Cooling System for Laptop

[OutlawStar]

They blow dust into the laptop.

There is no avoiding dust, not unless you use your computers in a clean room complete with really expensive air purification. Dryer sheets is a temporary fix and reduces airflow. It extends the service interval, but really all you need to do is blow out the dust regularly. An air compressor is fine, canned air is fine too but over your lifetime it will end up costing a tad more. Air compressors don't harbor moisture, its just how air works. You can get moisture traps for the air line, but lets not pretend an air compressor is the equivalent of using a garden hose. Canned air doesn't have the CFM or pressure that an air compressor does.

Lets also not lose sight of the components; its a laptop so it has handicapped cooling to begin with, but its not like those components aren't designed to auto-throttle once they reach thermal limits. It'll take just a bit longer to "edit photos" if you've forgotten to clean the dust out for a while.

[Dragunov]

This is for both posts above mine:

I don't advocate using any "cooling pad". If you're going to use one, use one that blows away from the laptop, and NO, it does NOT "compete" with the laptop fan. They're not powerful enough to do that.
Used dryer sheets do not interfere with the laptops airflow. Airflow restriction to the COOLING pad, is very minimal. You don't use the used dryer sheets on the laptop, but on the top of a cooling pad. You don't need to use them on cooling pads that "pull" air. You'd be surprised at the amount of dust they catch! and YES, a lot more time between cleanings.... THAT'S a plus, and a big one!

You ARE correct, there is no avoiding dust, however, have you ever seen a compressor spit moisture? I have. MANY times (not every time). Canned air is designed SPECIFICALLY for use in computers. Want to take that risk? Go ahead. I don't do it. Why? Because I've been working on these things (laptops) since the late '80's, and have seen them bricked by moisture spit from a compressor. I've seen towers, and P/S blown by moisture spat into them from a compressor. I've done this myself... ONLY once! I learned my lesson.

Fan dust is a bit more difficult to remove. A cooling pad, will pack dust the same way. Why have packed dust in two areas? Cooling pads will blow dust over ram chips (Generally, located on the bottom side of the MB, near or directly under a bottom vent) in a laptop, and coat them with packed, static-filled dust, I've seen it ....MANY times. This is a VERY BAD THING.

Laptop fans blow dust over a specific area, usually in a corner where the fan itself is. They do not cool components by blowing directly on them, they pull air across them, but that's more of a secondary function. They are used in conjunction with heat sinks, thermal pads/gel, and heat dissipation tubing. They do "pull" air across components, but it is minimal. They are PRINCIPALLY designed to keep CPU/GPU/South/Northbridge cool. Assuming proper thermal gel was used, this setup works fine. A synthetic make up brush, one for applying blush, and a can of air, once every six months, or even once a year, is MINIMAL cost, for keeping a laptop from cooking.

You really shouldn't blow ANY compressed air through a vent. WHY?

1) It can spin the fan in The WRONG direction.
2) It can spin the fan Too fast.
3) MOST laptops have filters in the vents, and you can damage/displace them with compressed air of any sort, causing problems.
4) Most laptops have an exhaust vent, and passive intake venting on the bottom panel. You do no good blowing into the bottom panel, as there are way too many components in the way, to make this effective, and what good is trying to blow through a fan filter, backwards through the exhaust vent, when you can damage the filter, or fan, and any dust you DO manage to dislodge, blows back into the fan, some sticking to it and making matters worse, just to be blown back into the filter? That doesn't make any sense at all.
Lenovo ThinkPads have an intake, and exhaust vent, very close together, 90degrees tangent from one another. BOTH are partially sponge filtered! They have VERY efficient cooling, and only need cleaning every 3-5 years in an average environment. If you blow through the filters, you'll just plug up the exhaust filter, or damage the intake filter. Done that ONCE!! I won't do it again.

Some older, or cheap fans will break if spun in the wrong direction too much.
ANY fan will break, if spun too fast. These are $5 components. Most factory fans are cheaply, and simply made, regardless of the brand of laptop. They WILL break.
Ummm.... I've done this too..... ONLY once!

IF YOU NEED TO CLEAN OUT DUST:

Take the laptop down until you see the physical fan. Use a YouTube video, if you don't know how.
BEST practice is to REMOVE the fan for cleaning, and RE-GEL CPU/GPU/North/Southbridge, with Arctic Silver 5.
Place your finger on the fan to keep it from spinning, and blow it out, then brush it out, repeat. This is the proper way to clean your fan. CAREFULLY clean out the filters GENTLY. They are your first line of defense against dust .
Do this, and you'll have a happy, clean, and cool laptop, that will last years!

Vacuum cleaners can destroy chips. Particularly RAM chips. They are the most susceptible components in your computer, to electrostatic discharge.... I've done that too... ONCE. Ill advised/NOT recommended!

So, do as you see fit, but I clean my laptops out every 2-5 years, depending on the brand. Some (older laptops) require more frequent cleaning. I have working laptops that are 20+ yrs old, and still work perfectly, because they are maintained properly.

BTW? If your laptop is throttling, it might be time to re-gel, and thoroughly clean it out. I've never seen a brand new laptop that wasn't defective, or poorly designed, throttle.

If you DO experience this in a new laptop, as I said in an earlier post, prop the rear of the laptop up on something (bottle caps are good), and the throttling will cease. Sometimes, low-tech solutions work best with computers.

I'm just saying, over 40 years I've bricked laptops/computers, in every conceivable way imaginable! avoid trouble! Learn from MY mistakes!

Happy Computing!

Good luck!

[sholling]

Most laptops have plenty of internal cooling for casual use as long they have space under them. On the other hand when CPUs are used hard like for video editing etc they can get darned hot and heat is the enemy of electronics and additional cooling helps. Cooling the desk under the laptop does not.

