mbp cooling stand...a must have??

[Darkenvamp]

so im getting my mbp pretty soon,and hear about everyone saying that it runs like really HOT!!!
so shall i get one of those pads with fans in them??

and if so,whats better...aluminuim pad with 2 fans//or plastic with 3 fans??

and btw im going to use it alot on my lap..is it ok to put the mbp with the pad on my lap??

 

[MacPossum]

I use my MBP on my lap and it doesn't get hot enough to bother me. Though, when I use it on my lap it's mainly just for safari/mail/ichat. If I am actually doing something that requires full attention, I'm always sitting down with it somewhere.

 

[katorga]

L A P top

I use my MBP on my lap with no issues, but usually it is just basic work; with occasional mac ports compiles or a VMware session running.

For really big things such as gaming or really big compiles I am generally sitting at my desk with the MBP on an old iCurve stand. This provides ok ventilation but I really use it to keep the screen at eye level.

 

[Darkenvamp]

well i been thinking that a hot laptop isnt a good idea >_>
and a cooling pad would keep it cold all the time and would let me put it on my lap while using it on the couch downstairs..

 

[NickD]

If you feel it's necessary, an iLap would be what you're looking for. You can use it on your lap or at your desk.

NickD

 

[Darkenvamp]

If you feel it's necessary, an iLap would be what you're looking for. You can use it on your lap or at your desk.

NickD

it doesnt have any fans..wouldn't make a big difference.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I do have a new Macbook Pro and I can say it really really depends on the task it works on. For standard work like surfing or email or text it doesn't get very hot. But it can. Really depends on what you are doing. In fact the upperside gets soo hot that my wife thinks Apple shipped us a Prototype.

I would get the mStand. I like it the best. You cannot use it on your lap but with external keyboard and mouse and if you like an external screen.

 

[Darkenvamp]

I do have a new Macbook Pro and I can say it really really depends on the task it works on. For standard work like surfing or email or text it doesn't get very hot. But it can. Really depends on what you are doing. In fact the upperside gets soo hot that my wife thinks Apple shipped us a Prototype.

I would get the mStand. I like it the best. You cannot use it on your lap but with external keyboard and mouse and if you like an external screen.

yah well i would want my mbp cold all the time..i hate prototypes XD..
and about the mstand thing..i dont like using an external keyboard..the mbp's keyboard feels awesome and lights up in the dark =D...and its a laptop..using an external screen,keyboard,mouse and monitor makes it a desktop.

 

[Boxcar Edit]

My 17" MBP C2D gets hot, way too hot to for a lap after 20-30 mins. of use (I do use quite a few apps at once with some processor intensive tasks).

I've gotten by with putting a large, soft-cover book (about 1/2 inch thick) between the computer and the top of my legs, turning the book to a cooler surface every 30 minutes or so. This seems to work and keeps the fans from spinning much. Not fancy, but it works and is at least sortof portable.

In general, the MBP wants a flat surface that will accept some of the heat. Fuzzy blanket, no. Flat comforter, sortof. Desktop, yes, though even there mine wants to be moved a few inches once in a while to find a cooler location.

In my non-scientific comparisons at an Apple store, I did find the 15" MBP to run a bit cooler than the 17"s (just feel the bottom of the ones sitting on display). If yours is a 15" you might have less need for a cooling stand.

It seems like most of the work to at least avoid overheating is accomplished by a flat, semi-thick surface, so most of the laptop cooling devices will help if they at least have that. I'm guessing the extra fans will be nice and might keep the processor temp down even lower.

 

[killerrobot]

I would never suggest using it on your lap, because as soon as it fries Apple will tell you they call it a NOTEbook (MACbook) for a reason, not a LAPtop.

Do a search in the forums for cooling stands because I´ve across several with the topic lately and there are great suggestions in all of them.

 

[Darkenvamp]

My 17" MBP C2D gets hot, way too hot to for a lap after 20-30 mins. of use (I do use quite a few apps at once with some processor intensive tasks).

I've gotten by with putting a large, soft-cover book (about 1/2 inch thick) between the computer and the top of my legs, turning the book to a cooler surface every 30 minutes or so. This seems to work and keeps the fans from spinning much. Not fancy, but it works and is at least sortof portable.

In general, the MBP wants a flat surface that will accept some of the heat. Fuzzy blanket, no. Flat comforter, sortof. Desktop, yes, though even there mine wants to be moved a few inches once in a while to find a cooler location.

In my non-scientific comparisons at an Apple store, I did find the 15" MBP to run a bit cooler than the 17"s (just feel the bottom of the ones sitting on display). If yours is a 15" you might have less need for a cooling stand.

It seems like most of the work to at least avoid overheating is accomplished by a flat, semi-thick surface, so most of the laptop cooling devices will help if they at least have that. I'm guessing the extra fans will be nice and might keep the processor temp down even lower.

well yup thats what i been thinking of the cooling pad..the one i saw and liked got 2 very quite silent fans with extra powered usb..so the 15'' mbp would be very cold all the time..and i think i would be able to use it on my lap .

I would never suggest using it on your lap, because as soon as it fries Apple will tell you they call it a NOTEbook (MACbook) for a reason, not a LAPtop.
Do a search in the forums for cooling stands because I´ve across several with the topic lately and there are great suggestions in all of them.

i would never use a 'laptop' or 'notebook' on my lap with nothing under it..it hurts your legs and it damages it's fans which cool down the mother board and the CPU!! so even if apple call it a 'laptop' i still wouldnt use it on my lap directly XD.

