Vibrations from a laptop cooler - impact on the hardware?

Hey guys, I've recently purchased a Schenker H507 (p650rs6) and for a piece of mind I've got a cooling pad under it, specifically the Havit https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooling-HAVIT-Laptop-Cooler-Lighting/dp/B00NNMB3KS . Not the best placement for the fans, but I'm pretty happy with it, except for one thing, it gives off this dullish slight (but enough to feel when I place my hand on the laptop) vibration, all my HDs are ssd, so except the internal fans, I don't think there's anything else moving. Could these slight vibrations have any impact of the hardware lifetime? I have it plugged in and going whenever the laptop is on, which is about good 12 hours or so a day. Last day for me to return it today so thought I'd ask here. Thanks in advance!

 

It's most likely a defective fan in the laptop cooler. The ball bearings on these kinds of fan are usually the component that fails.

No risk of damage to your laptop... It's just annoying. So it's up to you to decide whether it is worth returning for refund / replacement.

 

It's more annoying than anything else. I'd return it and get another, or something else if it bothers you.

 

Thanks a bunch. In the end I returned it, even though it was pretty decent, the positioning of the fans could've been better and the vibrations were a bit annoying. Nice portablity though.

 

did you return it, or get a replacement?
wondering if it's just a defective unit or design flaw...

 

Hey, sorry for the super late response. I returned it and tried another, the Klim Pro, I sent it back the next day, slightly bent USB plug and it did nothing towards cooling, it was like a tiny breeze compared to the Havit 3fan. So now I'm considering between trying out the Ergostand III (I like the USB hub and the ability to easily clean the fan and altering the recline angle), U3 (I like that you can position the fans exactly as you need, although it will take up one usb slot, but it seems to be a bit less portable), go back to the Havit or any of the other offbrands or if I feel super adventurous try one of those V positioned 4fan coolers. I'd try them out all, but don't really want to get banned from Amazon for returning too many things... )

 

Most of these coolers use sleeve bearing fans which are not ideal for horizontal mounts, but they are generally cheaper so it probably comes down to cost issues. Sleeve bearings can leak their lubricating oil easier when mounted horizontally which can lead to noise, excess vibration, and ultimately failure.

I have a U3 and a U2 and can tell you that those fans don't do much either. This applies to most USB powered 5V fans anyway. If you are really serious about cooling, you're going to want to modify a cooler with 12V fans powered by an external AC to 12VDC power supply. Even then, the ideal situation is when the air from those fans hits your heatsink(s) directly which may involve modding your bottom tray, or removing it completely. The good thing about the U2 and U3 is that the holes on its base are perfectly aligned for mounting up to 2 or 3 120mm fans respectively.

Another, cheaper alternative to a U2 or U3 is an Ikea laptop stand for like 3 dollars. If you have some hole saws and other basic tools, you can make holes in it where you want, and mount some 12V fans to it.