Using an air compressor is a bad idea because moisture condenses inside the air tank - that's a fact - and that moisture blasts out through the air hose. Canned air is better but the cold air can cause condensation to form from moisture in the air. Use it sparingly in short blasts. I use an electric air duster specifically designed blow dust off electronics.

The laptop's fan: Use common sense when blowing out electronics. Don't spin the fan to up to 8,000 rpm just to see it spin. It not hard to blow out electronics including laptops just use common sense. Oh and spinning a fan backwards for a few seconds will not hurt the fan. That's not how those small DC motors work.

I must be doing something right because in decades of working as a tech I never once bricked a laptop or killed any PC with static discharge. Again, just use common sense.

[Dragunov]

Most laptops have plenty of internal cooling for casual use as long they have space under them. On the other hand when CPUs are used hard like for video editing etc they can get darned hot and heat is the enemy of electronics and additional cooling helps. Cooling the desk under the laptop does not.

Using an air compressor is a bad idea because moisture condenses inside the air tank - that's a fact - and that moisture blasts out through the air hose. Canned air is better but the cold air can cause condensation to form from moisture in the air. Use it sparingly in short blasts. I use an electric air duster specifically designed blow dust off electronics.

The laptop's fan: Use common sense when blowing out electronics. Don't spin the fan to up to 8,000 rpm just to see it spin. It not hard to blow out electronics including laptops just use common sense. Oh and spinning a fan backwards for a few seconds will not hurt the fan. That's not how those small DC motors work.

I must be doing something right because in decades of working as a tech I never once bricked a laptop or killed any PC with static discharge. Again, just use common sense.

Agreed, for the most part anyways. I bricked one with ESD several years ago, because I did something stupid. Fans blown the wrong way TOO MUCH, especially older fans with a bit of use, can be a problem, probably not, if done for "a few seconds", but continual use in this manner can cause an older fan to stop working.

Compressors, and vacuums are a No-no.

Cooling the desktop, isn't the point. Allowing better airflow under the laptop, is the point. I do some heavy gaming, some video editing, some autocad, and simply improving airflow under the laptop (propping it), keeps it plenty cool. However, I use well designed gaming computers for that sort of thing. That helps a lot.

If you do so much editing, that your well designed laptop keeps throttling, you probably should be using a desktop. The right tool, for the right job.

[Dan_Eastvale]

Monthly vacuuming of the intake/exhaust ports to pull out dust/hair etc. helps a lot too.

I'd say this is very important.. And don't set it on carpet or sofa.

[brassburnz]

Agreed, for the most part anyways. I bricked one with ESD several years ago, because I did something stupid. Fans blown the wrong way TOO MUCH, especially older fans with a bit of use, can be a problem, probably not, if done for "a few seconds", but continual use in this manner can cause an older fan to stop working.

Compressors, and vacuums are a No-no.

Cooling the desktop, isn't the point. Allowing better airflow under the laptop, is the point. I do some heavy gaming, some video editing, some autocad, and simply improving airflow under the laptop (propping it), keeps it plenty cool. However, I use well designed gaming computers for that sort of thing. That helps a lot.

If you do so much editing, that your well designed laptop keeps throttling, you probably should be using a desktop. The right tool, for the right job.

I'm taking classes in educational technology, and last semester included a video production class. The course description said we'd be using Premier Pro CC 2018 and I didn't think my laptop would be able to handle it, so I was prepared to buy a desktop.

Then I learned the computers in the classroom were running Premier Pro CC 2017, which is not backwards compatible with 2018. I could edit work from class at home, but not the other way around, which is kinda stupid.

This is my first day of summer vacation, so I don't have an income stream right now, but a desktop is definitely something I need to consider. Time to sell a gun I guess.

[Dragunov]

I'm taking classes in educational technology, and last semester included a video production class. The course description said we'd be using Premier Pro CC 2018 and I didn't think my laptop would be able to handle it, so I was prepared to buy a desktop.

Then I learned the computers in the classroom were running Premier Pro CC 2017, which is not backwards compatible with 2018. I could edit work from class at home, but not the other way around, which is kinda stupid.

This is my first day of summer vacation, so I don't have an income stream right now, but a desktop is definitely something I need to consider. Time to sell a gun I guess.

What are the programs requirements. I'll help you find one.

What's your budget?

This would work if you want to stick with a laptop..... However, you can build a desktop that would do the same thing, maybe a little better, for a little cheaper..... Maybe.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-HP-Pavilion-Power-Gaming-Intel-Core-i5-AMD-Radeon-12GB-1TB-Backlit-WIN-10/282986981216?hash=item41e356a760:g:YNAAAOSwukVa~tV0

[Darto]

You might want a gaming system with a 'dedicated' video card, instead of integrated. In other words a real gaming laptop or desktop. The dedicated video card will work for editing videos as well as gaming.

[brassburnz]

What are the programs requirements. I'll help you find one.

What's your budget?

This would work if you want to stick with a laptop..... However, you can build a desktop that would do the same thing, maybe a little better, for a little cheaper..... Maybe.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-HP-Pavi...AAAOSwukVa~tV0

Right now I'm on summer break so I don't have any income. Won't get paid again until school starts up. The school district just issued us new Lenovo Yoga laptop/tablets. I got to take mine home for the summer.

It only has an i5 processor, but has 16 gigs of RAM which should make video editing better.

I would still like to get a tower if I decide to stick with the video editing. I'm not really a gamer, but I could be!

[texas_law_dog]

OP, I have a free one in the marketplace.

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1461912

[brassburnz]

OP, I have a free one in the marketplace.

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/....php?t=1461912

I already purchased a cooler. Thanks for the offer.