Building a custom laptop stand

I am working with my father-in-law to build me a custom laptop stand for my beast - M17X R2. This is a rough version of it. I am either using 2 200mm fans or 1 250mm fan. In the image I have the 2 200mm fans and the black circles are rubber pieces to lift the laptop for better air flow. My husband says that I can't do that because of where the actual "feet" of the laptop are. They are set to keep the center area up and there are six of them as fellow owners know. Any opinions on how I have this configured with the rubber pieces? Can this be done and be safe for the laptop? Thanks. BTW, the bottom shows where there will be a part to keep the laptop from sliding forward as this will be able to tilt.This is a full stand and not a lap stand.The fans will be mounted from the back and spliced to a USB cable. I am debating using fan grills that will be recessed into the wood on top of the fans but this might hinder the air flow. This is a very rough image.

 

No opinions or suggestions? Will this hurt the laptop by using these rubber pieces to lift the laptop off of the stand since they will be in different locations from what the laptop currently has for feet?

 

at worse you might scratch the bottom of the machine. I personally just use bottle caps on top of the rubber feet on my r3 and it increases the airflow greatly. You could do something similar maybe, but I'm not sure how well it would work with your planned setup. Always thought about maybe propping up the metal case side I use as a laptop stand and cutting some holes for some custom fans. would be a fun project, just not sure its worth the work.

 

Thanks. They shouldn't scratch up anything since they are rubber. If I go with one 250mm fan I can put more than four along the edges to give it support.

 

more fans usually equals more airflow, but more noise. Basically comes down to which is more important for you.

 

Well if I go with 2 250mm fans then the top has to be at least 25" wide and that will be room for the laptop and mouse pad. I think cool is more important than noise. When I try to do anything intensive, my CPU and GPU fans kick in on high and are already really loud.

 

Just get a u3, throw some delta/abc server fans and call it a day

 

This is going to be a complete laptop stand that sits on the floor and can be tilted and slides forward because our couch seat is deep. This will be my first woodworking project. My father-in-law is a seasoned woodworker and is happy to teach me a new craft!

 

sounds like a fun project for sure!! I"d like to see how it comes out.

 

I'd try to place thin rubber in the same place as the feet just to stop sliding. If you are holding it up in different places than the feet then the case was not designed to stress elsewhere (but unlikely to be a real problem), so maybe design around this placement (and the fan intakes)?

Sounds interesting as an aesthetic/functional project. Look forward to seeing it in progress

 

I will take that into consideration. I can place several rubber raiser thingys (sorry! ) to support the case properly.

The problem I am now facing is running the fans via USB. The fans are 12v and the USB is 5v. Technically all the manufactured laptop coolers are running 12v fans with a 5v USB cable but does this really work efficiently? As we all know, the M17X can run really hot when playing anything or multitasking. Someone on Toms Hardware suggested getting a DC-DC boost (step up) converter 5V to 12V. This looks complicated and I am not sure if I would need 2 units to run 2 fans. Any suggestions on that? I don't want to get 5v fans as it would defeat the purpose of having large fans that glow green!!!

 

For me my cooler runs from power socket.

This since i plan to test some OC'ing etc and dont want to use the extra power from the PSU. (i know its not much, but everything counts, Also saving power on using SSD discs only internally instead of spin discs.)
A converter will also have a loss causing more power to disappear.

BUT since you want to run them from USB, there are 5V fans out there.

60mm Wide And 25mm High Oem Curved Bladeness Fan Mini 5v Dc Cooling Fan - Buy 5v Dc Cooling Fan,5v Dc Mini Cooling Fan,5v Cooler Fan Product on Alibaba.com

6000 rpm.

 

I may have to go the wall socket route as I don't want to downsize the fans. Now how to figure out wire splicing from fan to wall socket.

 

You just get a 12 V supply, simular to what u use on your phone but 12 V instead. Then you install the fitting socket on the fan at the end of the wires where ut connect all the fans in paralell and fasten it to your fantray.

Should be able to find on E-bay.
Just see to it that it has enough power for your fans. Just add the power or current and then search for PSU.

