My laptop is on it's last legs and the heat generated now it just insane so I'm thinking the built in fan is starting to die. However, it's on for about 14-15 hours a day now and has just shut down several times on me, which I think is due to over heating. So I'm going to get a laptop cooler fan thingy, I saw a few on Amazon that looked ok, but I was wondering does anyone here use them and if so which is best?! Stars all round!

Muchos gracias!!

======= Date Modified 25 Aug 2010 15:50:58 =======
It probably needs opening up and a good vacuum. You may also need to remove the CPU fan and heat sink assembly and remove the dust that has built up there. Back up your data and take it to your nearest repair shop. Your university computing services or department IT guy might be able to help?

Goodness! I hope you have everything backed up a trilion times (I thimk that's the norm isn't it?:-). My laptop died not so long ago, but luckily it gave me enough warning to get all the info off...even though I have it elsewhere of course, it ism't quite the same is it???:$. I've bought my laptop one of those little stands so it has more air underneath it - it also gives the keyboard a slope which i like too!

Mine is just ridiculous now, I downloaded coretemp which tells me the temp of the core (clue is in the name lol) and I run around 80F sometimes as high as 95F which is seriously bad news. Mine has already fried elements of the computer (apparently my windows explorer issues are down to it) and i'm on the verge of chucking it and buying a desktop :-(

I do have a cooling fan tray thing - its the Akasa and I got it from Currys, it keeps the temp down to the temps listed above lol - ie I can run it without it crashing out on me, without it I have maybe only 10 mins now. To access my fan means totally dismantling the computer down to the case itself, the fan is the last element - never get an HP 6735s - I did a search on the heat problem and in my case it seems to be a design fault lol.

Due to the windows explorer problem I can't back up, all I can do is to email my work to myself so its off my computer :-( I would say though that if you've only crashed out a few times see if you can get the fan checked out and buy one of these tray things, they are good. It does mean though that you can't go 'laptop'

======= Date Modified 25 Aug 2010 19:38:33 =======
Hi Algaequeen,

I would clean it out with some air-duster, you can easily get this on ebuyer: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/225889 which would clean out the fan and help it to stay cool; it's likely overheating due to all the stuff trapped inside it, and also get one of these: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161512 - this will turn your laptop harddrive into a USB drive that you can use in any other computer (so that if it fails you can access your files).

Would also suggest you back up using something like Windows Live Sync - I use this, and it means you can access your work from any computer anywhere with the internet.

You should refrain from removing the CPU because the thermal grease is likely to be dried up on an old machine - if you remove the CPU you will have to remove what's calles the heat sink (a piece of metal between the fan and CPU), removing this will reduce the conductivity between the CPU and the sink. If you do this, and I'm not saying it wouldnt help, but you would need to re-grease the CPU with this: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/72292

So, advice is to try the air duster first and go from there. :)

Source, by the way, is boyf used to work for Microsoft ;)

Whoo thanks guys! Quite a lot of technical advice there that I have absolutely no idea how to do! I don have an air duster though, so I'll give that a go! I think it is a design fault in mine too Stressed, it's a Dell which I've heard are bad for over heating. Even underneath my wooden desk is warm to touch with the laptop above it! I found a few on amazon that looked ok, there was a Logitech one and a Zalman one that seemed good so I think I'll go to a store and check them out before getting one.
I do have everything backed up too, on the laptop, a USB and an external so hopefully I'll not lose anything, I don't think I could cope if I did!

Thanks for the help guys!! (up)

I didn't know that you could get laptop cooling fans, will definitely have to look into this myself! My laptop drives me crazy because it only has to be on for about ten minutes before the fan starts going and it emits so much heat! I'd get a desktop if I had the space but I do like the portability of a laptop...

Helena -would the cable you mentioned work if windows explorer isn't working? I can't open my computer, my control panel etc.

The tray that I have has two fans in it that run off of a USB port and blast the underside of the laptop with cold air - I can't use mine without it at all - as it is as I'm typing this the fn has just gone crazy again and the coretemp is up to 95F - ouch ouch ouch. I actually burnt myself a few months ago - massive red patch on my leg that was sore to the touch - so not good :-(

Oh, and get this.... I complained to HP about it back in the winter - her advice - use it in a cooler room.... we have no heating, my room thermometer was showing that the temp in the room was 8C (I was wearing full thermals, gloves and a hat) - I did suggest that if HP laptops are only to be used by scientists working on the ice flows of the poles that maybe they should include that in their spec....

