Laptop folding?

[Abstract Hero]

Is folding on a laptop a good idea? Specs in sig.

 

[Yami]

It's not a bad idea, much. And with a pro GPU like that, it should be really quite good (for a laptop).
It really depends on how hot it gets at constant load.

 

[patonb]

The cpu should be fine, laptop gpus get terribly hot, and are usually underpowered compared to desktop versions.

But try it, and decide yourself

 

[Abstract Hero]

Well than I shall experiment with it soon just temps worry me slightly because this thing is a little beastly for a laptop.

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

There is no inherent problem folding on a laptop other than heat. Laptop components can handle the load just as well as desktop components can, but laptop cooling systems are usually pretty weak. My HP dv9700 (Core 2 Duo T9300 @ 2.5GHz, nVidia 8600M GS) got too hot when folding and I think GPU folding helped cause the board to fail (GPU overheated and broke the solder). I got a replacement and I've been CPU folding on it as GPU folding gets unstable. A cooling pad alone wouldn't keep it cool enough so I took one of my spare Antec TriCool 120mm fans and hooked it up to an old PSU and set it right by the laptop's air vent to blow the hot air away so it isn't pulled back into the PC. This setup did lower temps (GPU stayed around 60C but still made my screen glitchy and crashed with unstable machine errors) so I'm just running SMP now.

If your laptop isn't an awful piece of crap like mine it should be OK, HP just can't make a good heatsink and their laptops overheat doing even simple 3D gaming. I think the nVidia 8600M chip also had issues of its own.

 

[Abstract Hero]

Well being a laptop made specifically for high cpu loads for rendering and what not it seems to stay pretty cool. It hits high temps every now and than but drops back down. Not to mention I'm really not used to this kind of power/heat. Jumping to this from my desktop isn't necessarily gradual lol. Im going to try the smp client once im done with my homework .

Edit: OK so I'm folding @ 75-80c stock cooling no pad/mat. too hot for an i5? (silly question but i was raised on amd lol)

Edit: If i prop the front up on something it increases fan clearance and i see 70-75c

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

Definitely prop it up, I prop the back up to get more fan clearance and it does help. If you want more cooling, prop it up and set a more powerful fan next to it to move the hot air out from underneath it.

 

[Abstract Hero]

What I ended up doing was on its home desk where it sleeps at night i placed a spare shelf (basically just a piece of wood haha) flat on the desk propping the back up on top of it and i wired an 80mm fan to a usb plug and placed it next to the exhaust.

With this I see 69-71c.

I'm satisfied.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[patonb]

Seems to be getting nice numbers... Hopefully my contract picks up, and i can boot up my other 260, or even foldie... Shes been sorta off for the last 4 mos

 

[Abstract Hero]

Yes it does. Its doing some serious damage in the points department even though it only runs cpu client at night and it's nice to just have the emachine dedicated to folding (and internet) since the laptop is my main machine now.

Once the seasons change I imagine there will be a major increase in production for everyone.