Cooling a hot laptop
I'm writing to pass on a low-tech suggestion for cooling a PB.
In warm weather I find that my 15" Al PB can sometimes get pretty hot. I've found that a simple way to cool it is to use a bag hot/cold gel. We got it from the local drugstore. The plastic bag is full of some sort of blue gel. I put it in the refrigerator for a while then I put it on my lap under my PB. It absorbs heat so well even the top of the PB gets a lot cooler.
In warm weather I find that my 15" Al PB can sometimes get pretty hot. I've found that a simple way to cool it is to use a bag hot/cold gel. We got it from the local drugstore. The plastic bag is full of some sort of blue gel. I put it in the refrigerator for a while then I put it on my lap under my PB. It absorbs heat so well even the top of the PB gets a lot cooler.
Comments
". . . Eventually, I took a little round table, and the middle piece of wood could be removed. So then all you have are wooden sticks that criss cross."
One day I had a dell laptop with windows and I too put it on some sticks, crumbled up some paper and put it underneath with the wood. Grabbed some matches and lit the thing on fire. After it stopped burning it finally cooled off for the last time. After that I went and bought my first powerbook and it has been the coolest laptop I have ever owned.
Apple doesn't call them laptops. Why? Because aside from making you sterile, they'll overheat.
Your lap is 98.6 degrees to begin with. Trapping air under the PB and with the G4 chip it gets stupidly hot.
if you merely got a Podium CoolPad, you'd have enough air to have it cool via convection alone. No icepacks needed.
Besides, you'll end up with condensation inside the PB eventually. Not good.
I agree, a platform of some sort with fans would be nice, but it doesn't provide a heat sink with a temperature less than ambient.
In very humid climates using a cold pad like this might cause some condensation.
Aside from that, I second getting a laptop pad, especially an elevated one. Put the back edge of the laptop on the elevated portion, and the front on the flat plane. That gives you a lot more airflow under the 'book.
I actually built my own out of scrap wood.
I take two cd cases and put them under the back corners of the system this gives me a very slight tilt which I find better for typing and the extra air circulation keeps it much cooler.
When it's plugged into power supply - I want the fan on - get it?
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To keep it cool - Forget all the nonsense with sticks and crap -
Use an open air free standing magazine rack - thats wide open at the top rails - it sits there nice as hell on the pads I covered the rails with.
The rack stands as high as the seat bottom of a chair - or higher. And it sits right next to my bed with all cubby holes filled with whats needed - except magazines.
For extra cooling - I place a table fan on low on the floor (The floor - where the air is cooler) creating a soft breeze towards the Powerbook - it does not get any better than that.
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OK - where's the (Fan On Button) Only Related Reply