Keep laptop open for cooling?

**AqD** · July 16, 2012, 09:02 PM

Hello guys!

Last night my gaming laptop overheated again, and during cleanup in the morning I noticed there was a lot of dust in the air pipe, and with case closed the fan and the air pipe are the only things to prevent it from burning (GPU ~100C at boot with fan down)!

Since I don't need the monitor and the CD drive which is going to be replaced by 2nd HD, maybe it would help if I put the laptop upside-down and keep the case open, letting air conditioner help cooling?

Would it cause any bad effect? Anything I should worry?

**karamazovmm** · July 16, 2012, 11:58 PM

it will increase the risk of accidental damage problems, but it shouldnt affect adversely.

The best thing would be to clean periodically your fans, specially the heatsink assembly, where the fan connect to the small fins

**Timefool** · July 17, 2012, 12:12 AM

Most dust will accumulate on the bottom, and if thats where it cools from, it could hurt in the long run.

**Heinz Guderian** · July 17, 2012, 01:24 AM

If its out of warranty, i would open it up and clean the fan and surrounding area. you'll find all sorts of crap stuck in their, dust, crumbs, pubic hair. i regularly clean out my laptop once every six months and the heating problem goes away. also, there are laptop cooling pads you can buy from places like Poundland. they can really help. also, there is software you can download to see how hot shiz is getting. also, make sure there is a clean line of sight for air to get into the laptop and out again, things like bed covers really heat a laptop up.

**AqD** · July 17, 2012, 05:45 AM

My friend help me to cleanup and re-paste the thermal compound. Everything is fine now! The GPU temperature stopped at 80C at full speed in TATW, no more need to keep case open!

Thank you all!

**paradamed** · July 17, 2012, 10:16 AM

I agree with Heinz, cooling pads can really help and they are not that expensive.

**AqD** · July 17, 2012, 10:37 AM

@paradamed: I had a cooling pad under the laptop, but it seems to help nothing. Unlike the Dell models, heat from the ASUS laptop cannot escape from the bottom at all. It remained cool even when the GPU went to 120C.

So I gave up.. Put it on a metal speaker foot now.

**karamazovmm** · July 17, 2012, 10:45 AM

what asus do you have?

**AqD** · July 17, 2012, 11:04 AM

@mm: N81VP. The bottom is plastic.

**karamazovmm** · July 17, 2012, 12:14 PM

the N series havent been notable for their cooling prowess...

AFAIK there isnt a problem with your notebook regarding the cooling, the only problem would be the dust, so always clean it up. There isnt much more that you can do.

You could grab a cooler, I recommend the coolermaster U2, I dont think that the U3 would be that comfortable.