Solved Manipulating fan speeds on a laptop

[jschneidere92]

My laptop gets too hot, sometimes the cores are over 75 C. I've gone into BIOS and the only option for the fan speeds was to allow it to run constantly and that is enabled. I've also tried SpeedFan but couldn't get it to work and then I read it typically doesn't work with laptops because of proprietary motherboards. I have cleaned up inside the chassis as much as I can with compressed air but nothing has helped significantly. Is there any other programs that'll work or anything else I can do to drive the temp down? Its uncomfortable to actually have on my lap because it gets so hot. I had used the HP utility to adjust fan speeds but it must not be supported for my machine anymore or something because it no longer works.

I have HP pavilion dv6, 2nd gen i7 at 2.0 GHz, 6 GB memory. I don't really know what else would be pertinent so if you want any more info, just lemme know. And thanks in advance.

 

[marsmimar]

Laptops have limited space (compared to a desktop) and usually have physically smaller and less powerful fans. Most laptops also have vents on the bottom surface that will be blocked if the laptop is placed on your lap. Many people invest in a laptop cooling pad to aid in air circulation.

Depending on how much money you want to spend, cooling pads come in a variety of sizes, number of fans, etc. They typically plug into a USB port for power. More info here:

About Laptop Cooling Pads | eHow.com

Amazon.com: computer cooling pad: Electronics

 

[jschneidere92]

Okay thanks, there is just nothing I can do by way of software?

 

[Dwarf]

No. All this type of software can do, if it works on your system, is adjust the speed of rotation of the fans within the limits of fully off (or nearly off) to fully on. It cannot, however, make any fan go faster than its maximum speed.

Having said that, ensure that the vents are clear and that the fan is indeed turning (it is not unheard of for fans in laptops to stop working because they are clogged up with dust and other detritus).