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Hardware Hacking Portables

Easy, Cheap, Effective Laptop Cooling? 94

Posted by Cliff from the it's-all-about-da-airflow dept.
cloudofstrife asks: "I happen to own a laptop that happens to have overheating problems. Frequently during games, the processor will overheat, and the frame rate will drop from over 30 frames per second to under 2 frames per second. Is there a cheap and easy way to prevent my CPU from overheating?"
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Easy, Cheap, Effective Laptop Cooling? More

Easy, Cheap, Effective Laptop Cooling?

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  • Make sure that it is getting plenty of air. For example, are you using it on your lap? If the fan empties on the bottom of the case, your thighs will block the output and result in overheating. You could also trying rising your laptop with extra large plastic feat.

    • Re:Air? (Score:2, Informative)

      by FireFlie ( 850716 ) *
      Along the same lines, if you think cooling is the problem, and you are using your laptop in situations that would permit it's use, I would suggest something that gives a little more of a raise than extra large feet (although they certainly couldn't hurt). I use a griffin icurve, but there are plenty such products out there that will give your laptop a good boost allowing quite a bit of air to circulate around it. An added benefit is that with my particular desk and chair it raises my laptop to eye-level w
      • Second that. I've got an Antec riser with a built-in fan. Runs off of a usb port.

        It has done wonders for my PowerBook. I run it with the lid closed and an external monitor sometimes and it used to get really hot when I closed the lid, but the extra fan does a great job.
        • Third that, I've got a ... BOOK seriously get your freshmen year Chem book (using it right now) and prop it under the back rubber stubs of the lappy and bam you've got yourself a pretty good air system. Also I have to say that the laptop is not the best thing to use when it comes to game play, just get a freakin desktop.
          • I use a old hotplate. I went to the local thrift shop and i bought it for 50 cents. it gives space between the desk and the laptop. i have also been thinking of wiring some fans from Fry's and adding a USB plug from a old (free after rebate) mouse for power. -- http://bullring23.blogspot.com/ [blogspot.com]
      • Forget all those expensive commercial riser solutions ($30 for a lump of plastic without a fan???), all I did was get two wedge-shaped rubber door-stops and stuck them under the back corners of my laptop which solved most of my airflow problems. Cost all of $2. If you need more height, use a phone book first :-) Hmmmm, perhaps I should patent the idea...

        John.

  • Find an air hose (Score:4, Insightful)

    by HotNeedleOfInquiry ( 598897 ) on Monday October 24, 2005 @08:23PM (#13867987)
    And blow the dust out of it.
    • Yea, you could be right there.

      If the laptop is fairly old (1 year or more), there's probably a good deal of dust built up on the heat sinks, etc. So when the fans come on, theyre fairly useless because the dust is like a blanket over everything.

      So yea, simple solution is to blow the dust out of there.

      Grump
    • The Air Hose I find doesn't have any dust in it?

  • Easy! (Score:2, Funny)

    by TeleoMan ( 529859 )
    Just put it in Hillary "Rodham" Clinton's lap.....ooooo. Ouch.
    • That got me thinking...

      HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON:

      HI! Y AN AC HL TROLL NIMROD!

      AN OLD THIN CHILLY RAMHORN


      Ok, to be fair

      LAURA WELCH BUSH:

      A WHALE CURB LUSH

      BLEW RUSH, UCLA, HA!

  • pink erasers (Score:5, Interesting)

    by entropi ( 2933 ) on Monday October 24, 2005 @08:27PM (#13868017)
    Four of those little pink erasers (the ones shaped like a parallelogram) under the four courners of the laptop does a suprisinglly great job. It cut my cpu fan usage down by a good 80-90% for day to day usage.