 

[Aea]

There's a site, http://www.intelmactemp.com/list , which has a list of all the intel macs and users can report what temperature they get, so they're not *extremely* high.

Mine runs between 40-55C under moderate work load, if I play HL2 on the most complete maximum settings and then boot into OSX (about a minute delay here) I get about 60-65C. Out of pure interest I managed to get it down to 32C once by forgetting to reset the fan settings after having them run at 6K RPM.

 

[Gosh]

Personally I use a laptop protector (there are lots on the market) Podium Coopad http://www.roadtools.com/

The important thing is getting an air gap between the base of the laptop and your legs or another surface (I don't find books or pillows effective). This Podium Coolpad is small enough to carry around but just big enough to balance on my lap.

I also use Fan Control http://www.lobotomo.com/products/FanControl/
this basically allows me to choose to run the fans just a little bit faster (still barely audible) but seems to keep on top of the temperature better.

I could use my MB C2D all day on my lap without the fans ramping up or any discomfort at all. Try the first suggestion and then consider if you need the second!

 

[MikeyTree]

it doesnt have any fans..wouldn't make a big difference.

It's made of aluminum, which turns it into a heat sink. If you're using it on your lap it also keeps the MBP elevated, allowing air to circulate around it and keeping it away from your warm insulating body.

That's the same reason why MBPs feel so much hotter than plastic laptops. The who case acts as one big heat sink, drawing heat from the insides and radiating it into the outside world. Plastic doesn't conducts heat well, so all the heat is trapped inside.

 

[klharper]

Haha... I really dont see the point in these products, when its so easy to do something makeshift of your own rather than spend upwards of $50. The only justification I see is if you're truly doing some intense computing in your lap all the time.. but I can't imagine that applying to a large population. If occasional lap work is really unbearable, just build something quick out of household items you'd never use anyways, or if you're really concerned, open it up and fix the thermal paste on your board, can make a difference of up to 15 degrees C.

My personal plan (moving into a dorm with no AC - but in a cool environment anyhow with freezing winters): Stack of books (gotta store them somewhere), cooling rack on top of the books (the kind you use for baking and such), I'll have a small fan in the room anywho, and so point that at the 'book if needed. I don't forsee too many problems.

To sum up - my stance right now is no until such a product becomes <$20. Then sure it might be worth it, depending on your needs of course.

 

[texkev73]

Fan for MBP

I have a 15 inch MBP and I also have a fan that I use on it. Im working in Baghdad and my book never gets hot with it. I have gotten fans for my wives PowerBook G4 and she loves it. It is worth it, if anything just that little piece of mind.

 

[tmoney468]

I use Thermaltake's iXoft with my MBP all the time, whether I'm in the office or lounging on my couch. Either way, it does a great job of distributing the heat and keeps your legs from getting hot and sweaty when you're using it on your lap. Best of all it doesn't require a power connector or anything, and it's completely portable so you can take it anywhere

 

[Darkenvamp]

I use Thermaltake's iXoft with my MBP all the time, whether I'm in the office or lounging on my couch. Either way, it does a great job of distributing the heat and keeps your legs from getting hot and sweaty when you're using it on your lap. Best of all it doesn't require a power connector or anything, and it's completely portable so you can take it anywhere

exciting,but how would a little cheap peice of cloth cool down my mbp?!

 

[queshy]

all laptops I've used get hot when used on a laptop...the optimal location to use a laptop is on a sturdy table - not on a matress, not on your lap, etc (even tho they are called laptops). my mbp heats up but I never worry about the laptop or getting burned...it's normal, but usually my mbp is cool to the touch. it gets hot when doing processor intensive stuff.right now my highest temperature is the gpu diode at 47.

 

[Makosuke]

I have a first-gen 17", and that can get pretty damn hot on the underside when I'm doing serious work--definitely not on-lap comfort.

My solution is the same as Gosh's, though; I just use SMC Fan Control to ramp the fans way up. Sure, it's a bit noisy, but it's not an annoying pitch, and it keeps it cool enough to use even on bare legs. I've found that 3000RPM is nearly silent and enough cooling for basic surfing and such, but I generally crank it up to 5K if I'm pushing the thing and don't feel like sterilizing myself. It's moderately noisy, but worth it to kick back on the couch.

 

[tmoney468]

exciting,but how would a little cheap peice of cloth cool down my mbp?!

Did you even google the product before you posted? First off, it's not a cheap piece of cloth. It's basically a pad that is filled with a material that turns to liquid when your laptop heats up. It dissipates the heat from the laptop and thus cools it off, transferring heat from the hot spots to the colder spots. But I guess you already took the time to see what the product actually was right?

 

[Darkenvamp]

Did you even google the product before you posted? First off, it's not a cheap piece of cloth. It's basically a pad that is filled with a material that turns to liquid when your laptop heats up. It dissipates the heat from the laptop and thus cools it off, transferring heat from the hot spots to the colder spots. But I guess you already took the time to see what the product actually was right?

i really looked at the product's page and it looked like a little towel haha XD..
but well from what you explained..i think its sounds like a good solution and very portable.