Best Cooling option for v4000t

Hi Guys:

I just ordered a Compaq V4000T. I am really psyched about it. I loved the configuration and the graphics card and for $1350, it is a good deal. Anyway, I did not buy HP's version of the laptop cooler as it was $249. What is the best stand/laptop cooler for v4000t. I just need something easy and portable that will create some space beneath the laptop for airflow. I looked at the post about the laptop bumpers but would prefer a portable stand/cooler that I can take with my notebook.

Thanks.

 

Did you order a 12-Cell battery? That will supposedly lift it up and give some air-flow underneath...

 

No, I did not. I got the 6 cell battery.

 

It's convenient to raise the back by half an inch. You may use anything that fits - for example I use two plastic stands for toothbrush, one in each corner and it's working great
As for the cooler, there are plenty of them. Maybe there's more info in the accessories forum

 

My v4000t arrived yesterday. I had absolutely NO problems with cooling whatsoever. Even after running the 3D benchmarks for a while.. It did start to get a bit warm when I was running in Linux without any power management/speed stepping stuff installed while it was sitting on my bed. I just put it on top of one of the cardboard boxes that came in the box the laptop did.. (box inside of the box).. And it just cooled itself off within a minute.

It looks like most of the warm air comes out of the bottom. The laptop has big feet, so its actually raised up a bit when its put on a hard surface... Putting it on anything else though might be a bit of a problem if you're doing gaming or something.

 

Sounds like if you want to do intensive programs on your lap you'll want a tray or something to keep ti flat so air can get around rather then get clogged up by your clothes.

 

Sidicas Do you have a review for your V4000t?
Tim

 

You can always get a laptop cooler. I got mine from Newegg.com for about 25 bucks OTD. Says it keeps in 7-10C cooler.

 

Yeah, I am deffinately gonna get a cooler for mine now. Last night I was playing Serious Sam 2 for a couple of hours or so. I kept having to minimize the screen to let the cpu cool down. Sam 2 runs great when the cpu is running at it's max stock frequency of 1.6ghz. but when it slows down to 800-900mhz it really starts to jump around to the point of being unplayable. verheat:

So with that, here are a few options I've been looking at...

POWMAX FANNCP-1 - This one is inexpensive but might be kinda cheaply built.

SPIRE PACIFIC BREEZE CF300-NEB - This ones interesting. But I wonder if it would fit in my case.

BYTECC NC-500 - This one would probably really cool the laptop. And I would like this one the best except that... I would just about bet my life that it would not fit in my case.

VANTEC LAPCOOL2 LPC-301 - A little more expensive than very similar coolers. And is it really any better?

There's also the problem of extra noise associated with coolers. :noisyfan:

Anyway, there's one more option I've been toying with...
12-cell Lithium-Ion Battery - On top of doubling my battery life, this will lift the laptop up in the back allowing for better air flow. But, this would be allot more exspensive than the other options. And, would this really cool it enough to play Sam 2 for hours?

hmmmm??? :decision:

 

Well, I've been thinking about what kind of cooler to get also. I won't be getting my laptop till the 26th, but I doubt the 12-cell battery will provide THAT much extra cooling (but I'll test it w/ some intensive games and see) so I was looking at this one.

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=370879 :budget:

That's not too bad; $16.99 w/ free 2nd day shipping. But it is 25Dba (not sure how noisy that is; but if it's like Case fans that's kind of loud)

We'll see, let me know what you decide!

 

Well, I went to CompUSA today and got the Antec Notebook cooler.

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

The best cooling is probably taking apart your laptop and apply some Arctic Silver 5 to replace the OEM glue they use.

The 12-cell will give a raise to the back of the laptop. lower raise than the V2000 since v4000 is deeper. It's generally to improve airflow, but won't add additional cooling by much.

 

Except that I spent an extra couple hundred dollars for the 3 year extended warrenty and I don't want to void it.

Pro: Great build quality
Cons: A bit heavy and thick
Overall: A great laptop when equipped with the ATI X700. If you decide that you want to go the Intel GMA 900 or GMA 950, I suggest you don't get this laptop. Get a thin and light instead.

The screen:
Love the glossy screen, but only because my school is entirely equipped with anti-glare lights (lights that bounce light off the ceiling). Normally I sit near the window, with the full sunlight pouring on me. With my laptop, this doesn't work out very well. I can clearly see my reflection in the screen because of all the light shining on me (not cool at all).

