Would you recommend a cooling pad or no?

[Vexivero]

I am unsure as to whether or not I should get a cooling pad for my new laptop. My current laptop that I use overheats like crazy, but it still works with no damage that I can tell. I usually go on this laptop for several hours a day (many times up to 12+ hours) and have done so pretty regularly for the past 2 years, and it still works despite the startup warnings that "last time it did not shut off properly" or something along those lines.

 

Anyways, my new laptop that I got is here:

http://www.hhgregg.com/hp-envy-touchsmart-laptop-with-intel-core-i7-4710hq-processor/item/NV15K081NR

 

All the specs are the same except mine has 12 GB DDR for some reason, I don't know if that would matter in your assessment but just in case. Anyways, not being a computer guy, I wanted to ask you guys whether or not that type of laptop would benefit from a cooling pad. I am only going to use that laptop for making music, but I will probably use it for several hours at a time when I do use it.

[Goldengirl]

I'd recommend getting a heating pad, especially given how much you use it. Your computer will continue to work perfectly and not overheat after long sessions of use right up until the point that it doesn't. The nice thing I like about my cooling pad is that it's outlasted my laptop. My past laptop died due to an unfortunate incident with a cuppa coffee, but even despite that I can still use the same cooling pad on my new laptop.

[Vexivero]

I assume the first sentence you meant cooling pad rather than heating pad. What type of cooling pad do you have?

[Randomizer]

I also don't recommend using a laptop on your lap. The heat from the hard drive is sufficient to sterilize sperm.

 

Get one with fans to help distribute the heat. The gel pads don't work fast enough.

[Vexivero]

Haha I never have done that. I remember when I was younger hearing about people who had burned and discolored the skin on their thighs because they did that; when I finally got a laptop that was enough to scare me into never doing it.

 

Thanks for the recommendation; I will avoid gel pads

[keira]

If you are making music, look for a pad with larger diameter fans -- they move more air at slower speeds than their smaller counterparts, and slower fans mean less background noise to filter out when using a mic.

[Vexivero]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834998051

 

I did some searching and decided this was a good one, because it had the highest newegg rating with more than 10 people rating it. Do you think that would do the trick? I am not sure how large you mean when you say "large diameter fans", because I really have no idea the average size of a cooling pad fan.

[adc.]

Anyways, my new laptop that I got is here:

http://www.hhgregg.c...item/NV15K081NR

 

HP ENVY TouchSmart Laptop with Intel® Core™ i7-4710HQ Processor

 

I ENVY you

[Vexivero]

I ENVY you

Yeah, it is a great laptop. Set me back a grand, but I figure it is still a great deal. And if it can last me the next 5-10 years, I will be happy When I don't use it I am keeping it in a box under my bed so it will still look like new haha

[homer]

Try spraying the vents with a can of compressed air if you haven't. I came close to buying a cooling pad but I learned about that, and now my laptop never overheats.

[Vexivero]

Try spraying the vents with a can of compressed air if you haven't. I came close to buying a cooling pad but I learned about that, and now my laptop never overheats.

I was looking this up for a little bit earlier but I didn't find anything too detailed on it. Do you take the entire base of the laptop off and then clean everything out, or just turn it over and try to spray through the vents? I'm not a computer guy, so I don't want to take it off and have everything fall apart on me. Also, how often do you clean it out?

[Goldengirl]

I don't know the process either, but if it does involve taking a laptop apart, I'd stray away from that since you're not experienced. I tried taking mine apart after my coffee spill and I gave up in frustration. My buddy is in computer architecture and he says that whenever someone takes a laptop apart they usually end up with an extra screw or two.

[A less presumptuous name.]

As far as accessing fans goes, taking apart a laptop should be pretty simple. Fans are large and require easy access between the inside and outside of the case. Even with Apple laptops, it's simply a matter of removing the bottom plate of the case. You shouldn't need to remove any internal components. I would recommend looking for simple teardown guides for your model of laptop. See what you're getting yourself into. If it looks too much, then pass.

[Sudanna]

As far as accessing fans goes, taking apart a laptop should be pretty simple. Fans are large and require easy access between the inside and outside of the case. Even with Apple laptops, it's simply a matter of removing the bottom plate of the case. You shouldn't need to remove any internal components. I would recommend looking for simple teardown guides for your model of laptop. See what you're getting yourself into. If it looks too much, then pass.

 

Lies.

 

I have to take every single thing out of this laptop to get at the fan. Hard drive, CD drive, all of the casing, the keyboard, the RAM, the graphics cards, half of the motherboard, both racks of external connectors, and if I don't take out the monitor too, I have to fiddle a lot to get it out. It's a nightmare and I always end up with unused screws afterwards. Dell hates clean fans.

[A less presumptuous name.]

From a quick search, it looks like the fan is more-or-less open if you just remove the bottom panel. This is, of course, very different than actually removing the fan. Like I said, check for yourself and see if you're comfortable. Clearly my experience isn't universal.

[homer]

I was looking this up for a little bit earlier but I didn't find anything too detailed on it. Do you take the entire base of the laptop off and then clean everything out, or just turn it over and try to spray through the vents? I'm not a computer guy, so I don't want to take it off and have everything fall apart on me. Also, how often do you clean it out?

 

I just spray the air into my laptop's vents without disassembling anything. It shakes the dust around and most of it ends up coming out. I'm not sure if my method is entirely safe, but I've been doing it with this laptop for three years without a problem. I spray every 1-2 months.

[Army Pea]

I had an issue with over heating in my laptop as well.

Turns out it was my video card fan being 85% clogged from the INSIDE!

That's right, from the outside looking into the vent and Finns, it looked completely clean.

It wasn't till I opened the bottom panel that I saw the total wreck of a years worth of dust.

Cleaning took no more than 5 mins and has been running perfectly(temperature) ever since.

 

Compressed air can only help so much in such compact areas. Might be time to open that bad boy up and have a look