    If erasers are unavailable or you want less traction, mini-post it note pads work great as well. They may be preferred if you want to be able to slide the laptop out of the way when you're not using it.
    • That's a really good idea. I wonder if it would also help absorb the vibrations caused by all the fans, cd/dvd, and hard drive? It might also help to cushion the shocks caused by anything hitting your desk. I've banged into my desk many times thinking "oh, so that's why dmesg keeps giving me errors on hda."
    • If you remember what these are (I bet the young'uns may not in the DVD area), these make an excellent laptop stand. Put the back of the laptop on the tape, let the front of the laptop sit on your table. Not only will it improve cooling, it will put your keyboard at a more comfortable angle.

      Other solutions - Make sure your heatsink and fans are clean. If your laptop used to be fine and is now overheating, it is probably because of dust accumulation. Also potentially use a software solution that increases
    • I love the DIY eraser approach, but if you simply -must- buy something, there are a few different companies out there that make laptop riser stands with fans in them. Some are even powered via USB so that you don't need to worry about carrying another power brick.
    • Slightly more expensive, but also mroe secure, are adhesive rubber feet, like these [cdw.com] at CDW.

  • Send it back (Score:4, Informative)

    by QuantumG ( 50515 ) <qg@biodome.org> on Monday October 24, 2005 @08:32PM (#13868054) Homepage Journal
    Friend of mine ordered a Dell with a comprehensive on site service warranty. The laptop arrived, he installed a game, started playing, frame rate dropped, machine shutdown. He did this about 3 times then said screw it and called Dell. They sent out a technician the same day, the guy replaced the video card, it never happened again.

    • Dell is pretty good about these kind of things.

      At work we have many, many laptops. One in particular was for a user who wanted a desktop replacement, so we got him a laptop with a P4 in it (ouch). Well, all went well for a while, then he started complaining about the programs acting strangley, I had him bring it in. I looked at it, tried different things(reinstall programs, etc).

      Eventually I called in told Dell it seemed like it was overheating, jumped through the tech support hoops (Bah), and they sent

    • I was just talking to a service guy last week who said that when they go onsite, there is a strong tendency to replace Something, even if that isn't the problem. The service guy may have just made sure a sprung heatsink was clipped back in place, but replaced a card to make the customer feel good.
      • That seems right.
        I purchased a Latitude in, I think 2000, might have been 2001. Died after a week or so. They sent out a guy, (He knew nothing of the BIOS settings :O ), just replaced the motherboard. A few months later, the same thing happens. Out he comes again to replace it. Hasn't had a problem since. I'm assuming it was just a bad batch of something or other. Though was very suprised that the tech didn't really know anything about configuring, and just how to replace stuff.

        Though as an aside, I did not
  • A couple of workarounds, not fixes.
    Turn down the CPU speed, if your laptop supports it.
    Place a large flat ice-pack underneath (you can find some with a grid of square cooling units connected so as to be flexible and fit nicely along the edges of coolers).

  • Build one (Score:3, Interesting)

    by coolmadsi ( 823103 ) on Monday October 24, 2005 @09:00PM (#13868217) Homepage Journal
    You could always build one [hackaday.com]
  • Don't use a laptop as a gaming machine..but it's too late for that, so that won't help you. I just bought a Dell Inspiron 2200 with a Pentium M at 1.7Ghz, and it idles around 40-45C. When I'm gaming and the CPU is maxed and fan is on low, it only goes up to 55C..I think it shuts down around 65-80C.
    Anyways, there are professional laptop coolers you can order from various computer sites. They're basically a fan that sits below the intakes underneath the laptop, which means it's just as easy to build your own.

    • Re:Laptop != Gaming Rig (Score:5, Insightful)

      by CMiYC ( 6473 ) on Monday October 24, 2005 @09:19PM (#13868326) Homepage
      Honestly, there's no point to more than 2Ghz on a laptop..especially with a P4 or latest AMD chips. Way too hot, and way too much power usage.

      Perhaps in your use-model there is no point, but not in mine. For example, I spent over 50% of my time with customers. When I'm in the office, it wouldn't make sense for me to use a different computer. So if I need to run a simulation, offline (from our equipment) protocol decoder, or copy a file (XP jab *grin*) I want my 2GHz. I don't mind only having full power available when I'm on AC.