HOWEVER!!
The library has study rooms with great big glass doors and no windows. Each study room has a light switch and temperature control. Turns the lights off, and there is still plenty of light to read a book (light shining through the door). The screen on my v4000T in these conditions looks soooo incredible its amazing.. I've had people come into my study room to check out the bright screen (after seeing it through the window). It is just gorgeous. The colors are rich and bright like fireworks in the night. And under these lighting conditions, there are no reflections on the screen, (the overall lighting is low enough). So after I got my laptop, I moved from sitting by the window to sitting in the study room.

BUT
Even with the anti-glare lights, the glossy STILL isn't so great to use in the classroom. Because the lighting in the classroom is so high, I can still see other people's faint reflections in the screen (even though I get NO glare at all).

To my surprise, glare from lights wasn't a problem at all with the glossy screen. But those darn faint reflections :-( are quite annoying...

 

The 12-cell battery doesn't make much of a difference in terms of cooling temps unless it's on a table (and then you aren't really worrying about temps all that much).

I wouldn't really want to put my laptop on my lap unless I had the CPU at min clock speed and undervolted. The main fan will be on your left leg, which gets covered up because the 12-cell battery only sits on your right leg ( it doesn't extend for the entire length of the laptop, as there is a secondary CPU air vent in the back).

 

If you're a heavy gamer, a cooling system is a must on this notebook. Playing WoW for over an hour usually results in the system slowing everything down to prevent overheating. I'm going to go out and buy a cooler in the next few days. How is yours working out so far wonderdude?

Sidicas, did you ever have a chance to test HL2 on your new v4000t? I have about 7 days left to return it, so i'd greatly appreciate it if I could rule out if it's my computer or not.

 

Hey guys!

Well, the Antec cooler works, but it just doesn't quite fit under the unit very well. It's a very nice looking cooler with a cool blue light. It's kinda thick in my opinion. But this is the first cooler I've tried. But it also seems very well made. It kinda has that I-Pod feel. Anyway, it did solve my problem with Sam 2. But like I was saying, the feet on my laptop just don't quite fit on it right. each one is like just hanging on for dear life. Not that it would actually fall anywhere, it's just a little awkward feeling though.


These temps are after playing HL2 for about a half hour or so.


Anyway, I decided to give this cooler a shot...
BYTECC ...and the snow dog! LOL! sorry a little Rush humor!

What was the question about HL2?
I'm running it at 1280x800...
Model detail = Medium
Texture detail = Medium
Shader detail = Low
Water detail = Simple reflections
Shadow detail = Low
Anti aliasing mode = None
Filtering mode = Bilinear
Wait for vertical sync = Disabled
High Dynamic Range = None
DirectX 9.0
And here's what it looks like...


For the most part it runs fine and is quite enjoyable. It seems to hesitate ever so often, which might be attributed to the "slower than a desktop" 5400rpm drive. But I really don't know. The hesitation takes only a micro second but happens probably about once every 3 - 4 seconds.

 

I just got the Antec Cooler from Staples which is marked down to $14.94 through 1/28. It is available both online and in store. For online order use coupon code 34456.
I am using it with my DV4000 with X700. It bring the CPU down to 34C and HD to 23C which are around 10C lower than without the cooler. Make sure you get the new version that has the air-out from the right side and the back but not on the bottom.

 

WOW!

Man that's a great deal!!! I paid about forty for the one I got! Well, I'm deffinately taking mine back now!!! BTW, mine is apparently the new one too. It has the exhaust out the back and right side. It also has two fan speeds.

Anyway, I still didn't like the way my v4000t set on it. And even if I ddid decide to keep it, now that you showed me where I can get it for $25 less, I'm takin' mine back!!!

Thanks!

 

BTW, I found another site with some pretty interesting coolers...
http://www.hardwarecooling.com/default.php/ref/36/cat/33/cat/33/page/1/sort/3a

 

I don't have the game, and I was going to download the demo, buts its a lot bigger than I thought it was. Also, I'm only getting like 160KB/sec from my school's wireless even though I'm connected at 54 Mbit/sec.

