Notebook coolers - still worth it?

I've rested my old laptop on my lap without a cooler for all 4 years that I've owned it and it hasn't had any problems, but I was told by a friend that I was probably causing it to get hot and suffer internal damage. Sounds crazy to me, but since I'm about to get a new laptop, should I consider one since it might extend the life performance of it? It's going to be a 12" MSI 1223 with a P8600. Since it's a lower voltage CPU I don't feel like it will fare worth than my current AMD ML-30.

 

Notebooks are designed to be used without a cooler, so it's purely optional. Keep the vents unobstructed and a properly designed laptop will have no trouble cooling itself.

 

I am not really sure if a cooler is worth it or not. I think it can depend on the specific laptop you have. Some have great cooling(based on the heatsink(material and type), the way internal components are layed out etc) and and others not so much and get very hot. I am not getting a cooler for my laptop personally, the machine seems to stay cool with all my uses. The primary thing to remember is to make sure that wherever you use your laptop(lap, bed, table) make sure the air vents where it exhausts the hot are are unobstructed.

 

i guess it really comes down to personal preference and how hard do u use yur notebook?

a small notebook with an efficient processor and integrated GPU will run alot cooler. if u just use yur notebook for general/light use, then u should be fine. if u are doin lots of gaming and/or use alot of graphic intense programs. a cooler could be a nice accessory and a cheap "insurance".

coolers are usually designed to make the notebook sit at an angle. this adds much typing comfort and raises the screen closer to eye level. this is really important for people that use their notebooks for long hours.

 

use speedfan to monitor your temps, if its below the thermal spec then you're fine. CPUs are designed to take YEARS of heat up to their rated temperature.

i'm using my P8600 CPU laptop on a leather sofa and the temps stay in the 30s

 

I personally think a laptop cooler is the best insurance you can get for a laptop.

Sure you may be running under threshold temperatures.. but truth is the cooler your components are running, the less stress you are putting on them, and the more life you will get out of them.

This may not be as big of a deal for a mainstream computer, but for anything pushing a fast processor or a good video card.. I think its HUGE.

Even if its something as minuscule as less heat being put on a GPU fan bearing... one that could easily go out before the GPU itself goes... Obviously thats quite abstract but you get the point.. even something minor that could possibly go wrong in the future may live for a few more weeks or months from buying a good laptop cooler.

Just my opinion..

 

I just used compressed air on my DV6000 a few days ago and so much caked dust came out, it was ridiculous. Since, I can actually feel how much cooler my laptop is. I would suggest that before a cooler.

 

True, that. I'd also like to just bring up that it can't do any harm, expecially if you're overclocking, and therefore producing a little more heat than the laptop's designed for.

 

Depends a lot on the design of your laptop's intake vents too. My laptop just has tiny slits so a fat lot of good the NC 2000 is doing for it.

Really, its the elevated keyboard that's what's so great. Can't live without it now. Feel free to look into cheaper passive elevated coolers.