This is a general comparison of laptop and pc.

 

 

 

I recently have a disagreement with my mom over this: Due to the smaller size of the laptop compared to the pc case, she assumes the laptop to overheat more easily than a pc due to an assumption that there are lesser fans in a laptop than pc. On average I would keep the laptop on for around 7 hours to 8 hours before shutting it down.

 

 

 

So is my mom right? Is there a time limit I should restrict to while using laptop?

 

 

 

Information about laptop if it helps:

 

Acer Aspire 5612ZNWLMI

 

Intel Pentium duel-core processor T2060 (1.6Ghz, 533 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 cache)

 

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950

 

80GB HD

 

512 DDR2

 

I use it to play RS.

She is right that laptops overhead more easily than PCs. Everyhitng is compressed into a smaller space with smaller components and less airflow. You should keep laptop usage to a minimum or perhaps purchase a cooling pad. You also should not keep the laptop on your lap for much longer than an hour due to the temperatures on your legs/groin area.

Matt nailed the answer to the overheating argument. :mrgreen:

 

 

 

If all you're doing is playing RS on it I wouldn't be all that worried about overheating (if that's the issue). Yes it can overheat if you push it too far, but there's a slim chance of that happening with just RS chunking away at it. Just keep it on a hard flat surface so that the fan can do it's job and cool it as needed and you shouldn't have any issues.

I keep my laptop on my desk and it has never come close to overheating. The only way it should is if you have it sitting on your bed or something and that somehow blocks your fan. Of course it would obviously overheat then.

is there a time limit? no. If its just sitting on your lap or desk and you are not covering the fan, there should be no reason why it would over heat. ive used my laptop for ~10 hours at a time before and never had a problem.

"You also should not keep the laptop on your lap for much longer than an hour due to the temperatures on your legs/groin area."

 

 

 

Lol, I know its true, but that kinda ruins the point of a LAPtop lol.

all pcs you ever get from manufacturers should be stable enough to run full load 24/7, no exceptions, most pc components can run fairly far past the settings they are designed for without problems, and real world conditions computers rarely ever reach full load so that doesnt even apply. i reccomend using a tray for laptops btw - stops the fans being covered asmuch, and prevents your legs from being burnt.

I leave mine on for weeks at a time and no issues. Only time ever reboot/power down is when updates arise

One thing you should always do regularly is to use a vacuum cleaner on the vents as they get clogged with dust. This prevents good air flow causing overheating.

 

 

 

Here's a picture I took of a fan inside a laptop I repaired a few weeks back. This is what can happen if you don't clean the vents regularly, a mega build up of dust!

 

 

Orrible innit!

Unless the vents are compromised (and using it in your lap is bad), then a laptop/notebook PC should be able to run at 100% CPU load for as long as you like... if they can make it work with a P4, they can sure as hell make it work.

 

 

 

If Windows isn't making a good enough job of controlling the EIST, then try - http://cpu.rightmark.org/products/rmclock.shtml - set for 85% target loading (max) if you want to keep the power state low, set the target lower if you want the performance state to be raised more easily - I think the default is 50%, so it will raise/lower the performance state (multiplier and voltage) to try to keep the loading around the target value. Also has a neat little reactive tray icon that shows low, intermediate and maximum states.

One thing you should always do regularly is to use a vacuum cleaner on the vents as they get clogged with dust. This prevents good air flow causing overheating.

 

 

 

Here's a picture I took of a fan inside a laptop I repaired a few weeks back. This is what can happen if you don't clean the vents regularly, a mega build up of dust!

 

 

Orrible innit!

 

yeah things get caked with dust over time :D, unplug then take out fans if ur gonna vaccuum em btw, and also hold the blades still, vacuuming them can 1) damage the motor due to going WAY past its rated speed 2) damage the motherboard if still plugged into it due to that if you spin a motor, it makes electricity.

Some other cooling methods if you were realy (very)could be:-

 

 

 

Fans- Installing performance fans or (though it is rather expensive) liquid cooling. (Check it will fit first!) (Read guides on this first, you will need to make sure your electrostatic potential is equal with that of your PC)

 

 

 

Modding- Cut holes in your case to increase airflow. (I wouldn't try this one, it can make your warrantee invalid, and if you make a mistake...oops)

 

 

 

Underclocking- Lowering the voltage of electricity going to your CPU/GFX card. This is great as long as you don't mind a slight decrease in system speed. Overclocking (the opposite) will make your PC faster but hotter.(Don't overclock your laptop!)

 

 

 

I would recommend underclocking as it is free, and if you don't like it you can go back to how it was before without any issues!

 

 

 

I won't take any liability if you do either of the 1st two!

Like merc said get a cooling pad. They're really cheap and work wonders. (at least, our familys laptop hasn't overheated yet and its on almost constantly).

Laptops can suffer overheating, because on some the intake vent is on the underside- being blocked of airflow by any surface underneath it and with only those small rubber pads that raise the laptop about 3 mm.

Unless the vents are compromised (and using it in your lap is bad), then a laptop/notebook PC should be able to run at 100% CPU load for as long as you like... if they can make it work with a P4, they can sure as hell make it work.

 

 

 

If Windows isn't making a good enough job of controlling the EIST, then try - http://cpu.rightmark.org/products/rmclock.shtml - set for 85% target loading (max) if you want to keep the power state low, set the target lower if you want the performance state to be raised more easily - I think the default is 50%, so it will raise/lower the performance state (multiplier and voltage) to try to keep the loading around the target value. Also has a neat little reactive tray icon that shows low, intermediate and maximum states.

 

Well that's good for CPU management, but won't really help with overall heat as it's not only the CPU that is the heat source. you're right about laptops being able to run 100% if airflow is fine though.

 

 

 

Take it from me, I see more laptops damaged because of overheating than PCs. The thing is, PCs generally have a lot of space inside the system and you get a much better air flow. But it doesn't take much to block up a couple of vents on a laptop and from then on you get heat build up, not only from the CPU but from chipset, GPU and hard drive etc, they all contribute. I'm also amazed how many people I see on a train using their laptops and have not taken it out of the carry case, they simply unzip the top and open it. This completely blocks all the vents.