I'll download it at home on my DSL (3 Mbit/sec).. But I've just been really busy this past week. Compiler Design project is due, and also I need to start working on a "significant programming project" for my Capstone class. Sorry I haven't been able to test it out, honestly I completely forgot about it. I did install the DX9SDK and the ATI SDK. No problems at all so far.

Looks like WonderDude already has HL2.

 

It looks like wonderdude is having the same stuttering issues I was having. Defragging helped a little but turning down the settings didn't. Wonderdude, turn up those settings haha. Our computer can handle everything on high with water reflections and even AA and AF turned on and still stay above 30fps most of the time. It really makes the game look beautiful.

But I think it's just a bug in the game, because none of the other games I have played has done that. WoW hesitates a little when entering big cities but it doesn't interupt or create stutters in the sound like HL2.

Thanks for the cooler information. I'm probably going to go out and buy one today.

 

Cool! I'll have to try it when I get home. Thanks for the heads up about the detail settings.

BTW, which processor did you get? I got the 725a.

 

I got the 750. Performance should be really close though. My 3dmark scores usually average around 2700. Almost every v4000t I have seen has been above 2600 regardless of processor.

Back to the topic though, I noticed having the battery disconnected (when connected to ac) reduces the temp's by a lot. While playing WoW my gpu temps were around 75* Celcius and it was causing the system to slow everything down. I have no idea why it would make a difference, but taking the battery out let's me play forever and it never goes above 70 or slows down.

 

Oh yeah! Actually, that does make allot of sence. My cell phone gets really hot whenever I use it while I'm charging it!!! Good call!

 

Having the battery disconnected may help increase circulation in the notebook, therefore allowing for more thermal output and keeping the notebook cool. Sounds like a nice and easy remedy that you've found there.

 

Awesome; I was worried I couldn't play WoW tomorrow when I get my laptop (cross your fingers) w/o buying a cooler first; (strapped for cash) that's great!

 

If you can spare $15 (or $12 with an empty toner cartridge), go to Staples and get the Antec Cooler. I always worry that I'll accidentally disconnect the power plug without a battery and shut down the computer abruptly. On the other hand, I really enjoy using my DV4000 with the cooler as a real laptop without burning my leg.

 

I just got the cooler for $15 from Staples. It is actually a great deal. I have a laptop bag and a cooler now. All I have to do is get the laptop...he he. I just received a notification from HP that they shipped my v4000T (although Fedex does not have any info on the tracking number I received). Hopefully, I will get it early next week.

 

This is the cooler I bought for my I9300. It keeps the video card cooler by about ~10C and the CPU about ~7 depending on load,....that is at high usage. It is noisy and doesn't sacrafice a USB port. Read the reviews, I love it.

 

Man...when i went to Staples they had NO sale. In the state of Washington must be different. They had online $10 off that the store employees were willing to match; but that would have still been $30...wtf?!

 

Forgot to add, it was $26 and change delivered!

 

aww man i couldnt get this cooler but i dunt think it would really help my L2000 that much because the cpu blows out from the bottom. So I went online to try getting this cooler and it didnt go well. Shipping 7 bucks =( I signed up for the rewards thing but it takes 3-4 days to settle in so I couldnt get the free ship so I talked to the live representative and they told me there was stock but in these two locations that are really far away from my house and not exactly the best neighborhoods. So I call my mom and tell her to check the staples right next to her work place actually same building as her workplace lol and they said they didnt have. So I'm all out of luck so instead I took my vantec 305 and I flipped the cooler around lol. That seems to work so much better =) So CPU is spitting heat out and my vantec cooler is exhausting it. =) When I first booted my computer it was jumping like crazy between 21C and 40C now it stablized at 37-38C CPU / 33C HD, however it seems to be a line graph with a slope. Temperature keeps increasing lol. If my cooler is on the rightside up CPU blowing down and my cooler blowing up. Temps are at CPU 44C, so it seems to be better.

 

I was unable to see the cooler. Was there suppose to be a link?

 

You should have placed the order and then either call or live chat with the customer service. They will refund the shipping cost for new Reward member. I did that when I joined their Reward program and placed an order on the same day. The refunded me even more than the shipping cost because they calculated it as taxable item.
Sorry that I did not read your message earlier and the deal is now over.

 

Go back a couple pages and read earlier thread. Nevermind, the deal is over.

 

Oh yeah! The Antec cooler. That was a good deal. But I liked the pearl better. I ended up going back and getting that one. LOL!