I use a Multivision Solus 1010 laptop computer. Its processor and graphics card get very hot (upper and lower left hand corners of the computer) and can cause the computer to overheat and lock up while running resource-intensive 3D games, and so on. The solution, I decided, would be to make a custom cooling stand for the laptop to sit on. It would be called the TURBO CHAPTOP 2000.

The Turbo Chaptop 2000, top view

There are a few notebook coolers already available, but the majority of these are powered from one of the laptop's USB ports (6 or 7 volts, I can't remember which). I wanted a more meaty 12 volt supply to power larger fans.

This cooler is very similar to the Chaptop, but with smaller fans and a slightly different design. It also runs from USB and not from an external power source.

This cooler has a futuristic design and appears to distribute the airflow across the entire underside of the laptop, thanks to its grille surface.

Cooling is provided by computer case fans, strategically positioned on the stand to provide a flow of air directly into the computer's vents. These vents, on the Solus, are on the left-hand side of the computer (under the Tab, Caps Lock keys, etc). Current market-available cooling stands generally have two fans near the middle of the stand, one of which would blow pointlessly against the solid plastic of the underside of my computer and not actually cool it very much.

I decided to go for a pair of 120mm fans. These fans push more air than standard 80mm case fans, and their larger size means that more of the computer's underside will be subjected to their blast. They are screwed directly to the chassis of the cooling unit with countersunk screws and are guarded underneath by standard wire fan grilles, as seen on the rear of tower PC cases.

The fans are wired in parallel such that each gets an equal split of the current (voltage to each fan remains 12V).

The body of the Chaptop is a sheet of 2mm aluminium, bent into shape to provide enough space for air to enter the 25mm-thick fans from beneath.

I was originally going to give the cooler a small variable resistor (rheostat) to control the speed of the fans, in order to provide quieter cooling for less heat-intensive tasks or cooler months, but this would essentially have been complicated and unnecessary. I opted instead to control the device by a simple on/off switch.

I found a power supply lying around in the garage to use. I did not want to permanently solder the transformer to the cooler itself, so I decided to keep it as a separate part that could be plugged into the Chaptop via a male/female Molex connection that came with the fans.

Technical details:

The two 120mm 12V fans are rated as 380 mA, so there is the potential to increase the power of the Chaptop, and hence the speed of its fans, by finding a transformer up to 760mA.Currently (excuse the pun), the fans are receiving 150 mA each, so there is the potential for them to spin twice as fast and provide even more efficient cooling.

Photo gallery

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