Bought a fan to cool laptop - where is the best place to put it?

dingusbird

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Apr 17, 2012
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hey all my laptop was getting hot so I bought a fan to cool it, where is the best place to put the fan and facing which way to help with cooling?

blowing in intake?
sucking ehaust?
under laptop in middle blowing up?
etc?

BTW its a 120 x120 x25mm fan

thanks!
 
Solution
OK, do not have a dGPU, just the iGPU (HD3000). There is no GPU temp as the GPU is inside the CPU.

Does your bios have a Health page where you can look at temps. This will be around idle, but you may be able to equate temp1 to a reading in the BIOS.
Could also try a diff program, I use HWMonitor.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Added:
Was just thinking.
Intel processors have (A) an imbeded senor for each core lcalled core 0, core 1 ect and (B) a Sensor located close to the top which is like an overall reading called CPU temp.
Normally the core temps are always higher than the "CPU" temp, BUT with SB CPUs this may NOT always be the case as you now have an embedded GPU unit that will generate Heat. so Temp1 may be the...

dingusbird

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Apr 17, 2012
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Oh thanks I realized that, I bought a usb powered fan that is like you said pretty much a desktop case fan, but Im going to build the stand from metal for it but I'm just not sure where to mount the fan in my contraption. Its going to look like that picture you posted
 

dingusbird

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Apr 17, 2012
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Havent tried that, how fast can it get clogged up? my laptop is almost new, where can you buy the compressed air can? thanks

All of the actual laptop cooling pads had the fans on the bottom. so I figure I should place it at the bottom, should I point it blowing up towards the laptop or blowing down?
 

gregck

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Jul 5, 2011
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If it's almost new, there is not a lot of dust most likely, unless you have a shitload of pets. You can buy compressed air cans anywhere, walmart, target, amazon, newegg etc etc. Here's one: http://www.amazon.com/Memorex-10OZ-152A-DUSTER-32028021/dp/B0007YZTSC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334714546&sr=8-3

But you probably don't need it.

As suggested earlier you should probably buy a laptop chill mat. should be able to pick up something decent for under $50 USD. Heres one: http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Notepal-Notebook-R9-NBC-4WAK-GP/dp/B002MU1ZRS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334714630&sr=8-2

It's mostly just elevating your laptop so it can get airflow underneath it. That's important.
 

dudewitbow

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Apr 11, 2012
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you can find compressed air cans in almost any general store that sells computer parts/cds in some way. stores like walgreens, radio shack or any computer related store should have them
 

dingusbird

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Apr 17, 2012
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Ok thanks everyone, I put the fan on the bottom of the laptop pointing up, now the underside of laptop doesnt feel hot at all , but I got one of those temperature monitoring programs , (core temp and speedfan) and when playing a game from 2004 (counterstrike source) on lowest settings it will go as high as 175 F

its a 2430m i5 laptop with onboard video

Is this hot or am I just worrying for nothing?

The laptop is relatively new (1 month) so I hope the internal fan didn't quit on me already
 

RetiredChief

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Feb 22, 2007
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175 = approx 80 C.
Is that for one of the 2 cores? or is a gpu temp, or a system temp.
If it is just listed as CPU temp, then the CPU cores are higher.
Have an i5-2410M with a 540m video card samsung RF711 laptop, but left it at work so can not say what mine gets to. I'm not a gamer but can run furmark.

Not positive on max cpu temps for SB M processors is but for desktops they will start to throttle around 95 C and I try to keep my desktop i5 under 65 C when maxed out (ie running furmark).
 

ram1009

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Jun 28, 2007
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Position the fan to blow air where the laptop is hottest. No charge for that. :D
 

Unolocogringo

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Dec 31, 2007
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Personally i would put is where one side of the fan blows directly into the laptop intake fan. Wih the rest blowing on the bottom of the laptop.
If you have too much flow across the intake for the laptop is will decrease the flow of air in the laptop.
When the laptop fan is on its lowest setting it can pull air out of the intake fan causing no airflow.
 

dingusbird

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Apr 17, 2012
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Hmm on speedfan there are 4 temperature readings,

HD0: assuming this is HD around 90
Temp1: 174
Core 0: 154
and Core 1: 151

Also good to know about the intake getting less air with a extra fan, ill try to position it the best spot
 

RetiredChief

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Feb 22, 2007
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OK your CPU cores are 68 C (154 F), that is acceptable for under load.
NOT sure what temp1 174 F (80C), possible chipset or mosfet.
You indicated you have onboard video, is that the HD3000 iGPU or do you also have a dGPU such as 540M and if so what temp is that runing at.
 

dingusbird

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Apr 17, 2012
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I have the intel graphics, HD3000, that's all I know I just looked in device manager and manual and googled couldnt find any other info, I just know its intel not nvidia. Not sure where to find the temperature of the gpu..? I tried hardware monitor, speedfan, and core temp and I don't see any gpu sensor temperature
 

RetiredChief

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Feb 22, 2007
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OK, do not have a dGPU, just the iGPU (HD3000). There is no GPU temp as the GPU is inside the CPU.

Does your bios have a Health page where you can look at temps. This will be around idle, but you may be able to equate temp1 to a reading in the BIOS.
Could also try a diff program, I use HWMonitor.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Added:
Was just thinking.
Intel processors have (A) an imbeded senor for each core lcalled core 0, core 1 ect and (B) a Sensor located close to the top which is like an overall reading called CPU temp.
Normally the core temps are always higher than the "CPU" temp, BUT with SB CPUs this may NOT always be the case as you now have an embedded GPU unit that will generate Heat. so Temp1 may be the CPU temp and is being "Heated" now by bothe the indivdual processors and the iGPU. You might be able to check this by running Prime95 which should load the 2 cores, but NOT tax the iGPU. Monitor Temps closely as Prime95 will max out the CPU processors.

As to added cooling. I've seen some comments that indicate the "laptop Coolers" do not alway help alot. You really need to increase the airflow inside the laptop. Using a fan to aisst the exuast may help as long as it does not cause negative air pressure inside the laptop. But then laptops are not air tight and effectiveness would depend on how it effects the CPU HSF airflow and the temp of the air inside the laptop NEXT to the CPU. Best bet is to just try, (A) the Bottom fan then (B) a Small fan mounted on an exust port (normally on on each side) - Then pick which makes the most difference.
 
Solution

dingusbird

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Apr 17, 2012
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Thanks for the info I bet youre right about the CPU overall reading being temp1 and the GPU is heating that up becuase I ran prime95
and temp1 only went as high as the cores did, now when I played the game temp1 went higher than the cores, ( i guess from GPU heating it up)

now the highest I seen with the fan was 160 so I think im in the same zone now! thanks for all the great help