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Laptop Stand for MBP (advice/help)

kuebby

kuebby

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 18, 2007
1,586
12
MD
I'm thinking of getting a stand for my mbp and wanted some advice on which to get.

I was thinking of this one ands wanted to know if anyone had experience with either this one or another that they would like to recommend.
 
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kuebby said:
I'm thinking of getting a stand for my mbp and wanted some advice on which to get.

I was thinking of this one ands wanted to know if anyone had experience with either this one or another that they would like to recommend.
Click to expand...


$50 + shipping for a piece of metal and two or three 5V DC fans. No...

This is what I have. It's the same thing: a piece of metal with three 5V DC fans. I got mine for $10. You can get one from ebay.
 
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There's these too.

Personally, I use a cushion or a desk or other soft or immobile objects like this and can't see the need.

But then I've been eating from dumpsters since spending my life savings on a MBP :)
 
powermac_daddy said:
$50 + shipping for a piece of metal and two or three 5V DC fans. No...

This is what I have. It's the same thing: a piece of metal with three 5V DC fans. I got mine for $10. You can get one from ebay.
Click to expand...

That's nice. And cheap. But does it keep the MBP noticeably cooler? Can you plug it into AC instead of USB? Right now iStat says CPU A is 151 degress even though yesterday I did the "Cooler Apple" modifications of Applefan and Appleblower. I'd just like to cool it down a little.
 
kuebby said:
That's nice. And cheap. But does it keep the MBP noticeably cooler? Can you plug it into AC instead of USB? Right now iStat says CPU A is 151 degress even though yesterday I did the "Cooler Apple" modifications of Applefan and Appleblower. I'd just like to cool it down a little.
Click to expand...

I love it.

So I received my first MBP back in June, then tested the USB stand/cooler: Idle CPU temperature was around 60 - 65 Celsius - Without the cooler.

With the 3 fans on, CPU temperature went down to 40 - 43 Celsius.

I am getting my 3rd replacement soon. I can't wait to use the stand again.
 
I don't believe the external fans are really necessary. When my MBP sits flat on a desk, its entire top case becomes very warm to the touch in less than an hour. But when my MBP sits on an mStand, its top case remains completely cool even after several hours of use. All it takes is some passive circulation around the bottom of these beasts to keep them from thermonuclear meltdown. :)
 
Alloye said:
I don't believe the external fans are really necessary. When my MBP sits flat on a desk, its entire top case becomes very warm to the touch in less than an hour. But when my MBP sits on an mStand, its top case remains completely cool even after several hours of use. All it takes is some passive circulation around the bottom of these beasts to keep them from thermonuclear meltdown. :)
Click to expand...

In my case, I guess it's necessary coz all the 3D modeling and graphic stuff.
 
I never was a fan of iLap even with my powerbook. I found the fan ended up running internally more often than when I would just put it on one leg. Not to mention how quickly it got hot, but that could be because of vent location I suppose, in any case iLap I don't recommend.
 
I don't see the need for having a stand with external fans, at all. My MBP spends hours gaming, rendering FCP/Motion stuff, and more intensive activities. It can sit there all day with processor, and even GPU usage nearing 100%, and my iCurve is perfect. The ventilation is more than adequate without needing more noise.

It's now been replaced with the Elevator, which looks just as good.
 
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harmonica01 said:
I never was a fan of iLap even with my powerbook. I found the fan ended up running internally more often than when I would just put it on one leg. Not to mention how quickly it got hot, but that could be because of vent location I suppose, in any case iLap I don't recommend.
Click to expand...

Me netiher, they should have included rubber grips. The thing ended up scratching my PowerBook.

EDIT: I also have the Elevator and its pretty amazing.
 
bigandy said:
I don't see the need for having a stand with external fans, at all. My MBP spends hours gaming, rendering FCP/Motion stuff, and more intensive activities. It can sit there all day with processor, and even GPU usage nearing 100%, and my iCurve is perfect. The ventilation is more than adequate without needing more noise.

It's now been replaced with the Elevator, which looks just as good.
Click to expand...

you have to try it. temperature drops around 20 C.
 
