6130-HS Overheating

I hear a lot of talk about these notebooks overheating and turning themselves off etc. I just got a Targus cooling mat with fans for mine - I've been using the Averatec intensively for 9 hours now and it's still as cool as a cucumber. Mind you, the $50 I paid for it still seems expensive, even if it does also act as a USB hub.

 

Hmm so these things really work eh? How cool is cool? and how loud is the mat?

 

When I say "cool", I mean when I felt the bottom of the notebook after all that time, it was as cool as if I hadn't had the computer on at all. The fans are really quiet - I can barely hear them. The mat seems a little light and hollow, but that's just me *****ing about the price. It does it's job magnificantly. I have no use for the USB ports on it as of yet, but I guess they're useful to some people.

 

Ditto: the cooler bases really help. I got mine for 15 dollars at a computer fair shgow. It has 4 fans and keeps everything nice and cool. No USB bus, I had to buy that separate. The noise is about the same as a desktop or quieter. It raises the laptop up an inch, not sure if I like that. Just gotta get used to it.

 

One more question for ya

did the pad affect the CPU's fan? (IE, the fan speeding up during applications or HD access)

 

Ya superglue fixes that.

The duct top left is actually the air intake.. it'll feel cool.

The hot air comes out the airfin duct on top of the USP ports on the left.

After doing some research I think this pad actually might be worth getting.

 

I haven't had the notebook long enough to be intimately familiar with it's fan and when it comes on - but I will say that it definitely has much less activity than my last notebook, a Compaq Presario 2596us. That had the fans on the side and they were always pumping out scorching air. Pretty noisy too. So far, I haven't really noticed the CPU fan on the Averatec (I presume it's outlet is on the top left above the keyboard) and I can't really feel any heat coming from it. So maybe the cooling pad is doing a better job than I imagined.

I too will take a while to get used to the notebook being raised an inch. I think the mat would be better if it was angled slightly, so the back was raised more than the front.

By the way, I read someone *****ing about the rubber feet on the 6130 and I have to agree. I had two feet come off within an hour of using the computer. It's almost as if they don't think it's important to keep them. Anyone tried supergluing theirs?

 

My god I just went to the targus website and the one I paid $50 is actually selling for $30!

Folks - try and avoid J&R Computers in Manhattan if you can! I should have guessed I was being ripped off when I saw the price of their notebooks....judging by the price of similar "budget" computers with the same specs, I estimate their price for a 6130-HS would be around $1700 at least. I'm serious! And people describe this place as the best computer store in New York.....

 

Ah! Well, I've been feeling the air coming out of that duct since you told me and it feels completely cool. The only part of my laptop that could be described as "warm" is the small area to the left of the touchpad - and even that is using the term loosely. It's probably not even lukewarm.

 

And if you check Amazon it's $26. I think that's the same thing you're talking about.

 

UPDATE - I went to J&R's own website and the same one sells for $29.98. So I definitely got overcharged. I can understand if it was just a computer error at the register when they scanned it - however the guy who pointed me to them in the first place said "oh, they're $50" without hesitation. It makes me mad to think of how many other people paid $50 without a thought.

 

off topic...i needed an adapter for my trackball at work due to a spanky new PC that only has USB ports (read ps2 to USB adapter). I was told by my friendly desktop support that those "dont exist". Calling his BS, I went to CompUSA (I know, I know...ripoff city) and they're repair guys wer going to try to sell me one for $50.00 (and THEY dont know if it will eve work)! Well, again my bills%$t alarm is going off. So I hit the trusty Radio Shack, where not only do I find what I need, but WELL under the 50 dollar mark (9.95)...and, get this...it WORKS (go figure [:0] ).

 

Oops I must apologize to J&R. I stormed in there today determined to show them the full extent of my wrath for overcharging me. I was having a GREAT time ranting to the manager about my rights and how it was disgusting that I had been overcharged and how dare he call me a liar, until he told me to shut up and pointed out that in fact there are 2 Targus mats available, one has 4 USB ports and sells for $50, the other is $30 without the ports. Oops. He even offered to exchange mine for a cheaper one and give me the difference in cash - I said I would have to think about it and left quickly. For some reason it seemed to be getting very hot in there.

 

Jim,

Note to self...get more facts BEFORE freaking out in public!

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