Latitude E6400 Owner's Lounge, Part 2

Thanks! RMClock page says it requires workaround on 64-bit Windows.

GK

 

The link to a signed 64-bit driver for RMclock is at the end of the first post in the Undervolting Guide.

John

 

Hi everybody

To change the subject, what do you think about "notebook cooling stands", as advertised even on this page (just now, on the left)

The ones I have seen on the web are located under and blowing the air towards the bottom of the aforementioned notebook - doesn't look very effective in case of E6400. I mean, since it doesn't have any air inlets in the bottom, it won't increase the amount of air going through chassis, only cool the base a little. OK, it this case a base is an additional heatsink, but it still won't do wonders.

In my opinion the best policy would be to blow the cool air directly into the intake grills (on some laptops it is indeed on the bottom), thus assisting the build-in fan and increasing the airflow - the bigger fan could be silent and offer better performance at the same time.

Have you seen anything that would suit E6400? Where are exactly air inlets located? (I am still waiting for my E6400, ETA Feb 9th )

 

The Latitude E series, has a metal based which used with the heatsink. So you don't need a fan blowing air at it... more metal SURFACE you have,the better the cooling, hence why we have a heatsink, and not just CPU + fan on top of it.

 

The E6400 air inlets are on the bottom; exhaust is on the left side.

Heat has not been a problem, so I don't think you need a cooling stand. Of course, your application may vary. Do keep the inlets clear... setting this laptop on your lap top could restrict air flow. I use this laptop table when working in a comfy chair... keeps the notebook setting on a flat surface so air flows and lap remains cool.

GK

 

Let me add, if you worry about heat.. don't...
As I mentioned before, I sometimes overclock my GPU (Nvidia Quadro solution) like no tomorrow (see signature), and the laptop handles the extra heat without issue. I THINK, that Dell could have put a much more powerful GPU easy (ignoring reduction of battery life). If your laptop is built properly, heat should not be any issue.

 

Thanks for the replies.
If air inlets are on the bottom, and metal base is an effective heatsink, then the cooling stand with a fan blowing towards the base should improve the cooling (I am not sure to what extent, but I suppose noticeably). But of course if it is not necessary (GB), even better .

In some posts I have read about multiple monitor configurations that are heating a bit, maybe cooling stand could provide a solution. But of course they use docking stations, which would complicate the matter.
BTW, isn't a docking station stand rather close to the inlets?

 

No closer than when setting on a table surface.

GK

 

Treetopped, I'm using Zalman ZM-NC1000 (almost right size). It was a bit cheaper than NC2000. This is now third month of use. Fans on lowest settings are still quiet, but on full it is disturbing. This is one of effective cooling for laptops. Second that I was testing. I can recommend this one, even if cooling bottom is not best idea. I also assume that change to SSD could decrease temps. (slightly but still....).

 

Hi

I am writing this on my brand new E6400
At first ETA was 5 weeks, I got it 11 days after the order.

Apart from some details I have known before choosing DELL (BTW, I haven't imagined that speakers on such pricey notebook could be THAT bad, fortunately I almost never use them - DELL BH200 in stereo mode is my idea of nice) and it absolutely ROCKS

What I don't like but can live with (first impressions):
- HDD (7200rpm) is vibrating noticeably, and since the fan is not moving, it is the only source of noise; I will try to cushion it somehow later.
- The display is not exactly matte, I would describe it as "satin". It is definitely not glossy, but I can see a shadow of a reflection which is not present on my desktop display. I suppose that it was necessary to make it so absolutely beautifully sharp, and I LOVE IT
- the keyboard have rather more flex that I would expect, but still great for typing.
- I can't adjust to the touchpad - I had synaptics in my old laptop and if not better, it was definitely different. I will either adjust to it or learn to love pointing stick, which is nice and responsive.

The base is definitely warm (but on the other hand, the fan is numb - I haven't installed a proper soft to monitor it yet, but I can't hear it), and now I understand the air inlets - reading reviews I have wrongly assumed that that bottom is really SOLID piece of metal, but of course there are ventilating holes in it. I have a degree on fluid mechanics etc., and in my opinion the space between the bottom and table is bare minimum to allow the air to circulate. Using any sort of cooling stand that offer more space, even without fan, should improve the cooling.

I will come back later to share also second impressions
In the meantime, how can I check/monitor current CPU/GPU speed and other power saving means?
And how to(can I) use TPM to store web passwords? Like for logging to this forum?

P.S. I have ordered Win 7 64 bit English, and it is En all right, but on the other hand Dell Control Point came installed in Polish - do you have any idea how to change that?