In need of a laptop cooler for my MBP

[xanis]

I have a previous-generation MBP. During games and work (when I have PS, Illustrator, InDesign, and more open) it gets HOT. smcFanControl pegs load temperatures at 170-180F.
I've upped the fan speeds and stuck some rolls of pennies under the back corners to give it a little more airflow, but this still seems hot to me.

Basically, I'm looking for a more portable (and permanent) cooling solution for my MBP. I remember looking back in April, but I couldn't find anything that I really liked. Here's my criteria... hopefully someone here can find something.

- small and thin
- preferably silver
- USB-powered
- 2+ fans
- can put it in my lap
- somewhat reasonably priced

This is probably a longshot, but whatever.

 

[TheBiggmann]

Idk if its exactly what you're looking for, but it works good. I bought a targus lap fan at officemax for like twenty bucks at office max. Usb powered, 2 fans, but its brown. Pretty thin, not any thicker than the notebook itself, probably equal to the keypad portion. Has hardly any draw on the battery, and keeps my main fans low when playing WoW, which was driving them pretty hard before.

 

[TheBiggmann]

Side note - i think belkin makes one in white that I recall seeing there. Haven't used it tho.

 

[Tweak155]

Originally posted by: TheBiggmann
Idk if its exactly what you're looking for, but it works good. I bought a targus lap fan at officemax for like twenty bucks at office max. Usb powered, 2 fans, but its brown. Pretty thin, not any thicker than the notebook itself, probably equal to the keypad portion. Has hardly any draw on the battery, and keeps my main fans low when playing WoW, which was driving them pretty hard before.

Did you buy it at office max?

 

[TheWart]

This isn't a recommendation for a laptop cooler (I do use a vantec one, but it seems to have less an effect on my new macbook pro than on my older asus laptop), but maybe you could try out CoolBook.

It is a $10 undervolting program, and it seems to have helped me out. I was able to undervolt from like 1.15v to 1.0 on the highest speed setting, and now when doing iChat video it only gets up to like 68C-70C whereas it got even higher before. If I enable SMCFanControl and bump it to like 2500rpm, then it goes even lower.

 

[TheBiggmann]

Yep, bought it at officemax for like $25, and I saw the other belkin one there that you might be interested in.

 

[TheBiggmann]

Yep, bought it at officemax for like $25, and I saw the other belkin one there that you might be interested in.

 

[xanis]

Thanks for the responses guys.

TheWart - Will undervolting reduce my performance at all, or will I not really notice any difference?

 

[TheWart]

Originally posted by: Xanis
Thanks for the responses guys.

TheWart - Will undervolting reduce my performance at all, or will I not really notice any difference?

Undervolting does not reduce performance in any way. The only downside to undervolting is that if you undervolt too much, then the processor might not get as much power as it needs, making the system freeze. If that happens, you can simply open the program and bump the voltage up a notch. There is no chance of permanent damage like can occur with overclocking.

 

[Tegeril]

nm