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1) Make sure not to clog any of the fan ports, and also clean them out with some compressed air if you haven't recently.
2) Make sure you have the following modules built-in or inserted: processor, thermal, fan.
3) Elevate the laptop above the table using a specially made laptop pad or bottle caps or equivalent. Don't put it on your lap (it can also decrease sperm count).
If you are using acpi-cpufreq as the cpu scaler then have a look here: http://linux-phc.org/ The idea is to undervolt your processor just enough to keep it cooler but keeping the system stable. If you have a laptop that has a buggy BIOS that won't let acpi-cpufreq scaling driver work, then the link won't be of much use as the tools there require acpi-cpufreq to work. I have such a BIOS myself and use the deprecated speedstep-centrino driver as my scaler. Since it provides built-in voltage tables for various Pentium M processors, it is easy to use it to undervolt my cpu. The only draw back is that I have to recompile the kernel module if I want to make any voltage changes. Some of the other scaling drivers may or may not allow you to use it for undervolting. With my processor undervolted it is way cooler than it used to be. No more 200 degrees F temperatures any more. The most I see is some where in the mid 130's as the highest. If you do decide to go this route, be sure to read up on the subject on the net so you'll know how to do it correctly. Both the Linux and Windows sites on this subject will be of great help to you. There are people who claim that undervolting your processor can cause harm to your processor. The truth is that it won't cause any harm to it, but it can cause your system to crash if the voltages are too low. This can lead to data loss if the data was not saved prior to the crash. So the idea is to find the voltage that will keep the processor cool but keep the system stable. I have been using this technique in Windows XP Pro since 2010 and Linux since 2011 with great success.
Last edited by Arcosanti; 05-20-2013 at 01:47 PM.
Reason: Just added some more thoughts.
If you have 'acpi' setup properly then adding a Laptop cooling fan may help. I use a Lap Desk with additional laptop cooler when working. Laptop cooler can be cheap while more advanced units may cost more. Multipurpose coolers come with additional USB ports, Hard disk and even SDHC reader. The active cooler I chose cost less than $10 US at a local supplier.
I really like to use a Lap Desk with a cooler to keep the Laptop cool. Lap Desks are very convenient and keep your hands at the correct angle for the keyboard.
3) Elevate the laptop above the table using a specially made laptop pad or bottle caps or equivalent.
This did the trick for mine. When I moved the laptop so it was sitting on a solid wood desk, it started overheating. Raising it 1/2" on little legs did the trick for me. Bottle caps - now, I'll have to try some of those! I'm using strategically placed CD jewel cases stacked two deep, one pair poking under each corner of the laptop. Bottle caps sound so much more elegant. Good idea!
Bottle caps are just something that I usually have around, you can use anything you have handy that puts distance between the table and the vents and heated areas on the bottom of the laptop.
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