Laptop cooling solutions

[Ar5hD_o6]

Hey so this isn't really a gaming related thing but under heavy workloads like google meet (pretty harsh for a 2015 MacBook air), my laptop has its fans pinned down at max speed! I've tried the Dennis method of placing it over a support but doesn't seem to do the trick. Any ideas?

 

[Biohazard777]

You could buy a proper cooling pad with a big fan. But truth be told, I don't see much difference between cooling pad fan being on or off... Raising laptops from the desk and allowing them to breathe helps out a lot, but turning the fan on drops the temps by a couple of °C at best from my experience.
I do still recommend cooling pads to people because IMHO it is way better to type when the KB is slightly slanted, your laptop has room to breather and if you wanna squeeze a bit more out of the machine you can turn the fan on.

Since you already have your laptop raised and it isn't helping much, next steps would be to change the thermal paste and clean the fan.

[Ar5hD_o6]

28 minutes ago, Biohazard777 said:

You could buy a proper cooling pad with a big fan. But truth be told, I don't see much difference between cooling pad fan being on or off... Raising laptops from the desk and allowing them to breathe helps out a lot, but turning the fan on drops the temps by a couple of °C at best from my experience.
I do still recommend cooling pads to people because IMHO it is way better to type when the KB is slightly slanted, your laptop has room to breather and if you wanna squeeze a bit more out of the machine you can turn the fan on.

Since you already have your laptop raised and it isn't helping much, next steps would be to change the thermal paste and clean the fan.

That helps a lot! Thanks

 

[Bombastinator]

My understanding is part of the problem with the 2015 air is apple designed it for a different chip than they were actually offered by intel so cooling is sub optimal.  If you’re willing to have a really hot lower shell (like ouchie burning don’t put it on your lap hot) there may be online instructions. I suspect it may be possible to attach the lower shell to the cpu cooler with a thermal pad.  Requires cracking open the machine and killing the warranty.   You may just have to live with thermal throttle.  Supposedly the only recent apple machine to avoid this problem is the 2016 16” Mac Pro or an m1

[Bombastinator]

2 minutes ago, Ar5hD_o6 said:

That helps a lot! Thanks

 

They don’t work very well.  I personally consider the fan plates something of a scam. 

[Ar5hD_o6]

On 4/11/2021 at 12:48 PM, Bombastinator said:

They don’t work very well.  I personally consider the fan plates something of a scam. 

Well then I guess it’s time for an upgrade after all I’ve been using that thing for 5+ Years.