Laptop Cooler Layout

[jsb666]

Hey People its been a long time since i have posted, infact its been a long time since i have done any modding. I have just started a Project making a laptop cooler for my friends HP Pavillion dv9000 and i have hit a snag and knew just the people that could help :)

My Problem is in how to layout the fans best to help cooling the laptop, my original idea was just to raise it up on a metal grill and add a fan to help draw more air out of the laptop (the fan on the bottom is blowing out). I had a look at the laptop the other day when it was over heating an noticed that the air coming out of the bottom is cold even when the laptop is over heating to the point where it is shutting down. Im guessing that the air is getting sucked in the blown back out before it passes over any of the hot components so im not sure how effective just drawing more air out will be.

Any Ideas

Thanks Joe :)

[jdbnsn]

Have you opened it up to make sure it's not packed with dust?

[Luke122]

That would be my first thought also. I have 6 dv9000's here; the fan intakes from the bottom and blows out the back. If that's not happening, then it's likely that it's clogged with dust, and the air is being forced out the bottom instead of the back.

Use a piece of plastic to ensure the fan cannot spin and give it a few good blasts with compressed air to force the dust out the back... you'll solve most of the heat problem with this alone.

As for a cooling pad, I think it's a good idea with this notebook, which is notorious for heat related failures. The ideal pad would evenly distribute cool air across the entire bottom of the notebook, plus give extra cool air to the fan intake. Most notebook coolers pull air down and away from the bottom of the machine, I think the opposite is a better idea.. supply it with more cool air. :)

[jsb666]

Its not mine and its still under warranty so i cant but it has been over heating since new only when playing games for a long time but thats what he uses it for most.

[Luke122]

No need to open it to clear the dust from it. :) Power it off, stop the fan from spinning, and blast it clear with air. :D

[jsb666]

i know commpressed air. But the fact that its being doing it since new makes me think that its not that. like i said its only when he is playing games for more than an hour or so. Thats what you get from playing games on a media laptop i guess but he cant afford a gaming one :P thats why im trying to build him a cooler to try and make it cope with games a bit better.

[Luke122]

If it's been doing that since new, then I suppose its possible that the fan is reversed, and it's pulling air in the back and blowing it down the bottom.. that would be a manufacturing defect which should be covered by warranty..

Either way, try the air thing.. takes a few seconds and might solve the issue. If not, no damage done.

The laptop cooler pad is a good idea as long as you can ensure that it's actually helping, and the best thing to do is blow air against the bottom of the laptop, rather than pull air away from it (which most retail cooler pads do).

[jsb666]

Cheers i will give it a go im going to build the pad anyway since im making it out of all old spares i have laying around if nothing else it should help air circulate around the laptop a bit better.

[jdbnsn]

I made one out of particle board and a cheap case fane, you can see how I did it here (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7959).

[Drum Thumper]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of surface is the laptop on when it starts to overheat? Laptops need a solid surface, not a pillow/blanket/towel/etc.

[jsb666]

Usually a coffee table and propped up with cd cases or something similar.