Overheating Laptop

[DaveMurphy]

Which is the easiest way to stop a Laptop from overheating? is there some way or something i could use, it's either on my lap or on the desk all day :S

 

Cheers

[ZeroHour]

I have had a problem with my laptop overheating badly. Right now I have been using a program called RightMark CPU Clock. In there you can do something called undervolting and also disable some clocks which all prevent you getting overheating. Right now my cpu is quite throttled down (disabled clocks and undervolting) to prevent it overheating which is working well.

Here is a guide about undervolting to get you started: The "Undervolting" Guide - Notebook Forums and Laptop Discussion

[mossj]

Check the bios for any temp related settings + Laptop tray with built in fan.

 

My girlfriends laptop fan broke.... so she had a big problem with overheating (even on flat surfaces) but she bought one of those laptop trays with a built in fan (£20 from staples or currys etc) and since then it's been fine.

[mac_shinobi]

what make and model of laptop is it ?

 

Might be able to find a guide online on how to take it apart to a certain degree and get one of those cans that sprays air to get rid of any dust

 

Might be worth while re seating the heat sink / fan on the cpu?

[AyatollahPies]

The angle at which the laptop rests can play a part. If you leave it flat on a desk, not only is it bad for you ergonomically, but the heat can build up in the laptop. By putting the laptop on a stand that is angled, it creates a chimney effect, helping the warm air to rise and dissipate much faster. A stand with built in USB powered fan helps to lower the underbelly temperature.

 

A good old anti-static air blower in the vents often helps too. Clears out those big dust clusters.

[elsiegee40]

I had great success by using an abacus as a rest (Early Learning Centre early 90s edition! )

 

Its wedge shape angled the laptop nicely for use, it was wide enough for the laptop to be stable, and there was lots of ventilation between the beads!

 

Laptop since replaced, abacus at the back of a cupboard somewhere just in case!

[difinity]

I've seen a fair few laptops where dust and hairs etc. have got stuck between the fan and the heatsink building up to a point where it was forming a physical barrier stopping decent air flow. Depending on the make of laptop, it might be worth flipping the laptop over to see if there is an access panel to get to the processor and heatsink arrangement.

[tom_newton]

Just had a similar problem - took an oldish lappy over to the in-laws... what works OK in Yorkshire lasts literally minutes in Nairobi. Bah. Hopefully the local fundi will be able to have a look see if it needs cleaning etc. but I am not convinced by their prowess.