QuadCooler News: March 2009

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Never Place a Laptop on Carpet

QuadCooler Public Service Announcement: Even if you don't buy a QuadCooler, we recommend that you at least put some type of hard, flat surface between you and your laptop. Do your part: Please help educate other laptop users about the type of surfaces that are compatible with laptop computers. If you DO NOT know the proper way to operate a laptop, please scroll down and learn what type of surfaces are NOT compatible with the bottom of a laptop computer.

Is Carpet bad for Laptops?
I would recommend that you never place a laptop on carpet. If you only place it there for a couple of minutes, then that shouldn't be a problem. However, if you sit there and work on your computer for over 5 minutes, then your laptop will probably start to overheat. The reason is because carpet fills the air gap as it conforms to the shape of the bottom of the laptop. Therefore, it will block the flow of warm air trying to escape from the laptop's cooling system. And to make matters worse, the carpet acts like an insulator and bounces the heat back into the laptop. As you know, I always recommend a laptop cooler for any laptop, but even if you don't purchase a laptop cooler, please at least refrain from subjecting your expensive laptop to carpet-heat-torture-chamber.

Never place a laptop on carpet
I would recommend that you never place a laptop on carpet. If you only place it there for a couple of minutes, then that shouldn't be a problem. However, if you sit there and work on your computer for over 5 minutes, then your laptop will probably overheat. The reason is because carpet fills the air gap as it conforms to the shape of the laptop. Therefore, it will block the flow of warm air trying to escape from the laptop's cooling system. And to make matters worse, the carpet acts like an insulator and bounces the heat back into the laptop. As you know, I always recommend a laptop cooler for any laptop, but even if you don't purchase a laptop cooler, please at least refrain from subjecting your expensive laptop to carpet-heat-torture-chamber.

Other Side Effects Include...
Other side effects of Carpet include static electricity. Since a laptop computer contains many delicate electronic components, static electricity can be as deadly to a laptop as heat. In addition, the carpet may be full of dirt, dust, or lint that may further clog your laptop.

Blankets, Pillows, and Cushions...
What about Blankets and Pillows? - The same principles about carpet being bad for laptops also applies to blankets, pillows, cushions, or any other type of soft material. These type of soft form fitting surfaces are just not compatible with the cooling system on a typical laptop computer. The general rule is to try to always place a laptop or notebook computer on a hard, flat surface. If you're a "Bed Surfer" then you better check this out: Bed Surfing Information Page.

More Information:
Why Do Laptops Get Hot? - What is a Laptop Cooler? - What is Toasted Skin Syndrome?

News Reports on Toasted Skin Syndrome - Images of Laptops on Carpet

2011 QuadCooler.com - QuadCooler Information Series - Learn More About Laptops

Saturday, March 14, 2009

How a laptop cooler works

Updated 6/27/11 - Diagram of a laptop computer sitting on top of a typical laptop cooler

How exactly does a laptop cooler work?
Well, it's actually pretty simple. The first step a laptop cooler does is to provide an air gap between the laptop and the cooler. This helps the internal cooling system of the laptop to function better. Every laptop comes with its own cooling system that usually consists of a fan and some air ducts. It is critical for the laptop to have an air gap below the cooling system in order to dump all the hot air out and away from the computer. The second step a laptop cooler performs is the function of creating its own air flow to help the internal fans get rid of even more hot air. The cooler fans are usually powered by either an AC adapter or by the laptop via a special USB cable.

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2011 QuadCooler.com - How a Laptop Cooler Works - QuadCooler Information Series

RADIATOR FOR LAPTOP?

Cars and Laptops are similar in the fact that they both generate lots of HEAT. With the automobile you want the engine to be warm, but not overly hot. However, in the case of the laptop computer, you strictly want the temperature to be as low as possible. In other words, you never want to "warm up" a laptop the way you would warm up a car. Computers actually run faster at lower temperatures. The main purpose of a laptop cooler is to protect you and the delicate components of your laptop from the dangers of heat, but a side benefit is that it could theoretically give you a tiny boost of computer performance.

What is QuadCooler TV?

ANSWER:

We obviously want to sell you a laptop cooler, but there are some things you can check out to keep your laptop from overheating. Keep in mind that most laptops run pretty warm, but when the laptop starts locking up then you either have a broken laptop or you are not operating the laptop correctly. The first thing I would like to point out is that a laptop is designed to sit on a flat surface. Even though it is called a "LAP-TOP", the soft curves of your lap (legs) is not the best surface for your laptop. The reason is because the laptop needs to have a little gap of air underneath it so that warm air can escape to the surrounding atmosphere. Even worse than your laptop is carpet or thick comforter in your bed, because the laptop will literally sink into the carpet or blanket and completely block the air flow. If you are going to be lying in your bed with laptop I would recommend you place something big and flat beneath your laptop like for example a large book. Of course the QuadCooler works much better than a book, because it's light weight and it's made of plastic which insulates you from the hot laptop. Ok, the next thing I would check is the internal fan or fans on your laptop computer. The easiest way to test it is to wait until the laptop gets warm and then turn it upside down and look at the fan. If the fan is not turning you may have a bad fan or a loose connection. I would recommend that you call a local computer technician to take a look at your laptop. If the internal fan is not working, then your laptop may have too much of a heat problem for even the QuadCooler to handle.

ANSWER:

Yes that makes sense. The QuadCooler will still help your laptop even if the fans are pulling air in different directions. However, it does make sense that the QuadCooler should work better if it is pushing air in the same direction as your laptop. To find out whether your laptop is a "sucker" or a "blower" you should give it the "Toilet Paper" test. Simply get one square of toilet paper and place it over the fan on your laptop. If the square blows off then you've got a blower. If the square gets sucked onto the grill of the fan then you've got a sucker. In theory the QuadCooler works best with "blower" type laptop fan. I hope this answers your question.