Laptop Cooling

At home, I'm running a huge 17" HP DV9000 series laptop. I'll call it a laptop because we really do use it on our laps (laptops are now more referred to as notebooks now). The machine is a beast and it heats up like crazy to the point that it is barely bearable. So I decided to invest in a chill pad. This has two goals. The first is saving my legs/groin from burning(!) and since reading recent articles that laptop heat can damage your skin I've become somewhat conscious of this. The second is improving the laptop's life expectancy.

Heat is not good for electronics. I remember knowing people in college that would have a setup that would remind me of a car's cooling system. It was close to putting the computer in a freezer! Now you have fans on everything, laptops included. The problem is the fans are underneath and if you're on a bed or a couch or your lap, the fabric will block out the fans and they will be completely useless. Enter the chill pad. The chill pad will help with circulating air beneath your laptop and push it to the sides (if it was conceived properly). Some don't have fans and I've never used one myself so I'm not sure how well they perform. I initially was looking at one without a fan but after reading up on it, I convinced myself that I'd rather have something that really works.

One thing I remember is more cooling is better so I opted for a dual-fan equipped one. You plug the pad in a usb port and voilĂ , instant airflow. I have to give props to a DIY solution I saw on seen here. It would not work on laps, but it looks pretty cool and must be cheaper to build than to actually buy something.

I chose the Targus Chill Mat. It had good reviews and it was the right size for my 17" laptop. I have not tried it yet. If I'm not happy with it, I'll update this space. I noticed that some other models had a fan in the middle and would just push the air "down" with no space between the pad and your lap. I don't see how that would be very efficient. I liked that this model allowed a good deal of space beneath the fans and a good keyboard positioning when typing. It's also very light and not "ugly" (minor factor, but still...)

Lets find out if this thing keeps the hardware cool!

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