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Ghetto Laptop Cooler

After this thread, where I asked should I make a laptop cooler, I did as recommended – took it all to bits, cleaned everything and put the stuff back together where new heat transfer pasted was needed. It made no noticeable difference other than I must have bent my keyboard when putting the laptop back together as the keys F3, E, D and C do not work. Fuck it, I have a USB keyboard.

But today, the laptop decided it would rather be switched off. Twice. The time came for action. I had been planning on making something with MDF, but as my jigsaw is in my lockup a couple of miles away, I decided to make it with tape, cardboard and some case fans I had kicking around.

Power is supplied from a USB port – I chopped the lead from a mouse – it had 4 wires in it, guessed it was the black and red that carried power and so I could hook those to the power lead for the case fans.

I started off by drawing around the fans and cutting out of the box, leaving the corners in – you may be just able to see I have scored them so they will fold to fit and hold the fan.

I was going to use mechano to hold the fans, but the cardboard was rigid enough and then with the tape it was fine. I also taped all seams and edges so air would not be getting sucked / pushed from where it should not be.

The case fans had 3 wires going to a small block that an adapter connected two that gave 2 wires. With one of the case fans, I pulled the wires frmo the small block and manages to push them into the other block – so six wires where 3 were and I could power both fans.

I then cut a hole in one side of the box with the fans in – the opposite side and replicated those holes on a flat box tray.

The two boxes were then taped together and the power wires from the fans connected to the old USB mouse lead.

Computer is running about 20C lower now. It does look like an accident at a communist power station however.

Discuss http://www.totse.info/bbs/showthread.php?t=15639

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