My notebook gets really hot... does anyone have any experience or recommendations as to notebook coolers? There seem to be an assortment of 2, 3, or 4 fan coolers out there... as well as an assortment of shapes and designs...

I'm looking at a couple including this one...

Features:
Protect your valuable investment and reduce heat-related instability.
USB-powered cooler with pass-through connector included.
Draw power from any USB port without losing use of the USB port.
Low power consumption
No batteries or power adapter needed.
2 Double ball-bearing fans for reliability.
Specifications:
FANS : 2 x 70mm, 2500 RPM (average)
AIRFLOW- 31.6 CFM
NOISE- 25.9 dB(A)
POWER- 30" power cable included
Voltage : 5V DC
Current : 0.4 A
Consumption: 2 W
WSIZE - 13.0" x 11.2" x 0.85"

What model laptop or at least the specs? They do get pretty hot. My Inspiron 8600 usually sits between 40 and 50 degrees Celcius depending on what I'm doing. Playing games the GPU climbs to 60 degrees after I modified the heatsink on the graphics board. It used to climb to 100 C.

I also run http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/ on my Dells to control the fans instead of letting the BIOS do it. There may be something else out there for other makes.

My girlfriend uses a Targus coolpad on her laptop when she's at her desk and it drops the temp about 5 degrees.

I'm running an HP ze4530 celeron... It gets especially hot on the back corner near the fan vent, and on the metal panels underneath such as the RAM cover plate...

I'm also looking at stuff like this...

http://www.thetechlounge.com/review.php?directory=bytecc_aluminum_notebook_cooler&page =1

I had a HUGE overheating problem with my Toshiba.

Those "cooling" trays didn't do shit for it. It would randomly shut off on my (especially if the CPU was working hard).

Even thought it has two fans.

Solution? Vacuum at the fan, canned air at the heat sink. Blow for a few seconds, watch all the dust fly, and finish. Haven't had a problem since.

(Of course, the fact that there's a dog and cat running around doesn't help - hair everywhere)

Very good advice.

You could do that, or just start off with more efficient tech that doesn't generate the heat to being with:



There are other benefits other than better heat management as well, but that's another thread...

Dont' blow compressed air into a cooling fan unless you can keep the fan from spinning. It can damage the bearings. I did it to a fan on my desktop and it was much louder afterwards and quit a couple months later.

Didn't do that. Blew at the heatsink.

The fans on my laptop won't move unless it's on - the vaccuum was light enough that all it did was pick up the dust.

True...and I looked seriously at the Powerbook. But for what I needed, I just couldn't afford it - the laptop AND all new software. And Final Cut Pro ain't cheap.

But final cut express is, and unless you are doing pro editing you probably won't notice the small differences. compare \'em here . Although that is for the older version, and the new FCE HD includes some new apps....

and when I bought my Powerbook, FCE was $99 - they run that special from time to time.

Video editing and DVD creation is the main reason I got the powerbook. The fact that it doesn't cook my nuts is a double bonus

Express is no good for me. Yup, I am doing professional editing.

Are you using iDVD or DVD Studio Pro? I'm using Studio Pro on my Mac at work.

I haven't needed more than iDVD - esp. after the iLife '05 update...

Moby, they still have the same problems as any other notebook. At my old job, my boss and co-worker who had powerbooks (15" and 17" respectively) both had to return them in the the first couple months for this exact problem... faulty fan and overheating.

You're definitely right about one thing... they are greatly overpriced. Usually, you get what you pay for but that goes out the window with Apple.

Well, I didn't say they were overpriced (that's another argument entirely).

But figure this...

PC:

Toshiba - $999.
Software - have all of it already.

Mac:
Powerbook - $1800.
Final Cut Pro - $1000.
DVD Studio Pro - $1000.
After Effects - $1500.
Photoshop - $600.
Media Cleaner - $700.

So... $1,000 v. $6,600.

I know exactly what you mean. That's what I was talking about.

Anyway, Dell is having their $750 off coupons tomorrow. You might want to check that out:
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/value_inspn?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

Just what you want! Fire on your lap?

powerbook might not be the way to go

How about a Pentium M? Excellent chip, runs cool, fast... And runs the software you've got.

I wonder what all the mac fans will say about superior tech when Apple switches to Intel processors in a year or so... It's going to happen.

Might...might not. They've talked before.

Unfortunately neither of my batteries were in that recall - too bad because one of them doesn't hold quite the charge it used to

Nothing because it isn't going to happen. Intel makes more that x86 processors :rolleyes:

Amazingly today, the rumors that were so obviously fact Sunday are not being downplayed

And lets just enter the delusion that Apple was going to switch - they wouldn't support the mish-mash of crap hardware that is out there - they would be x86 boxes in spirit - much like the way SUN is doing their x86 servers. Apple would be crazy to enter the current x86 market where your OS is instant crap if it can't run some $3 firewire card on a $45 motherboard from some crap foundry. Part of the reason Apple is very successful in providing a seamless user experience is they have total control over their hardware. Does it cost more than some ultra cheap mass produced PC? Sure - but you get what you pay for and why I'm typing into one right now when I have three PC's also sitting here.

Costs more than a high quality professionally assembled PC.

Whether apple is using a PPC processor or an Intel processor doesn't have a whole lot of bearing on their control of their hardware. They can stanardize on chipsets, video cards, memory, whatever they want. Just a different processor.

The thing is, if apple wants to become competitive in the personal computer market, (and no, they are not now by any stretch, 3% is not competitive) They are going to have to lower costs. And the easiest way to do this would be to move to the Intel arch.

If Apple is interested in keeping their stock viable, (I'd guess the board is) they have to make some inroads here. The iPod won't carry them forever. They aren't going to gain any significant market share selling much more expensive machines with very little if any extra value to the average consumer.

Based on what?

Last time I checked, Apple charges what they do because they can - not because the PowerPC architecture is that much more expensive than Intel (it isn't).

BTW - they have over 5 billiion (that's Billion with a B) in the bank - and are more profitable than ever right now - market share isn't everything...

...it is when you're the laughing stock of the technology industry.

Really?

http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2005/052305schwartau.html

I guess ignorance really is bliss :rolleyes:

not that i care all that much considering i have already sold my soul to Microsoft (as you should know) but using this guy as an example of the community at large is like using slashdotters as a the only sane voice for *inx.

I guess my only point is, this was the most recent example of this kind of an article. Last year you would never have seen something like this posted in the main stream computer press - it's the third very public "switch" I can recall seeing in the last couple months.

Sustained trend? Time will tell.

Oh, and I think comparing him to the slashdot crowd is a little harsh