[NTLUG:Discuss] OT: Laptop cooling pad?

[Fred James]

Dennis Daupert wrote:
> I recently bought a Strata 3663 laptop from zareason. So for, it works great. 
>
> I bought a Targus Chill Hub XC laptop cooling "pad" to sit under the Strata. This is the first time I've gotten into the chill world. 
>
> Here's my question: The pad's chill fans blow upwards, towards the laptop. Doesn't that work _against_ the laptop's fan, which is trying to blow air downwards? I didn't actually take high school physics, so maybe I just don't understand such deep things, but to my layman's mind, this just seems wrong. 
>
> What do you guys do to chill your machines?
>
> /dennis
>   
Dennis Daupert
A read of the spec sheet 
<http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.aspx?sku=AWE01US1> suggest 
that the primary function of the device might be to protect the work 
surface (desk or lap) from heat damage, with cooling the laptop as a 
secondary function.

But more to the point ... "Doesn't that work _against_ the laptop's 
fan"? ... actually, yes, but not having seen the actual device in 
operation I couldn't suggest whether that was material, and should have 
to ask ...
    where is/are the fan/s in the device located, and what is the air 
flow like, especially in you particular areas of concern?  That is, is 
there a strong push from the device in direct opposition to any fan/s in 
your laptop?
    from the photos of the device, one might think that once the laptop 
was placed on top of it, the primary air flow would follow the slots and 
exit at the sides - is that anywhere near true?

Additionally, a major concern in prolonging the life of a laptop is 
dust, because dust entering the laptop can exacerbate the cooling 
problem.  So my next question might be, to what extent could this device 
increase the flow of dust into the laptop?

What do I do ... I use a couple of small wooden blocks (each has an 
right triangular cross section, about 1+ inch on each side, and a length 
of about 2 inches), putting one under each of the back corners of the 
laptop.  This forms a wedge shaped air space under the machine to (a) 
allow better air flow, and (b) tilt keyboard to a somewhat more 
comfortable angle.  Why that shape? - they were the corner braces for a 
box of fruit once purchased.
Hope that helps
Regards
Fred James