Cooling pad for 13" MBP

[wreckedum]

I've had my MBP for a couple of months now, and I was thinking about getting a cooling pad. I've heard of the casing getting warped, eventually and I'd prefer if that doesn't happen to mine. Does anyone have any suggestions? It seems like a lot would be kind of pointless, but maybe I'm just not seeing it. Thanks in advance, if anyone reads this

 

[Young Spade]

It is pointless.

Think about it.

 

[miles01110]

Cooling pads are wastes of money. Use a magazine or a pillow if it's uncomfortable on your lap.

 

[Macman45]

Waste Of Cash

I use mine on a table or on a laptop tray if in bed. It has the speck clear all round case on it, and only ever gets warm. Never had it heat up badly at all, and that case will retain heat anyway.

Just enjoy it, you don't need a pad.

 

[shardey]

Get a laptop pad. Fans are unnecessary for macbook pros.

 

[no3tic888]

Cooling pads are wastes of money. Use a magazine or a pillow if it's uncomfortable on your lap.

A magazine or pillow is going to retain heat. I don't think you want to do that. I use one of these:

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/notebook-products/cooling-pads/devices/6073

 

[TheJing]

I used a laptop cooler with a fan and everything that I had for my Dell (that would shut down because of over heating if I didn't) on my Macbook Pro and it made no difference at all.

 

[GuitarG20]

I used a laptop cooler with a fan and everything that I had for my Dell (that would shut down because of over heating if I didn't) on my Macbook Pro and it made no difference at all.

that's because the MBP pushes air out the hinges. any fans on the bottom won't help at all.

 

[TheJing]

that's because the MBP pushes air out the hinges. any fans on the bottom won't help at all.

Yea, I know. So the point is, get something that sort of elevates the computer and leaves air under and behind it, not a pillow or anything soft.

 

[happle]

technically a fan on the bottom would help a little bit, whether its noticeable or not. if you argue this then i guess you argue the fact that heat sinks in general dont work. because clearly heat is dissipating through the metal casing on the bottom. and blowing this hot air away and cooling the bottom will in return lower the overall temps. it might not be noticeable depending on how much air your actually pushing through and if the room temperature air is cold enough etc. but yeah a laptop cooler isnt going to do as much on a macbook but iv used a fan pointed at mine before and it did keep the temperatures a tad lower so...

 

[fisherking]

the tarsus chillhub XC is pretty nice; i got an AC adaptor for it, so it gets it's power for the fan from AC; AND it's a powered usb hub (4 ports, so....3 after the one on my mac for the stand itself). decent enough, and the hub is a great addition.

 

[happle]

yeah if you ever get a usb powered laptop cooler make sure you use it with a powered hub so the fan does not take your MBP's power.

 

[Mojo1]

I have used a Road Tools Traveler for years and I really like it. The Traveler allows air to circulate under the computer while only raising it a fraction of an inch. My current 13" MBP is the coolest portable Mac I have owned but I didn't get the Traveler for cooling anyway... I got it because it is slightly tilted (nice for typing...) and pivots 360 degrees, which is very handy when sharing the display with another person. It also easily fits in a bag.

$19.95 at Staples. http://roadtools.com/product.html

 

[miles01110]

A magazine or pillow is going to retain heat. I don't think you want to do that.

It is a nonissue. The primary ventilation is through the rear vent; as long as that is uncovered you could put a layer of aerogel under it and it wouldn't matter at all.

Cooling pads are for the uninformed.

 

[TheJing]

It is a nonissue. The primary ventilation is through the rear vent; as long as that is uncovered you could put a layer of aerogel under it and it wouldn't matter at all.

Cooling pads are for the uninformed.

If you use a hard pillow it's not an issue. But pillows tend to be soft and the computer "sinks" in it and therefore blocks the rear vent.

 

[HellDiverUK]

But pillows tend to be soft and the computer "sinks" in it and therefore blocks the rear vent.

The pillow would need to cover the screen to block a MBP vent.

 

[TheJing]

The pillow would need to cover the screen to block a MBP vent.

Then why does my MBP get hotter on my bed than on my desk? Take your time.

This is taken from Apple's website. Either you are wrong or they are...

"Important: Do not place your MacBook Pro on a pillow or other soft material when it's powered on, as the material can block the airflow vents (in particular, the rear vents) and cause the computer to overheat."

 

[GuitarG20]

The pillow would need to cover the screen to block a MBP vent.

false. the pillow on the bottom (when it is blocking vents) blocks approximately half of the MBP vent (or the area the exhaust goes, to be more precise), which causes a significant increase in temperature. For example: my MBP on my desk: 45C. On my bed for 15 minutes, doing the same thing: 59C.