      So just because you don't see a need for something, doesn't mean there isn't one.
    • > Way too hot, and way too much power usage.

      Power usage isn't a problem if you're plugged into the mains though. A lot of people use laptops at home where the weight of the machine and a mains supply aren't a problem.
      • Because regular PCs are prohibitively expensive for home use?
        • I'm sorry, which question are you answering?

          • Sorry for being unclear, I was in a bad mood and was making a snide comment on:

            A lot of people use laptops at home where the weight of the machine and a mains supply aren't a problem.

            My short and rude argument was that if the weight of the machine and a mains supply aren't a problem, why not just buy an equivalent desktop system for $1000 less.

            I'm not normally so Trollish, I am sorry =[. I just cannot see the benefit of wasting money on inferior systems simply for an illusion of convenience. In a job w

            • > I'm not normally so Trollish, I am sorry =[. I just cannot see the benefit of
              > wasting money on inferior systems simply for an illusion of convenience. In a job
              > where you have to move around and take critical data with you, a laptop is
              > certainly necessary, but paying $1000 more just so you can check your email while
              > you watch TV? That seems needless.

              You be as trollish as you like, mate - it's a free country*.

              I don't understand this $1000 business. I just bought a HP laptop from PC World
        • Nope, because regular PCs don't fit on your lap when you're sat in front of the TV.
    • Don't use a laptop as a gaming machine..

      Why not? If the laptop was designed to run $CPU, it should damn well take the heat that comes with running $CPU. I use my laptop for running physics simulations and music production, both of which mean "field work" with relatively high processing power.

      In general, I think it's very pessimistic and anti-hack to limit the use of an appliance to only its intended purpose. If I want to use my old 486 laptop as a web server, I might damn well do so, because I can, ev

  • DIY Feet (Score:4, Interesting)

    by durandal61 ( 705295 ) on Monday October 24, 2005 @09:11PM (#13868290) Homepage Journal
    This probably will not solve your issue, but it's kind of neat, so I'll mention it anyway.

    You need:
    • One glue gun.
    • Several glue sticks.
    • One small (a bit over 5cc) syringe.
    • Saliva or some other water-based lubricant (you do have some, I presume?). Glycerine might also work.
    • Various small items that you'll gather as you go.
    • Sharp knife.


    Take your syringe and cut it in half. My memory is a bit patchy about this bit, I did it a long time ago. 2 to 2.5 cm should be long enough (from the tip). Lubricate the inside of the tube. Again, I can't remember what I lubricated it with, but saliva works well, particularly when it comes to smoothing down imperfections in the glue while it is still hot. Fill the 2 cm of tube. Allow it to cool and pull out the glue plug. Repeat four or 5 times. Cut these cylinders down to size, 1 or 1.5 cm should do it. If for some reason they are not all the same height, instead of hacking away until there's nothing left, take a vice and place them all in it, and tighten slightly. Apply a hairdryer to the whole thing until the glue has adopted it's new shape. Allow to cool and remove the glue feet.

    You're done. You now have small, rubbery, cheap feet for your laptop. They will even stick ever so slightly to case if it's warm, convenient if you want to pick it up briefly.

    I carry these little feet in my laptop bag, and they help reduce the procesor temp. You don't have to use all four, you can just prop up the back and it will help.

    Hope someone finds this useful.

    Paul
    • I did this for an old steel AT computer case, and it worked very well. Just some blobs of glue. It looks cool and didn't scratch my hardwood floor - but they came off as soon as it dragged on carpet.
      Hot glue doesn't like to stick to things once it isn't so hot, so your idea works pretty well for temporary boosters :-)
    • After my PowerBook's rubber feet fell off, I picked up some replacements [google.com] at the local Ace Hardware. As far as keeping it cool, I've been keeping a few of these cold compresses [drugstore.com] in rotation from the freezer. It's the perfect size for a 12 inch laptop.
    • You could just put your laptop on a bunch of self-adhesive feet you can buy at any home depot-ish store. They come ready-made!
      • Self-adhesive feet are a permanent solution. They cease to be useful the minute you close the lid and want to put the thing in a bag or briefcase. The advantage of these (or any other similar) feet is that they are outrageously large for good ventilation but come off as soon as you don't have a use for them. Paul
    • As someone who uses syringes multiple times a day (type 1 diabetic), a 5cc syringe is HUGE!

