just don’t get them.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I have an old laptop that heats up to the point where it shuts down. When I am at home and using it on my desk I sit hockey pucks under the 4 corners to keep it elevated and improve airflow. When I am out at school with it I normally use a gatorade cap under both back corners. It also helps with typing because it increases the angle of the keyboard slightly.

In this case, the laptop is technically defective. Either the power management drivers, poor application of heat sink compound, a leaked heat pipe, or crud built up in the heat sinks. Or just bad design, depending on the manufacturer.

The heat pipe is an interesting culprit - I recently ran across a laptop that the fan ran at high speed on all the time, but the case and heat sinks at the exhaust ports were not hot to the touch. It turned out to be a heat pipe that had lost its cooling fluid, so the CPU was running hot, but the rest of the heat pathway was not conducting the heat away at all.

[ken0042]

Anybody else see this thread and think it was started by Bouw N Arrow?


I know my in-laws have looked into them, but that is for use in a tropical climate. I just don't see a need here in Canada; at least not with a Pentium processor. AMDs run hotter, so maybe.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Why do you care about the CPU running at 70 degrees when the mobile intel CPU’s are rated to operate all the way up to 100 before they begin throttling? I seriously don’t understand people’s fascination with keeping CPU’s cool.

I’m not bagging on you personally, I just don’t get it.

You should watch the CPU temperature on a Mac Mini sometimes - Apple is known for two things. First, quiet machines. Second, for exploiting the thermal envelope of the CPU right to the limit. It’s not uncommon for me to see the temperature on my Mini hovering around 98 degrees while doing an encode, and the fan still isn’t spinning at max rated speed. Using the thermal envelope to its full potential is why they are quiet machines.

That’s the way its supposed to be done.

If PC temperature freaks (and I know a few..) built cars, they’d all have radiators the size of Mack trucks mounted on mid-size sedans. Again, not bagging on temp freaks, I just don’t get them.

Oh, I didn't buy it specifically for the CPU temps. I know running at 70 degrees isn't that big of a deal (I mentioned that). I was just concerned by how hot the case was getting, so I bought it. Using the CPU temps is just an easy metric for showing that it works.

Interesting point about the thermal envelope, though. I never really thought of it like that before. I feel heat, and I want to fix it... but I guess components aren't quite as brittle as some of us like to imagine.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

In this case, the laptop is technically defective. Either the power management drivers, poor application of heat sink compound, a leaked heat pipe, or crud built up in the heat sinks. Or just bad design, depending on the manufacturer.

The heat pipe is an interesting culprit - I recently ran across a laptop that the fan ran at high speed on all the time, but the case and heat sinks at the exhaust ports were not hot to the touch. It turned out to be a heat pipe that had lost its cooling fluid, so the CPU was running hot, but the rest of the heat pathway was not conducting the heat away at all.

It is probably a combination of poor design, a worn fan and dust build up.

I recently took it apart and did a very thorough job of cleaning it out. I think it might be a lot better now but with it being summer I have not tested it much.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Interesting point about the thermal envelope, though. I never really thought of it like that before. I feel heat, and I want to fix it... but I guess components aren't quite as brittle as some of us like to imagine.

Yeah - it was a shift in my thinking a couple years ago - as I researched yet another 3 pound Zalman monstrosity, I thought to myself...what's wrong with a stock cooler anyways, and then I never looked back - and never had issues either (which stands to reason - why would Intel or AMD ship inadequate cooling).

Now for overclockers, cooling is a different story - but I grew out of that dick waving contest a long time ago

[boogerz]

I inquired about the same thing a while ago. The really good notebook coolers are pretty pricey for what they are. Try undervolting. The Notebookreview.com forums has a good guide on how to do it. It is easy to do, and is harmless.

I undervolted my DV2 and managed to reduce the temperature by ~20 degrees, and extended the battery life an extra 30 mins. Undervolting my Asus managed to reduce the temps by 10 degrees and extended battery life by about 15-20 minutes.

[Komskies]

My friend came up with a creative solution to his laptop overheating problems. He keeps 3 wooden cutting boards cycling through his freezer. Any time his laptop starts to get too warm, he'll just throw one of the cutting boards under it and it cools right down.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by boogerz

I inquired about the same thing a while ago. The really good notebook coolers are pretty pricey for what they are. Try undervolting. The Notebookreview.com forums has a good guide on how to do it. It is easy to do, and is harmless.

I undervolted my DV2 and managed to reduce the temperature by ~20 degrees, and extended the battery life an extra 30 mins. Undervolting my Asus managed to reduce the temps by 10 degrees and extended battery life by about 15-20 minutes.

This is an excellent suggestion - the worst that will happen is you undervolt a little too much and the system hangs, but most of the decent undervolt utils include a stress test app or recommend a procedure and tools to help determine the safe threshold.

[chalms04]

Seconded that they're only good for keeping your nuts cooler.