Laptop cooler/holder

Andybtsn · 31 May 2010 at 21:31

Hi Guys,

I use my Laptop a lot around the house, unfortunately the laptop in question, a Dell Studio 15, runs ridiculously hot so I can't have it on my knees for long as I break out into an uncomfortable sweat! If I'm feeling relatively cool on this day and manage to sit the laptop there, I will have unfortunately covered the air vent under the laptop thus meaning the laptop will overheat and turn off..

Soooo, I am the moment I have to seat the laptop on a cushion with a quarter of the laptop sat off the cushion so the air vent is not covered. As you can imagine it's quite unstable.

Is there anyone else with this problem and have bought anything to help the problems? I could make something DIY with a hole for the vent but not sure I can be bothered

I'm not sure normal laptop coolers will work in this instance or if they're suitable to be on people's knees.

Thanks

tigerstyle · 31 May 2010 at 23:13

I've sat mine on one of those lap dinner trays things a few times, beanbag underneath so soft and stable, and the hard surface on top allows the vents to stay clear

Andybtsn · 1 Jun 2010 at 00:13

thepedster said:
I've sat mine on one of those lap dinner trays things a few times, beanbag underneath so soft and stable, and the hard surface on top allows the vents to stay clear

Tried this but the vent is still too close to the hard surface.

tigerstyle · 1 Jun 2010 at 09:09

Andybtsn said:
Tried this but the vent is still too close to the hard surface.

meaning it would also overheat if just used normally on a desk? meaning its a pretty shoddy laptop to being with?

then how about undervolting your CPU a bit to knock a few degrees of it too?

unwashed potato! · 1 Jun 2010 at 10:24

normal laptop coolers are suitable for knees and the situation, though you'll need to get on that works for your laptop. does the air get blown in or blown out at the bottom? if out then you'll need a fan that sucks the air away, if in then you'll need one that blows it in.

Morfik · 2 Jun 2010 at 19:58

thepedster said:
I've sat mine on one of those lap dinner trays things a few times, beanbag underneath so soft and stable, and the hard surface on top allows the vents to stay clear

I do this too but have to place the part with the vent so it overhangs the edge of the tray and has more space for the air to circulate.

The laptop is an XPS M1530 and yes, when gaming, it does overheat on a desk as the cooling is quite poor.

Brok · 3 Jun 2010 at 16:40

I have a Zalman cooler on top of one of those beanbag tray things with the laptop on top! Takes a bit of getting used to but works for me.