# Cooling project for a laptop.



## Satoko (Mar 22, 2005)

A few months ago, I disassembled my laptop for general cooling repairs--cleaning out the fans, applying Arctic Silver, etc.--and I'm starting to have overheating issues again. I've started thinking of other ways to try and cool my laptop, if simply out of frustration of losing screws every time I have to disassemble it. 

I'm looking into building some sort of custom cooling case. This case would sit horizontally and house the motherboard, with appropriate holes for whatever is needed (USB ports, CD drive, etc.). The case would be the same width and depth as the original laptop case, but with added height. I'd rig up some sort of support system in the middle of the case so the motherboard could sit in the right place. In the extra space created by the added height, I could add a better cooling system. Simply said, more fan room.

Obviously, this is all very theoretical and frankly not at all practical for mobility. Luckily, my needs for laptop portability are virtually nil; my laptop has been sitting on my kitchen table since the day I bought it. Long story as to why I thought I needed a laptop instead of a desktop, and not at all very interesting. I'll spare you. 

What are your thoughts on this sort of project? Has it been done before, or attempted in some fashion? Is it even possible to run a laptop outside of its original casing? I don't see why it wouldn't be, so long as all of the right holes are there. The cables to my monitor are long enough to compensate for the added height of the new case. The only problem I can really foresee are the keyboard and touchpad cables being too short, but a simple USB keyboard and mouse solves that problem. If I really wanted to get fancy and leave my kitchen, I could make it an easy to disassemble case (really, why wouldn't it be) for when I needed to use my original case.

Again, this is all very theoretical. I don't even know what I'd make the new case out of, nor how I'd support the motherboard. But, if given enough motivation from my overheating problems and general internet interest, I'd give it a whirl.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Why not just buy a laptop cooling base? Here's a list of them to look at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cription=laptop+cooler&Submit=ENE&N=0&Ntk=all


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## Satoko (Mar 22, 2005)

The cooling bases I've used in the past have been rather ineffective. Maybe I just wasn't using the right one.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I can't say. If it takes more than some additional cooling from one of these bases, maybe there's something wrong with the laptop.


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## guitar (Jan 15, 2006)

i use 2 old comp fans 1 blowing in the inlet holes the other sucking out the fan hole powered with a powerpack the original still works but i felt it getting a bit hot so i tried it and its kept it cool for over a year now makesure they point in the right direction and have space to get air from [cheapest way i could think of cost me nothing as i had it all laying around]


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