      I use 3/10cc on a regular basis.

      Finding a 5cc syringe legally is going to be tough. Well, finding ANY syring 100% legally will be tough, but at least the sub-CC ones can usually be obtained from one of your diabetic friends. :) I'm pretty sure insulin syringes are the most common syringes in existence, as Type 1 diabetes the most common disease that can be treated only with injections.
      • "...Finding a 5cc syringe legally is going to be tough. Well, finding ANY syring 100% legally will be tough..."

        Yes, it will be tough if you go to the neighborhood drug store. You'll have to ask the pharmacist. You see, they've had so many heroin addicts shoplifting them, they've had to put them under lock and key.

        Thankfully, the heroin addicts aren't smart enough to figure out that the local farm supply store has them on the shelf, out in the open, any size you want. Needles, too. No questions asked.

  • Defective? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by yamla ( 136560 ) <chris@@@hypocrite...org> on Monday October 24, 2005 @09:26PM (#13868360)
    Your laptop is clearly defective. Why aren't you returning it?
  • I keep my Dell Inspiron 5100 (~2 yrs. old) running 24 hrs/day. I started looking for cooler after a few mornings of waking up to it hot to the touch. A little research turned up the best option as Antec's Notebook Cooler.

    It's definitely not as portable as the hot glue pads above, but it does its job well on my desk and keeps the heat away from my legs on the couch.

    If you want more info, there's Antec's Website [antec.com], a quick Google search [google.com] turned up a good review [pcabusers.com], and they're all over eBay [ebay.com] and Froogle [google.com].

  • Two words: (Score:3, Funny)

    by SaidinUnleashed ( 797936 ) on Monday October 24, 2005 @10:26PM (#13868628)
    Dry Ice.
  • If you don't mind building up your laptop a little bit, get an 80mm fan and place it in front of wherever your laptop intake is. Run it to the 5v USB line, or a 12v firewire line (5v USB ought to be enough, but some laptops don't power their USB line). Make sure to give this fan an opening... if on the bottom, give it enough feet to get a good, clear airflow.

    If you have a standard workspace, build a cool stand. Take an old monitor stand, mount some fans underneath pointing upwards, and drill a heck of a
    • Just an fyi, but firewire is +5VDC as well. The benefit, however, would be that firewire provides quite a bit more amperage than USB, so you could run more off of it. Besides, with USB 2.0, who needs firewire?

  • cooling... and advice (Score:3, Interesting)

    by chrysrobyn ( 106763 ) on Monday October 24, 2005 @10:55PM (#13868779)

    You asked how to cool your laptop. There are any number of laptop stands with fans built in. The ones I've seen run off of USB power. I just bought my wife one from Fry's which was $25. Amazon has one here [amazon.com]. Just do a simple search for "latop stand fan" or something.

    If your brand new PC overheats and causes problems, maybe you should be returning it or getting some warranty service performed.

  • How about Iraq? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Lumet ( 769130 )
    What should I tell my friend that is Iraq to do about his labtop shutting now?He can't lower CPU speed. He has the fans that you put underneath the labtop. Any idea?
    • Put on a big coat, put the laptop underneath, around the chest area.

