DSmithZ28

Okay, so I'm a nOObie to laptops. I've had my Axims for the last three years and never needed one. Well, my job has saw fit to issue me a hand-me-down Dell Inspiron 8600 so I could work more overtime from home. After cleaning all of the file folders of junk out of it from it's former user, I noticed that the fan would run more frequently than I thought it should. So another co-worker suggested cleaning it with bottled air and several "puffs" of dust came out each time. Since then, the fan has come on a lot less. I would have never thought it because none of the dust was visable like on a desktop which the fans run all the time anyway.

More than likely everyone already knows this, but in case there are nOObies out there like me, just get some AIR!

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RICOUK

A can of air does wonders to any computer, I regualrly take the fan of my heatsink and fine crap loads of dust, that tends to increase the temperature quite a lot, after cleaning it is faster again.

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DSmithZ28

I clean my desktop out regularly mainly because I can see it build up. With a laptop, it is much harder to spot.

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RICOUK

Laptops are also a confined space and so it is easier for dust to settle and build up, PCs dust build is only really the fans.

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rogue9

This is always an option too
The ChillMat

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Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts.

DSmithZ28

Originally Posted by Rogue9

This is always an option too The ChillMat

I bought one of those as well for use at the house when my docking bay is at work.

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rogue9

Yeah, it's great to keep the Gin/tonic cool while I game!!!

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Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts.

DavesPPC

Good advice about cooling (specifically cleaning the fans).
I really need to clean my laptop out...it's been two years without a cleaning.

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Justin Noland

Yeah, thing with dust is that heat builds up in it, and can cause systems to slow down. I run a computer servicing/building company (we're an N-F-P charity) and I handle dozens of systems. You should have seen this system I got a couple of months ago, man I wish I would have taken photos. It was this old 95 box this lady wanted repaired, and I swear she must've chain smoked like 3 packs a day. Anyways, my boss and I crack the case and inside is seriously, 1-1.5 INCHES of THICK yellowish brown dust from the crap in all of her cigarrettes!!!!! GROSSEST THING EVER! Needless to say, I never bothered to repair that system.

dkong

Originally Posted by Rogue9

This is always an option too The ChillMat

I'll vouch for the Targus chillmat, I use one with my HP DV1170 and it works great! By nature laptops run hot, there is only so much space and many don't come with built-in fans. Even those with fans not only run hot, but are noisy to boot.

I've owned and used laptops since the days of the 386 processor and Windows 3.0, heat has always been a problem and the Chill Mat is one of the best solutions I've seen.

DAVID