someone please convince my Mum that it is not ok to block laptop vents.

[barbedsaber]

My Mum plays pokerth
sudo apt-get install pokerth a lot. she takes my computer, and plays poker in her room. (and loses) The problem is, she puts the computer on the bed (blocking the air intake), and the gpu heats up into the range of 90degrees CELSIUS (almost boiling point) then she complains the fan is too loud. someone please tell her to stop torturing my computer. It cries itself to sleep now.

[Tomosaur]

My Mum plays pokerth
sudo apt-get install pokerth a lot. she takes my computer, and plays poker in her room. (and loses) The problem is, she puts the computer on the bed (blocking the air intake), and the gpu heats up into the range of 90degrees CELSIUS (almost boiling point) then she complains the fan is too loud. someone please tell her to stop torturing my computer. It cries itself to sleep now.

barbedsaber's mum: Stop blocking the laptop vents. Best case scenario is that the laptop dies a slow and painful death. Worst case scenario is that you set your bed on fire. Stick it on a table!

[fatality_uk]

Just set up a cron job to open the terminal, full screen, at a certain time of day, i.e. when you know your mum will have the laptop and display the following message:



WARNING: YOUR SYSTEM IS OVERHEATING.
THIS COULD BE DUE TO POOR VENTILATION, I.E. BED CLOTHES BLOCKING AIR VENTS.
PLEASE REMOVE ANY OBSTICLES THAT MAY IMPEED AIR FLOW.

P.S. ALWAYS BET HIGH ON POCKET TWO'S

[chucky chuckaluck]

set the house on fire.

mom: OMG! our house!

barbedsaber: told you not to block the vents on my laptop, but you wouldn't listen...

[Moustacha]

Quit blocking the air vents!

[prshah]

she takes my computer, and plays poker in her room. (and loses)
the gpu heats up into the range of 90degrees CELSIUS (almost boiling point)
someone please tell her to stop torturing my computer.


Does she know that the computer's random luck generator is inversely proportional to the square of the gpu temperature multiplied by the square root of the cpu temperature?

Maybe someone better inform her, or you'd lose the house before it burns down!

[LaRoza]

My Mum plays pokerth
sudo apt-get install pokerth a lot. she takes my computer, and plays poker in her room. (and loses) The problem is, she puts the computer on the bed (blocking the air intake), and the gpu heats up into the range of 90degrees CELSIUS (almost boiling point) then she complains the fan is too loud. someone please tell her to stop torturing my computer. It cries itself to sleep now.

Three issues here:


Possible gambling addiction (not really saying it is, but it is always something to look out for when people are gambling and doing things...weird)
It is your computer? Then you set the usage policy
DON'T BLOCK THE AIR VENTS!!! They are there for a reason. Laptops overheat very easily, and the designs themselves are a constant battle to stay cool (which is why they use special chipsets and power supplies).

[bufsabre666]

set the house on fire.

mom: OMG! our house!

barbedsaber: told you not to block the vents on my laptop, but you wouldn't listen...


Just set up a cron job to open the terminal, full screen, at a certain time of day, i.e. when you know your mum will have the laptop and display the following message:

lulz

[barbedsaber]

Just set up a cron job to open the terminal, full screen, at a certain time of day, i.e. when you know your mum will have the laptop and display the following message:

:lolflag:

[Dan_Dranath999]

have the same issue with my girlfriend.

[LaRoza]

have the same issue with my girlfriend.

Her air vents are blocked? Asphyxiation?

[barbedsaber]

Her air vents are blocked? Asphyxiation?
ahahahahaha
roflmao

[gn2]

The cure is really very simple, get a hard board that's just a bit bigger than the base of the laptop and put sticky back velcro on it to hold the laptop in place, attach the soft part of the velcro to the underside of the laptop at convenient points away from the vents.
Now the laptop will be safe in bed as the board will keep an air gap the same as if it were on a desk.

[original_jamingrit]

The cure is really very simple, get a hard board that's just a bit bigger than the base of the laptop and put sticky back velcro on it to hold the laptop in place, attach the soft part of the velcro to the underside of the laptop at convenient points away from the vents.
Now the laptop will be safe in bed as the board will keep an air gap the same as if it were on a desk.

Yes! For laptops there are cooling boards that act as a giant heat-sink, and encourage ventilation through the bottom of some laptops as well.

[50words]

Fix the problem for $17.99 plus shipping:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80115790

(There are a hundred or so similar things from various manufacturers that will get the job done.)

[MONODA]

What i do to keep my laptop from overheating is putting it on a bent binder so that there is quite a bit of room for air to flow.

[Raccoon1400]

The cure is really very simple, get a hard board that's just a bit bigger than the base of the laptop and put sticky back velcro on it to hold the laptop in place, attach the soft part of the velcro to the underside of the laptop at convenient points away from the vents.
Now the laptop will be safe in bed as the board will keep an air gap the same as if it were on a desk.

Or even better, a cooling base.

[gn2]

Or even better, a cooling base.

Better still a long life battery like the one on my current Portege 3440CT which fits to the underside of the laptop and acts like a board preventing the vents from being blocked.
http://www.mdsbattery.com/images/products/Fullsize/PA3039U-1BRL.jpg

Works wonders for the battery life as well, over 6 hours isn't uncommon.

When I get my new Acer Aspire One, I'll be making my own board rather than buy one.
Might just even rest it on a hardback book.

[Mazza558]

Her air vents are blocked? Asphyxiation?

Brilliant :)

[Chr0mis]

My solution would be simple: just tell her the following: "Mom, if you kill the laptop I will not get you another one or help you with the installation of a new one or with any computer related help. Get yourself a table and put the laptop on it. Table: 50 euro. Laptop: 800 euros. You do the math."

[ma_nkooo]

set the house on fire.

mom: OMG! our house!

barbedsaber: told you not to block the vents on my laptop, but you wouldn't listen...:lolflag:

[lisati]

Another option is to send the troublesome friend or family member a bill for a new laptop.

DISCLAIMER: Results may vary according to the strength of your relationship.

[barbedsaber]

I stuck a folder on the bottem of it, she threw it away (including the work that was in it, good thing I had copys on my computer) she said it got in the way. Right...

[stoodleysnow]

I stuck a folder on the bottem of it, she threw it away (including the work that was in it, good thing I had copys on my computer) she said it got in the way. Right...

Tech supporting people like this is what will keep IT Technicians busy once problems like Windows are eliminated. They say that if Linux took over IT Technicians would not be needed as much. Yes they would, they would just finally have the time to bring the donkeys of the world up to speed!:)
No offence, of course, this is just intended as a generalisation of people whose misconceptions lead to unnecessary, awkward and stupid IT situations.