Laptop Thermals

[Larri]

I'm new to this forum, so I apologize if this isn't in the right category.

 

I have a Vivobook 14 laptop with a Ryzen 3500u, a pretty good laptop considering that I got it for less than $400 USD brand new. However, the way ASUS chose to cool this is rather unorthodox. They have the typical heatpipe coming from the cpu, but instead of a small heatsink with fins and a fan that blows air directly out of the chassis, the heatpipe goes to a small, thin metal piece that sits parallel to the motherboard, raised a couple of millimeters above it. The fan blows across this piece of metal, right back into the case. I attached an image to show the internals of the laptop (not my image). Needless to say, this method is not nearly as robust as a typical laptop heatsink, meaning that it doesn't provide very good cooling. 

In games, the package sits around 90 Degrees C, with the cpu only boosting up to its 2.1Ghz Base Clock occasionally, normally sitting at a pitiful 1.4Ghz. The cpu is rated to boost up to 3.7Ghz. The Vega 8 iGPU sits between 700 and 900mhz, rarely going above 1000mhz and never getting to its rated 1200. I feel like my system is really being bottenecked by this crappy thermal solution, and was wondering if there is any way to improve cooling that still allows the laptop to be used as a laptop. For example, I can open up the case and press a heatsink to the heatpipe, and temps go way down, but I obviously can't use the laptop anymore, save plugging in and hdmi and external components, at which point I may as well just carry around a desktop. Any help is appreciated! 

[Jumballi]

Vivobook is thin and light, all of the laptops in that category sacrifice thermals and performance for the sake of weight.

[Larri]

2 minutes ago, Jumballi said:

Vivobook is thin and light, all of the laptops in that category sacrifice thermals and performance for the sake of weight.

So there's no real way to improve thermals/ its not worth it?

[greenmax]

 

On 2/25/2020 at 1:32 PM, Larri said:

I feel like my system is really being bottenecked by this crappy thermal solution, and was wondering if there is any way to improve cooling that still allows the laptop to be used as a laptop.

Maybe a laptop cooler, I vaguely remember them being available, but otherwise sell your laptop and buy a new laptop.

Edited February 26, 2020 by wkdpaul
cleanup

[Mellowed]

4 hours ago, Larri said:

and was wondering if there is any way to improve cooling that still allows the laptop to be used as a laptop.

 

Try this cooler. its on amazon for 30 usd, hope it works if you decide to get it

[markr54632]

7 hours ago, Larri said:

So there's no real way to improve thermals/ its not worth it?

Not really much you can do. Loud throttling thin and lights are the norm. 

[Larri]

4 hours ago, areogen said:

Try this cooler. its on amazon for 30 usd, hope it works if you decide to get it

This is a great idea, but the stupid laptop's intake is at the bottom instead of the side because of the weird cooler. Maybe theres a similar one for a bottom intake? 

[panzersharkcat]

Outside of better thermal paste, I don't think there's fixing bad cooling design.

[WkdPaul]

* thread cleaned *

 

Please stay on-topic.

[Jumballi]

19 hours ago, Larri said:

This is a great idea, but the stupid laptop's intake is at the bottom instead of the side because of the weird cooler. Maybe theres a similar one for a bottom intake? 

Whether or not there is bottom intake, the thin laptops dissipate heat through the chassis as well, as though it's one giant heat sink. Usually the extra effort to keeping them cool isn't worth it, but using a fan like that can assist a bit. All that said, the thin and lights are all clocked down with no real way to get more performance out them even with more cooling, best to just live with what it gives.

[weaselciuy]

laptops have a curse problem with the heat management