      Run headlong at a US checkpoint, shouting "American pig dogs" (optional)

      viola, the laptop now has ventilation holes

    • Re:How about Iraq? (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      my friend that is Iraq

      Iraq is not your friend!
    • Try putting it on a big cookie sheet or better, a chunk of plate aluminum bigger than the laptop (as a big heat sink). Unless he's in the more lush areas it's not a good idea to blow into the machine (sand)

  • Compressed Air! (Score:2, Interesting)

    by falcon203e ( 589344 )
    Step 1: Buy some compressed air. Step 2: Hold aerosol can upside down. Step 3: Step 4: Point nozzle through ventilation holes towards laptop CPU heat sink. Step 5: Spray. Works like a charm. I'm not even joking.
    • Step 3: Profit ?
    • Make sure you have a hairdryer handy. An upside down compressed air can (most of them anyway) spurts out liquid which evaporates really fast but condensation creeps in just as fast. Even if condensation doesn't form, PCBs don't like being frozen very quickly especially only from one side.

  • lego (Score:2, Interesting)

    by rednuhter ( 516649 )
    lego, do I need to explain ?

    I was using my laptop to transfer old CDROMs onto an USB hardisk and the unit was getting so hot the disk when ejected almost burned the skin.
    I created a lego four sided wall (four blocks high) just smaller than the base of the laptop and added lots of holes, the heat was reduced tremndously.

    I used only classic 2x4s.

  • Remove the battery! (Score:3, Interesting)

    by UnahaClosp ( 866354 ) on Tuesday October 25, 2005 @04:36AM (#13870085)
    Temporary remove the battery if it's not in need of charging. The brand we use at my company runs the fan regularly, we started removing the battery from our laptops when an adapter was near and the fan only ran once or twice per day instead of every 10 minutes.
  • I have a x1000 with Pentium 1.6GHz. I find that unless I do some CPU intensvie job like kernel compiling my CPU freq stays at 600Mhz. Therefore the fan turns on rarely - for example only when I play tuxracer/kernel compiling. Is such a speed step built in windows XP also? Because when I keep the system on in XP every 20 min or so the fan kicks in? Is it normal or...

    • Re:Linux and Windows (Score:3, Informative)

      by bhtooefr ( 649901 )
      SpeedStep IS built into Windows XP. However, the Windows algorithm blows chunks.

      http://pbus-167.com/ [pbus-167.com] has Notebook Hardware Control, which can control SpeedStep, undervolt the processor (be careful with that one - it can kill stability), allow you to change the multiplier to any multiplier in a 1x increment from 6 to the max stock multiplier for your CPU (in your case, 16).

      All SpeedStep does is lower and raise the multiplier as needed...
  • I had an old Dell notebook that overheated (enough to stop PCMCIA cards from working). I found it odd that the fans never really ran much. I found a BIOS update that lowered the temparature thresholds of when to start and stop the CPU fans. That helped a bit. Then I found a program called i8kfan that allowed me to choose the temperatures at which to turn the fans on, or to force them on. This helped a lot -- I never had problems again except for when I wasn't running i8kfan. The program works on most Dell l
  • I'm about 90% certain of this, we just had the same thing happen on 2 laptops a few weeks back. Why the guys at work were playing games... well... let's not go there...

    We would get a slow down after 5-15 minutes of game play, exit the game and everything was normal in maybe 30 seconds. During this time the CPU fan was running like a banshee. We figured it was the CPU overheating so we ran prime95 on it for 2 hours with no trouble. We ran Cinibench and had no problem. We ran tests on the memory and hard
  • Well, there's definately a problem here.

    I own an Apple iBook G4 (1 GHz model). The first thing I bought for it was a copy of Halo. Yes, I know laptops are not meant for gaming, but I couldn't resist. My laptop, on battery power, pulling a light load (e-mail, IM, web browsing) it runs around 90F. Pulling a heavier load, on battery, the system runs more like 110F. Pulling a heavy load on AC power, the machine maxes out at 150F, and the (remarkably small) fan (singular) manages to keep the laptop from getting

    • An interesting note about the iBook. I run a 14.1" 1.25gig ibook. I network regularly and play two games predominantly. The Halo which you mentioned causes my laptop to run at a testicle blistering tempreture. Warcraft 3 on the other hand is smooth and creamy, taken in stride. The only thing I could image causes that, in my very non-technical estimation, is that different parts of the graphics card run hotter than others. Or maybe there is more of a load on the CPU or graphics card in one or the other

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