Ah this made me laugh Stressed!! It's ridiculous though that they get so hot and you don't find out about it until after you've bought it. Although laptops aren't really designed for constant usage like my poor thing gets! However, in the interests of not actually melting myself this afternoon as it is so hot here, I took my work outside and am sitting on a little metal picnic table - there is a cool breeze and it's a bit cloudy so the metal isn't too hot, and it's actually cooled my laptop down a bit!

Stressed, the cable is for when you remove your harddrive and makes it so you can plug it into another computer via USB, like an ordinary external harddrive or (on a smaller scale) USB pen drive. I don't think it would help your situation.

What you say about your core temp @ 95F sounds normal actually (in fact some machines can run at like 80 C!), although this is not to say that the rest of your computer should feel that hot, rather the heat should dissipate throughout the rest of the unit so you don't feel the heat and the computer wouldnt normally maintain this level of heat, but go up and down.
Say for example you had a virus on your computer that meant the CPU was constantly overworking, this could cause a constant high temp which could be the problem, that, or your computer is simply old and tired (I know how it feels). Laptops generally don't last for too long, they tend to have a shelf life of 18 months-4 yrs depending on quality/price. :)

Lol Algaequeen, its raining here so mine would have definately cooled down :-)

Helena, thanks for that, I know nothing about these things! Its around 95 - Oh, I lie - I've just checked as I'm typing this as is sure as heck doesn't feel normal and its degrees C!!!!! so that's 95C, not 95 F...... damn, knew it was hot - does that change things??? Anyway yes, the keyboard feels V warm, the underside roasts and that's with 2 fans blowing onto it from the cooling tray, as I say, it burnt my leg to the point of being very sore for a few days in a matter of minutes - was NOT happy! Without the fans blowing onto it I have no idea what it gets to, I know it shuts itself down within around 10 mins - 30 mins max of turning on through heat.

Its around 2 years old now, is that really only the shelf-life? Flipping heck! My first laptop lasted me through the BA and MA with no trouble til my son dropped it... but the poor thing is on all day everyday, I had hoped that it'd see me through the PhD but no chance :-( Having said all that the first time I complained to HP I'd had it about 3 or 4 months - the first day that I put it on I was shocked at how hot it was but they told me it was normal.....

======= Date Modified 27 Aug 2010 07:35:15 =======
Ah dear, it doesn't sound happy does it?! Laptop "life spans" are actually given in hours rather than years - but of course they're not designed to be on 12 hours a day, and yes, most don't last much longer than two years (without problems occuring I mean, not neccessarily just breaking at their second anniversary!).

Some machines, as I said, can work at 80-90C, but I wouldn't think that included yours, at least not for extended periods of time. The CPU is a tiny piece of metal that is designed, and can stand, to get very, very hot. But as I said, you shouldn't be feeling that core temp at your finger tips!

I would download this free scanner from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/ - it's consistently in the top 3 anti-virus softwares in the world, is regularly updated, and is absolutely free! Do a scan and see if there is anything on your computer that may be overworking your CPU - if not we will have to put it down to overwork I'm afraid.

The thought of you having to work in your hat and gloves! Terrible! (I'm here in PJs as it happens :-))


haha - I just HAD to post this, as I was looking at my post above, I glanced over @ an advert on the site for a 'nonslip laptop cooler and heat shield' - The XPAD *chuckle* - your prayers have been answered!

ok! I was in the local supermarket yesterday which sells everything (except cards for some reason...) and picked myself up a little laptop tray thingy! The shipping was working out too expensive online anyway, so got myself a Targus laptop chillmap (never heard of the brand..) and it's great! I had to going for a good few hours last night and my laptop stayed nice and cool!
Stressed, your laptop sounds like it's about to burst into flames any minute! That's crazy that HP wouldn't change it when you first got it, it's definitely not meant to be that hot at the start! My wee thing has been going about 5-6 years now, although only during my final undergrad year has it had the same amount of work it's getting now as I used my office desktop until I moved here!

Hi,

There is a brand that specializes in that sort of things and creates Lap Desks , they have a model which is great for over heating laptops with a built in fan and pillow for working with a laptop in your lap.

check it out here : www.ilapdesk.com