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I'm using the Elevator and my temps have dropped noticeably (approx. 7C). The added bonus is that it positions the laptop more ergonomically (i.e. level with my eyeline) which prevents sore neck and back muscles after 8 hours or so in front of it. I think any stand that raises the computer, like the Elevator, mStand, iCurve, etc. is a good thing.
 
I don't need fans specifically I just need my MBP to be cooler. I'm still not sure which I'll get (stand or fans) since both seem to make it cooler.
 
Using a Griffin Elevator here too. Looks good, works great (i.e. runs a little cooler, sits higher, saves room, ...) and really worth the money.

My father in law uses one of those stands with fans and it doesn't help at all! It will help cool the case, but not necessarily cool the CPU, GPU, etc.
It's not because the temperature readouts are lower that the actual processors are running cooler. The MBP's case isn't designed to function as a heatsink, so cooling it will not directly improve heat-issues. Fans are used to blow heat through the case and heatsinks, they make air flow through (cool air in, BUT more important: warm air out).
Laptop cooling pads make people believe they function the same way internal fans do, but they don't do much more than blow wind against the case.

The excess heat produced by the USB-port to power the "cooler" will probably be enough to minimize the heat-loss obtained by using the cooling-pad.

Something that would cool air before being sucked inside the case would be a lot more efficient. Cooler air has more heat-absorbing potential, and thus fans would need less air to cool. These pads will cool the circulating air inside the MBP to some degree, but the difference will either be negligible or the fans would have to be quite powerful and thus noisy.

My opinion; minimal effects, mostly crappy designs and noisy.
 
The iLap does work, but I find that alternating between lap and table, it is a massive fiddle to attach / detach the cushion.

Perhaps they thought it out as much as they could, but I don't think it's a very good solution. The Apple is the only laptop in my possession (At the moment I have pre-SR MBPs) that actually mandates I use one of these whenever I want to use it off a desk. The initial elegance of the MBP is therefore destroyed by the kludges I have to use in order not to burn myself.

The Elevator is fine for using on a desk - in fact, it's mandatory if you don't want the wood being blistered :p However it's only functional improvement over the iCurve seems to be the takedown ability. I have both and in terms of a 'plonk down and leave' solution I prefer the iCurve.
 
Sesshi said:
The iLap does work, but I find that alternating between lap and table, it is a massive fiddle to attach / detach the cushion.

Perhaps they thought it out as much as they could, but I don't think it's a very good solution. The Apple is the only laptop in my possession (At the moment I have pre-SR MBPs) that actually mandates I use one of these whenever I want to use it off a desk. The initial elegance of the MBP is therefore destroyed by the kludges I have to use in order not to burn myself.

The Elevator is fine for using on a desk - in fact, it's mandatory if you don't want the wood being blistered :p However it's only functional improvement over the iCurve seems to be the takedown ability. I have both and in terms of a 'plonk down and leave' solution I prefer the iCurve.
Click to expand...

Too bad Griffin no longer makes the iCurve.
 
Before I bought the Elevator, I was considering the mStand. What eventually got me to choose the Elevator were:

- the angle on the Elevator is not as severe
- the lid release button is not covered so I can open and close the lid easily
- I felt the Elevator would promote better cooling since there was a lot of open space available for air movement and not just a small tear drop cut-out
- the Elevator is portable, unlike the mStand, but I doubt I'll be taking the stand anywhere
- lots of space under the Elevator to stack external HDDs or store keyboard etc.

And while the mStand does "look" good, I preferred the utilitarian usefulness of the Elevator. :D
 
daneoni said:
Me netiher, they should have included rubber grips. The thing ended up scratching my PowerBook.

EDIT: I also have the Elevator and its pretty amazing.
Click to expand...

I just replaced my old stand with the ilap and absolutely love it. They do send out rubber grips with it now and I put them on immediately. My mbp does run cooler than before. My old stand was really great and I now use it with my little g3 ibook, but with the larger mbp I wanted something it would fit on better and it fits perfectly. As for the pad, I leave it on whether working on my lap or on a table. It makes a very comfortable wrist pad. I would definitely suggest it..... and, it does look really nice :D
 
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