Playing on a laptop

[Motherland]

In short I'm now playing on a laptop. I've plugged it into my 22" monitor and it's still quite capable of eating this game alive, even on nearly maxed out settings. Surprisingly it seems to get even better frame rates on the 1680x1050 monitor than its native 13somethign by something or other 13" or 14" screen.
Anyway, while it's quite capable of performing, I just would like to know what I can do to make sure it stays alive, as it can get quite hot after an hour of two of playing, although it doesn't slow down any.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

There's nothing you can make sure it's going to stay alive. Laptops and gaming are usually a very short lived combination.

What you can do to try to make your laptop survive is clean it regularly from inside and outside, never place it on a cloth that could limit airflow under it - and preferably buy a laptop platform that has an external fan to cool off the bottom. Although even that didn't save my wifes last laptop.

[guncrasher]

Minimize the game when you are taking a break, or even better take a break and let it cool down for a bit.


midway

[Bizman]

+1 on what MrRipley and guncrasher said.

Learn how to take your computer apart, especially how to reach the gap between the fan and the cooling grille. On some laptops it only takes removing a lid from the bottom, on others you'd have to remove the motherboard. Removing the keyboard can sometimes provide access to the fan. Google for your laptop's disassembly guide or fan replacement. Replacing the thermal paste of the cooling system might help, but sometimes there are some heat conductive pads which break and get dirty quite easily and are quite hard to find.

An inexpensive yet effective way to improve cooling is to attach a pair of adhesive rubber bumpers beside the hinge side feet to raise the air intakes a little off the table.

[pembquist]

You can use ice packs. That's what I had to do to keep the image from getting random polygons when the graphics card got challenged. Then I realized that a setting in the card software could be set to full power and I don't have that problem anymore but you guys comments make me think I should use ice packs again to keep it from wearing out. I recall my computer top be a Lenovo y57o idea pad with a nvidia 550m (or was it 650m?) I just set the computer on top of the ice packs leaving a channel for air to flow into the cooling fan.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

You can use ice packs. That's what I had to do to keep the image from getting random polygons when the graphics card got challenged. Then I realized that a setting in the card software could be set to full power and I don't have that problem anymore but you guys comments make me think I should use ice packs again to keep it from wearing out. I recall my computer top be a Lenovo y57o idea pad with a nvidia 550m (or was it 650m?) I just set the computer on top of the ice packs leaving a channel for air to flow into the cooling fan.

If you want condensation to kill your computer, by all means use ice packs 

[RTHolmes]

I havent tried it myself but I reckon a mini cooler could be worth a go, just need to sort out some ducting from the fan to the laptop air intake.

These are cheap and USB powered:

ebay linky

or maybe better (you could fill the resevoir with iced water):

ebay linky

[LCADolby]

I've never had a laptop survive passed 3 years when it's been used for gaming 

[pembquist]

If you want condensation to kill your computer, by all means use ice packs 

Hmm, didn't seem that bad. The ice packs would get condensation so the bottom of the case would get wet but the whole thing still felt a little warm, but you know..pick your poison like Robert Frost said.

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Hmm, didn't seem that bad. The ice packs would get condensation so the bottom of the case would get wet but the whole thing still felt a little warm, but you know..pick your poison like Robert Frost said.

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Any place where warm air meets a cold surface (such as exhaust from the computer vs cooled bottom plate of the laptop) condensation occurs.

[pembquist]

Any place where warm air meets a cold surface (such as exhaust from the computer vs cooled bottom plate of the laptop) condensation occurs.

I'm not saying you aren't right that I have puddles in my laptop when I put it ontop of ice packs but what you are saying here isn't correct and there is more going too.  The moisture in air will condense on a cold surface if that surface's temperature is below the dew point of the air.  If the dew point of the air in my house is 40 degrees (that is 47 percent humidity at 60 degrees) than the inside of my computer case would have to be 40 degrees to begin to get condensation.  My case is plastic which is a good insulator (think of the temperature gradient a styrofoam cup can preserve) and the electronics inside seem to be a pretty good heater.  I only need a gradient of 9 degrees for the inside of the case to be above the dewpoint (41 degrees minus 32 degree ice pack) So the question is whether the heat being produced inside is conducted radiated convected out fast enough that the inside surface of the case can fall to that temperature. I don't know.

The second thing that is going on is that the fan draws air from outside, (little grill on the bottom,) and blows it over the heatsink of the graphics card then out the side of the case.  The air being drawn in passes through the spaces between the icepacks where it is cooled and gives off some moisture as condensation on the ice packs, this cold dryer air is then heated as it is compressed by the fan and passes over the heat sink.  The air that exits has a lower dewpoint than the ambient air of the room.  If that air also bled into the case it would require a surface colder than 40 degrees for its water to condense.

Of course its probably stupid to perch your laptop ontop of ice blocks anyway.

[Motherland]

 
I'll be working on a few of these solutions then...

[Bizman]

I'll be working on a few of these solutions then...

Based on the uhoh smiley you seem likely to have some interesting times ahead...

[homersipes]

I have one of these
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tripp-Lite-NC2003SR-Laptop-Cooling-Pad-with-2-Built-In-USB-Powered-Fans/10715887?srccode=cii_5784816&cpncode=30-99037333-2&adid=1500000000000029469730&veh=cse
works well, only thing that sucks is that its usb powered, so I have to use the touchpad mouse when I have stick, pedals, headset, and speakers plugged in   But it works, and I have been playing for almost 3 years on the same laptop that is now almost 7 years old

[Triton28]

Yep... laptops and this game can be a bad combination.  I've already crashed a HD from excessive heat buildup.  I'm still using that laptop for the game.  I've taken the expensive and time consuming step of setting the laptop on bottle caps (don't judge me) in an effort to get airflow underneath.  I try not to go on marathon 10 hour gaming sessions on it, as I'm pretty sure excessive geeking on AH in my first few months was partially to blame for the old HD's demise.

Hopefully after the holidays, I can get a proper gaming desktop built.  If my spending countermeasures have worked on the Mrs., I should be running it by February.