 

I agree, safest to use a separate PSU if you want those nice big light-up fans. I would imagine that any 12v PSU is going to be able to run a couple of those so it's finding one and a matching scoket that you can mount. if you have a wood router then you could get pretty imaginative with recessed wiring as well. Wiring (as said) will be simply paralleling the fans up to the socket. Better than hard-wiring it, and if someone trips on the lead it will simply unplug and not rip things out!

 

Can you guys point me in the right direction of where to locate what I need and how to wire it all up so that it works? I really want this to work out so that I have a cool laptop cooling full stand that glows green!!

 

This PSU should be fine ( VM 1868 DF - Switching AC to DC Power Supply at Lowest Price), from a quick scan it seems most large 12v fans draw 0.33w. You don't need all the output voltage options but it seems to come with a lot of plug sizes so it should be easier to find a suitable socket.

Two wire fans are easy to figure out and if you get the polarity wrong it will just spin backwards. I don't know about the 3 pin connectors except one will be a spin detector. Maybe someone knows the standard color coding used?

I'll have a look around for a socket but this is where a local electronics store can help

HTH.

Edit: At it's simplest this will work: 2.1mm and 2.5mm DC Power Sockets but you'll need to get friendly with a soldering iron for a good job

 

How can I hook up 2 200mm fans to this and have them not only run at their actual speed but have the LEDs work as well or will I need 2 of these? I am not electrically inclined. My husband can solder. He thinks this whole thing is silly. He wants me to use the fans that he installed in our old entertainment center that we are selling that he installed to keep our electronics cool. They are small fans and plug directly into the wall. this defeats the large fans that glow. I have been on the Internet seeing if there are any distributors for the 5v large fans that companies like Cooler Master, Zalman and Xigmatek use in their laptop coolers. No luck so far. I don't want to spend $40 or more a piece for the already assembled units just to pull their fans out and use in my build.

 

A simple search of ebay. 5V and FAN should bring you something.
Guess you still would have to solder since not many fans come with USB connector on loose fans.

 

I am throwing out the USB idea and going with plugging it into the wall. I am just trying to find out if I need 2 plugs or one for 2 200mm fans.

 

Is this something that the socket would plug into?

 

You only need one, you connect to the next fan on each wire (parallel wiring - more research )

The fans with lights I have used just connected as normal and the light was on.. You won't have any speed control so look for low noise rating, if they are out there.

 

No. That looks like a car adaptor or something else but not one I recognise. If you link to it I can see what it is for.

The one I linked has so many plug connectors one of them is bound to fit the socket I linked. No guarantees of course, it's just what I would go for - or more probably, like your partner, cannibalise a bunch of old kit and go steam-punk! You almost certainly have most of what you need (apart from the pretty fans) lying around

 

Ok I got confused. So I would use these two items. .

I am not sure how the socket fits in.

Couldn't I just take something like a phone wall charger and cut the end that goes into the phone, splice the wires from the fan onto it and call it good? I might need two then. I really need detailed instructions as I need to explain this to my husband, who will be helping me do the wiring. Dad is helping me with the woodworking. So if you could please give detailed numbered instructions it would greatly help. Example - 1. cut wires on fans 2. splice cut wires from fans to whatever. 3. 4. etc. Thanks.

 

One of those connectors at the bottom will fit into the socket on the right. This is what you mount on the table (somehow, maybe a small metal plate and a routed out area?) so you can plug it in.

Yes, using any 12v adaptor you have will work just fine for a couple of fans. The problem will be finding a socket the same size or locating a matching pair you can use if you want it to be easily disconnected. Simplest option may be to start with just cutting and joining as a proof of concept. Once it all works nice look into how you fit a plug and socket to it? You just need to be careful nobody trips over it or a disaster could occur

 

you solder the two red wires together and solder them to center pin of the socket.
Then the two black ones on the outer part of the socket.
One socket.

The shiny thing that dont go in the wall socket is the 12V socket where red and black wires go.


If there is light you need to check if it has a wire of it own and that it takes the same 12 V.
If it does, connect it with the red wire.
Red has to be center pin, if not the light will not work, and fans will run wrong way, working against your PC fan.
Check that when red is center pin that the fans BLOW towards the back of your computer at the same time.
If not, because of the light, you have to turn the fans.
Check direcions before mounting.

