Laptop cooling

[masterswimmer]

Hey MR gamers, I know there was a thread by Jonny about cooling a desktop set up for gaming. We need info on cooling a laptop. I'm not a gamer, but my son is. We're looking to find out the best way to cool down his laptop. This is from my son, Adam:

Which cooler would be most suited for gaming on a Dell Inspiron 1545? It runs the game smoothly (I play SC2), but gets extremely hot - like 140 degrees hot - after approx. 45 min of play. I've looked at a few other cooling systems, but some of the user reviews have put me off. But as fellow gamers you know that standard PC usage and gaming is pretty different and a lot more taxing on the system. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Cooler Master Storm SF 19 17" Laptop Cooler with USB 3.0
Antec Unbeatable Notebook Cooler 200

Thoughts on these cooling systems? Any better suggestions?

Thanks everyone.....
Russ

 

[Widdy]

Hi Russ,

If his laptop is sitting flush on a desk/table, prop up the rear of the laptop for better airflow. Use wine corks, erasers, or any small stable object on the 2 rear corners. See if that'll help any before plunking down cash on a cooler.

Steve

 

[JonnyJ]

I second what widdy said, elevating it is the best advice.


Laptops are infamous for overheating, especially when gaming. Those pads only lower the temperature a little. Many online tests have been done on their effectiveness.

Most of the tests online reveal that the elevation will lower the temperature more than the fan does [if the fan does at all, but matters on your laptops design. Some are better than others]

Some of the cooling pads are made just too elevate the laptop, and others elevate and have fans. Different models/companies [cooling pad] locate the fans in different areas. Shopping by reviews will be tricky because of this.

**You should shop for one that will have vents in the same locations of your fans. **

I gamed on a laptop for many years, probably 5+ and had no choice, and was criticized for it more times than i can remember. If the Laptop is actually locking up from extended over use it will eventually have more problems then just locking up.

Another option is the freezable laptop pads, or the special heat absording ones. They can be pricey but they worked for me. These also will only work well for a certain amount of time until the crystals heat up. I use to use a laptop elevator, and owned 2 of the freezable laptop pads lol. and every time my temperatures would get to high or saw a degrade in performance i would use a mat, then once it got hot i would replace it with the spare from the freezer.

Tell him, to make sure he is running the graffics on low.

my 2 cents

 

[JonnyJ]

something like this

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001IZLGCW/?tag=reefs04-20

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Laptops are not really meant for full time use they overheat constantly a desk top is the best for gaming or long period use. If a laptop is the only option definitely do like they said and elevate and or use a cooling fan. I had a stand I used so the laptop could sit upright and there was also 2 fans which helped a lot. This is the one I had. The fans are usb powered. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00316881000P?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM864339801

It's also less than half the price I paid. When I got it a few years ago I think they were going for 70 bucks!

 

[masterswimmer]

You guys rock. Thanks for the insight. I'll pass this along to my son.

Russ

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

no problem buddy =]

 

[lfsmarineguy]

When I had to pick a cooler for my laptop I went to the Newegg reviews for my model (I bought it off Newegg in the first place) and went through to see what other people recommended for it. I found a good one the first time and if in the future I need to upgrade the fans I know which ones to use. That's probably the easiest way to figure out which pad should work best. My laptop is a beast and while I got it for work it easily runs anything out there now at max resolution on an 18.3" monitor and after 6 hrs of Blurays sitting on the pad the exhaust is pretty hot but there's no performance drop or hiccups.

Newegg also has their own combos that they list sometimes and that can be a good place to start too.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

I looked on Newegg and couldn't find that laptop and the Inspiron 15s didn't have any reviews so it's probably no help there.

As mentioned I would turn down the graphics and either one of those coolers should be more than adequate for that laptop.

 

[masterswimmer]

Great stuff. Thank you. He's already raised the laptop. We'll continue accepting ideas

Russ

 

[motortrendz]

i have a laptop cooler, it made a world of a difference, its 2 or 3 fans that blow air thru the bottom of the lappy, drops batt temps by 40% theyre cheap too, got it for 30$ SHIPPED..

 

[TimberTDI]

Russ,

Has your son blown the fans on the laptop out with compressed air? Every 3-4 months I can feel my laptop getting warmer and I'll take out the fan and blow it out along with the copper cooling coil thats in it. It also helps get any dust and crumbs from underneath the keys.

Steven

Steven

 

[masterswimmer]

Steven, that's a very good and probably oft overlooked 'quick fix'. Hell, we need to keep the coils under our fridge clean for the same reason. I'll ask him.

Russ