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    Suggest a decent cooling pad for Dell XPS 15

    Discussion in 'Accessories' started by mikolajek, Mar 8, 2018.

  1. mikolajek

    mikolajek Notebook Enthusiast

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    Since I've attached the TB16 to my XPS 9550, the trio of CPU + GPU + TB chip is producing enough heat to have my fans making me mad (and I'm not a gamer!).

    Thus I'm looking for some cooling solution to fight it. The issue I see is that XPS' air vents are located at the bottom, so any classical pad that blows the air into laptop bottom, won't work here and may actually do more harm than good.

    Most likely some sort of air sucking solution would fit better, but I can't find any...
     
    mikolajek, Mar 8, 2018
    #1
  2. don_svetlio

    don_svetlio In the Pipe, Five by Five.

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    You're pretty much wrong on all fronts

    The air vents being on the bottom means a traditional cooling pad is the best solution, though that will likely cause more noise since you are just adding fans. It will likely decrease thermals by about 5-6*C

    An air-siphoning solution is not only impossible to use due to the position of the exhaust near the hinge but also those solutions do not work.

    The best solution is a cooling mod like this one: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/14875-fix-throttling-xps-15/
     
    don_svetlio, Mar 8, 2018
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  3. mikolajek

    mikolajek Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi there, I've already undervolted my XPS and also changed the cooling mode into passive. Still, it's pretty loud I'm afraid... That's why I'm looking for some supporting solution.
     
    mikolajek, Mar 9, 2018
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  4. don_svetlio

    don_svetlio In the Pipe, Five by Five.

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    There's no real way to decrease noise - a cooling pad always results in an increase in noise since you are adding 1-3 more fans. The pads are intended to reduce thermals at the cost of more noise.
     
    don_svetlio, Mar 9, 2018
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  5. mikolajek

    mikolajek Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yeah, I've read multiple times that for XPS devices noise is a real problem, as they are not masters of air circulation (which is clear given their construction).
    I was hoping some hot air sucking may actually improve cooling, but...
     
    mikolajek, Mar 9, 2018
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  6. don_svetlio

    don_svetlio In the Pipe, Five by Five.

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    The devices that are placed on the vents to siphon air from the heatsink are

    1 - very noisy due to the radial fan
    2 - useless because they don't really add any airflow to the equation
     
    don_svetlio, Mar 9, 2018
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  7. Reciever

    Reciever D! For Dragon!

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    Only thing I see thats worth it is a Coolmaster U2/U3 with 2-3x 120mm fans powered externally
     
    Reciever, Mar 11, 2018
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  8. mikolajek

    mikolajek Notebook Enthusiast

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    Well for me it looks that any quiet cooler that allows for discretional arranging its fans, will do the job. That way I could blow the air into hot places and not to interfere with the laptop coolers blowing the air out of the case.
    On the other hand a few Reddit users have suggested Zalman NC 3500, which I like very much. The only (and major) disadvantage is that I can't hunt it in literally any Europen web store. And in fact CoolerMaster U3 is listed at their site as discontinued as well... :(
     
    mikolajek, Mar 12, 2018
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  9. Papusan

    Papusan Jokebook's Sucks! Dont waste your $$$ on Filthy

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    Tested Zalman NC 3500 a few years ago. Save your money. Go for the CoolerMaster U2/3. And replace the original fans with 12v fans. U2 is probably big enough. Or just skip the idea and rather use a couple of Coke bottle caps.
     
    Papusan, Mar 12, 2018
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  10. boricuafly

    boricuafly Notebook Consultant

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    Cooler Master NotePal U3 PLUS it has 3 movable fans. Well worth it
     
    boricuafly, May 25, 2018
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