Cell phone chargers normally only gives 5 V.

 

This goes on the tray.
A quick drawing for you.

 

So one of the connector pieces I see in the image will fit into the plug? I guess I am not seeing this as the images are throwing me off. So taking Trome's diagram of how to solder the wires from the fan to the plug, mounting that plug on the stand somewhere, and then taking one of the connectors and plugging that into the plug and then the other end into the wall is how this works?

 

Sounds like you've got it but your labels are confusing me a little in places. Think plug=male; socket=female

But yes, one of those is bound to fit, it's an attempt to be able to use it on any 12v device. An electrical store should be able to get a matched pair without the need for the adaptor but this depends on a local store really.

 

Sorry about that. So soldering the wires to the socket. One of the plugs will fit into the socket. The socket will be attached to the top of the stand somewhere and I can solder both fans to the one socket. We have a store called Radio Shack in the US and there is one locally. I can check with them to see if they understand what I want to do and help me get the parts I need for this. Hubby looked at this and he said that he sort of understands what is being suggested. He can help me learn how to solder.

 

These are the fans I want to use. They are 3-pin. I am thinking that one of the wires is for the LED so it will have to be soldered with the red power wire to the center of the socket.

Xigmatek CLF-2003 200mm Crystal Cooling Series LED Cooling Fan - Green Products Model: CLF-F2003 [CLF-F2003] : Performance-PCs.com, ... sleeve it and they will come

 

NP . That's it exactly.

If you have a radio shack close that should be perfect, if they are still the same as when I used them many years ago (they go under the name Tandy in the UK). Always had a rack or two with all those hard-to-find components and connectors, and the staff knew what they were looking at so can help.

Just ask for a 12v, 1.5a (1 amp minimum, max is unimportant) output, 120volt mains PSU and a matching surface mount or panel mount socket. The pic is a panel mount, you need a hole in a plate or some other idea to mount it to. And they will have good quality electrical solder if you need it.

You might get lucky at RS rather than relying on my best guess and an internet purchase

As for soldering, probably a good project to learn it a little. Nothing you are going to damage easily like a delicate component. I'm sure there are some beginners guides around to give you confidence.

 

I don't think so, I believe it's for a speed sensor so just connect the red and black first and see if it lights up. I've never seen separate light power connections so you should not need the yellow wire at all.

 

Radioshack could have it.
Tell them u want 12V DC adapter and a socket you can solder to your fans to be able to plug in the 12V adapter.

They can show u where red and where black goes.

 

I have written down the specs and will check my local radio shack to see if they can help me. I have not ordered the fans yet as I want to make sure this setup will work before investing in expensive fans. I want to thank everyone for your help and I will post here the finished project. I may even post the progress. This is going to be fun. Plus if the fans die after a while, I can change them out fairly easily.

 

Cool. I'd like to see progress posts as well as the finished project

I'm sure it will work just fine but depending on postage time you could start with just one as a test.

 

Sounds like its definetly going to be a one of a kind stand.

 

Goodie, looking forward to the progress.

Rindagingdingdin
What the fox said

 

Just got back from Radio Shack. They had the 12v 1.5a DC adapter but no socket. They suggested I check with Micro Center here in Denver, which is a computer parts store. I found this online - 2.1mm Power Jack, PCB mount. Is this a good example of a surface mount socket? This is the adapter the guy at Radio Shack showed me - Enercell 12V/1500mA AC Adapter : AC Adapters | RadioShack.com. They also carry "adaptaplugs" so in case I need a different sized plug to work with the socket.

I have drawn up a quick diagram to make sure I understand what I am doing. I used another example of the same type of adapter from Radio Shack.


Please tell me if I am on the right track.

 

Called Micro Center....no help there either. If I go with a panel mount, can I just drill a hole in the wood and have it sticking up so the jack can be plugged in? The wiring can be recessed on the backside of the tabletop. We can probably use wood glue or something to keep it from coming out.

