Powerbook roasting with display attached?

[furrina]

I just got my new 20" Apple display last week.
I've hooked it up to my 15" 1.5 ghz PB and am running it in clamshell mode (lid closed) with bluetooth kb and mouse. I also plan on using both screens to use apps like FCP to keep tools on one screen and edit on the other, but mostly plan on using it in clamshell with the 20" as the only display.

I noticed over the weekend that with the monitor plugged in to it, my PB is very very HOT. It never usually gets this hot unless I am running really intensive apps on it. Both the display and the PB are plugged in to the wall (I read that the PB won't power the display if it's running on batteries). Am I using too much power, and am I going to fry or somehow overtax my poor computer? Help!

Also, I don't want to ruin my screen but the "optimized" setting in the system prefs has "never" selected for machine and display sleep. I have a screen saver set up to go on in about 15 minutes. Is this ok or am I ruining my display if I keep it on all the time?
What about turning "off" the display on the side button when I'm not going to be using it for a while. Is this a way to save my screen?

thanks for any advice.

 

[stoid]

Don't close the PowerBook. A lot of heat gets out through the keyboard and vents that are blocked when the book is closed. Leave it open and just turn the brightness all the way down.

 

[Macmaniac]

The best way to keep you book' cool is to elevate the back portion of your PB so that its elevated an inch or two. This allows air to circulate under it and should help keep it cool. If you want to turn off your display you can, that way you can save $4 a month on your electricity bill and use it to buy iTunes

 

[SolidGun]

I recently purchased the Targus Chill Pad....I didn't think too much of it at first and only wanted to give it a try since I had $20 gift certificate to BestBuy. I am amazed by how well the product actually works to draw heat away. I would never have listened to recommendation for this product if I didn't try it for myself, but now I can gladly recommend this product to other users.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1074788100200&skuId=6211752&type=product

 

[stoid]

Lightweight, portable chill pad keeps your notebook cool no matter how hot and heavy your workload gets.

hehehe, it says hot and heavy workload

how hot and heavy does your workload get?

 

[furrina]

Don't close the PowerBook. A lot of heat gets out through the keyboard and vents that are blocked when the book is closed. Leave it open and just turn the brightness all the way down.

Also I have a glass desk so absolutely no heat is absorbed. I guess I'd better try that, thanks!

It's just wierd that it wouldn't get hot at all when I didn't have the display hooked up unless I ran it for a long time and it wouldn't get hot at all in sleep mode, now it stays hot even when I'm not using it. I guess it's never really in sleep mode as long as the monitor's on?

 

[QCassidy352]

I have a 12" PB hooked up to a new 20" and my PB does run very hot. I keep it elevated, so that helps some. I also always put the 'book to sleep when not in use so it gets a chance to cool off. I don't think it's much to worry about though.

 

[Mord]

why not use it in extended desktop mode? it seems silly to waste all that screen space.