Laptop cooling pad in CM?

[davidupatterson]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a minimalist laptop cooling pad that I can pick-up somewhere in Chiang Mai? Something that you've tried and like or know that works well?

 

I'm having some issues with my CPU overheating during intensive tasks. Thanks for your help! 

[beau thai]

Sorry to say, but I tried several with limioted success and finished up buying a new laptop, which never overheats. But I did find some 50/50 solutions via google. From memory, stuff like taking the battery out was recommended.  Sorry cant offer more help.

But it may be worth buying a branded cooler at anhigher price as some cheaper ones are ineffective.

 

Icon plaza, panthip plaza, Promenada Chi Chang etc etc

[davidupatterson]

3 minutes ago, beau thai said:

Sorry to say, but I tried several with limioted success and finished up buying a new laptop, which never overheats. But I did find some 50/50 solutions via google. From memory, stuff like taking the battery out was recommended.  Sorry cant offer more help.

But it may be worth buying a branded cooler at anhigher price as some cheaper ones are ineffective.

 

Icon plaza, panthip plaza, Promenada Chi Chang etc etc

Thanks. Do you have a sense of what brands at a higher price would be better? I'm out of the loop as I've never had to buy one. 

[scottiejohn]

Ones that are USB powered from the laptop are a total waste of time and probably generate more heat that they remove.
A much better solution is to put your laptop on any sort of stand that creates an air gap beteween the laptop and the non reflective surface it is on (4 bottle tops work!).  Then get a small desk top fan and blow it accross the outlet vent.  Do NOT point the fan at the inlet vent(s) as you could cause damage to the internal fan if one is fitted.

 

If the machine is overheating due to a heavy work load have you tried/can you increase the ram or try using a GB SD card  formatted to "Ready Boost" to provide a form of increased RAM. (all versions of Windows support this option).

Edited November 27, 2019 by scottiejohn

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, beau thai said:

From memory, stuff like taking the battery out was recommended.

At the compact notebooks not possible anymore.

Lenovo offers a tool to stop charging at about 60% when running on AC, very useful for battery life.

 

I just bought an "Oker" thing at an Advice shop for 230 Baht.

It has two fans using less than 2 Watt.

Hard to tell how much it does (but core temperatures under 60°C currently).

 

41 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

A much better solution is to put your laptop on any sort of stand that creates an air gap beteween the laptop and the non reflective surface it is on (4 bottle tops work!).

A stand that is a little more expensive is called laptop cooling pad

Edited November 27, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[scottiejohn]

3 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

A stand that is a little more expensive is called laptop cooling pad

The OP used the phrase "laptop cooling pad" in his original post.

I have recommended against them as they do not provide the air gap I have suggested.

[KhunBENQ]

1 minute ago, scottiejohn said:

The OP used the phrase "laptop cooling pad" in his original post.

I have recommended against them as they do not provide the air gap I have suggested.

It's a stand with a perforated-grid on top and enough gap under that.

So even without the fans on it eases airflow.

[ballpoint]

I have one of these 6" fans at the back of my laptop, tilted down so the air is directed at the vents.  It cost about THB350, is mains powered, and has lasted for over 5 years so far.  Sitting in a non-airconditioned room, the computer is noticeably cooler when its on, both by feel and from the temperature readouts in the "speedfan" program.

 https://download.cnet.com/SpeedFan/3000-2094_4-10067444.html

 

[Enoon]

A water bottle screwcap under each corner pad.

 

Domestic fan, behind the laptop, blowing through the gap at you.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by Enoon

[milys]

First of all I would recommend any kind of cooler pad even if it doesn't work. The reason is that it lifts up your laptop from the table so you get air all around. It also saves the laptop if you spill a cup of coffee or beer on the table. Which cooler should you then choose ? There's many out on the market from $5 to around $100 for the most expensive ones. In a way you get what you pay for but it also depends on the size of your computer and what and how you use it. Do you want to be flexible or will the computer mostly stay on the same place.

The coolers for gaming laptops are mostly not meant for having in your knees. As always you can check on Youtube what experience people have had with different brands. A popular brand is CoolerMaster that been in business for decades. They make all kinds of computer fans and thermal paste.

 

 

Talking about thermal paste you can open the laptop and clean the old and dry paste from the CPU & GPU.

Many times there's way too much applied. Clean away the old one with alcohol and apply a thin layer of some new quality paste. While the laptop is open clean the dust carefully with a vacuum cleaner. DON'T DO THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT A BIT OF KNOWLEDGE. You can also suck away the dust on the ventilation holes under and at the sides without opening the computer. Good luck !

[milys]

42 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

I have one of these 6" fans at the back of my laptop, tilted down so the air is directed at the vents.  It cost about THB350, is mains powered, and has lasted for over 5 years so far.  Sitting in a non-airconditioned room, the computer is noticeably cooler when its on, both by feel and from the temperature readouts in the "speedfan" program.

 https://download.cnet.com/SpeedFan/3000-2094_4-10067444.html

 

The vents are used by the internal fan to blow out hot air from the computer.

There's also the risk that you are blowing in dust etc. into the computer.

But if it works for you....

[Ex Machina]

They work well, my son is using one for his gaming laptop.

 

IDK why you would say the USB ones don't work - of course they work. The one I have has 2 huge fans and consists of a cooler grill kinda design that keeps the laptop as cool as it can be.

 

Complaza, Icon Plaza have them - that building behind com plaza, the new com plaza, has several accessories shops.

 

And no, fans do not generate more heat than they cool off .... basic logic, or your room fan would actually be an oven ????

 

That being said, if your CPU is actually overheating to the point where it shuts down, then those cooling pads may not be enough.

 

Then you may need a better designed laptop - these gaming laptops have very good cooling systems, they can run full power with full graphics all day long.
 

If you have a Mac, what I do is use iStats pro menu bar, not only does it show all temp sensors in the computer (there's an astounding number of them) - it also allows you to set the minimum fan speed a bit higher.

 

That's perfect for outdoors in thailand and Cafes and so on. You still can't hear it in loud places but it keeps all the electronics much cooler and prevents premature death.

 

Screenshot of that beauty

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by Ex Machina

[davidupatterson]

Thanks, everyone. I'm open to any and all solutions and think I'll make a stop at Pantip (or other similar market) to see what's available. 

 

CPU temps are hovering around 90 to 95 degrees under load when gaming. I only use the laptop for short bursts of an hour or two at most when playing with my girlfriend. We sit on the couch when doing so and so stands are a bit impractical the more I think about it. Otherwise, temperatures are fine. I do intend to replace the thermal paste on the CPU and GPU with Conductonaut in the coming weeks. That should lower temps by around 5 to 10 degrees I hope.