 

Yup, you've got it down. Just get the right adaptaplug and all is well. The only prob with a surface mount is that it is designed to be soldered directly to a circuit board. You'd need to bend the connectors and fix is using something like epoxy but it all depends on what idea you have for mounting it and looking good. A small box type container would better suit a panel mount IMO.

Something else you may be able to get from RS is shrink sleeving for the cables. You can use it to insulate connections and also put two (or more) cables through a thicker piece to look neat and professional. You simply wave a small flame along it and it shrinks to a tight fit.

Edit: re your last post, yes just chisel or route out enough space to make the connections behind it. You could also use something like bathroom sealant to seal in the cables but wood glue will work (just not look as good for the cables, but epoxy will be safer for the actual socket.

More: "Plus if the fans die after a while, I can change them out fairly easily. " Was just looking over the fan and it comes with a 4 pin adaptor. This is for direct connection to a desktop PSU. Cutting off the 4 pin plug will leave you with a connector and wire you can use between the fan and the socket. No cutting the fan wires .

 

I am back. Hubby is starting to hate this project. He thinks should just take the entertainment center fans and use them. They both just plug into the wall outlet. I am stuck on using the 2 200mm green LED fans and he is not happy with that. I am attaching another mockup that shows the back of a socket so I can make sure I understand where the wires need to be soldered. If my hubby won't solder them, I am sure I can find someone maybe even my father-in-law can help me with it. I have decided to go with a socket that we can just drill a hole through the top part of the table section and have it inserted there. Not very pretty but it is all I can think of. We are not metal workers....just woodworkers. I even tought about drilling a hole in the side of the table part and feeding the wires in somehow but I don't think that will work either.

Another suggestion my hubby had was taking our old computer 500w PSU and bolting it to the bottom of the table part but I don't like that idea. Too much weight. The laptop on there will be heavy enough.

 

Your red wires should be soldered to the tab at the end, not directly to the middle part where your line is indicating. Check the polarity of your adapter's barrel plugs.



Your black ones should be soldered to the other tab. The barrel plug itself has the two connections - the exterior "sleeve" and the interior "tip". From your photo, your red wires should be soldered to the bottom tab which may be conductive to the sleeve. Then orient your barrel plugs to have a negative polarity (positive (+) to the sleeve). If the air is flowing the wrong way, turn the barrel plug around on the adapter itself.

 

Yeah, where you show the black is the pin for the red. One of the other two connector points will be the sleeve where the black goes. Not sure why it has 3 wire connector points though, you just have to figure out which one goes to the outer part of the socket. Maybe someone else knows about the 3 connections thing? If not then just touching the black power wire to each of the unused ones in turn will show which one starts the fans.

The desktop PSU is a way overkill idea and as you say large and heavy! As for the soldering you won't need to do it until it's all working, just twist the wires through the holes. Then when it's all working look at getting them soldered.

I was thinking about the socket mounting and how about drilling the side then route out an area from the underside to access it. You could also run groves to the fans to run the wires?

 

You can also get a “closed circuit” type of DC power jack, which has three solder lugs. This type of jack is used for hooking two different power sources to your circuit, such as batteries and wall power. Two of the jack’s lugs are permanently connected to the pin and outside barrel parts of the jack. The third is connected to the barrel while nothing is plugged into the jack; in other words, you have a normally-closed circuit to the barrel lug, which is how this type of jack got its name. When you plug something into the jack, this circuit opens.

 

Thanks, now I think I've got it. Kinda like an audio jack that disconnects internal speakers when plugged in? Just a case of identifying which is permanently connected to the sleeve when plugged in and using that one for this project?

 

Yeah, also can be used as an insertion detector like you described.

 

Can someone please take my image and do a different color so I know where black and red are to go or at least red.

Can you draw something and upload so I know what you are talking about? I am visual and having a difficult time "seeing" this. Thanks.

This is going to be fun and frustrating!!!!

 

Try that. You may need a continuity tester to see what lug is connected to what.

 

Haven't used a drawing prog in years so here's a quick scrawl of what I was thinking.

As for the connections, the wires connect to the tangs with holes in. Where you say 'the black wires...' is where the red goes. This is visibly the center part of the socket. The black will go on one of the other two (may have to experiment)