Laptop's a bit fanny

[TitusFinckter]

Hello. Although I'm getting a healthy 5 or 6 frames per second with basic and atmosphere shaders on, my computer's fan keeps whirring.

It's extremely annoying and quite probably dangerous. Should I postion an auxiliary blower next to my laptop to help calm the situation?

It happens with the six o'clock news also so I don't suppose it's entirely SL's problem.

[Freya Mokusei]

I would never describe 5/6 frames per second as healthy, it sounds like you have an underpowered laptop. Analogue TVs output at over 20 frames per second, and modern monitors at 50 or 60 - these numbers aren't just convenience, they're designed to reduce visual flicker, which can lead to eye strain and user fatigue.

Laptop fans are supposed to whirr (this is a sign of healthiness), but because laptops aren't generally designed for constant 3D use - of the kind that SL requires - they can suffer from a shortened lifespan.

It sounds like you might want a beefier system to improve general performance as well as product lifespan. An auxillary blower ('cooling mat' as they're sometimes known) can be useful to encourage airflow, but this won't lead to more harmonous operation.

[Rolig Loon]

Most laptops were never built to handle the heat that's generated when a graphics system has to handle the load that SL drops on it.  If you don't already have a temperature monitor on yours, go on line now and find one.  There are a dozen good, free ones you can download and install.  You can expect your machine to heat up when you log into SL -- mine goes up by almost 20 degrees -- but if it's running more than about 65 or 70 degrees C, start worrying.  Graphics cards can be expensive to replace.  Unless you are using a laptop that was sold as a gaming machine, with a dedicated graphics card, I'm betting that it uses an Intel chip on the motherboard instead.  If that fries, you can probably trash the machine.

Other than monitoring temperature closely, you can help things a bit by being sure that there is plenty of air circulation around and into the machine.  Invest $20 in a support pad with a fan in it -- you can get one at Best Buy or Wal-Mart -- and get a small desktop fan that you can blow across the machine too.  Do NOT put the laptop on your lap or do anything to block the vents on it.

You should be getting at least 20 FPS for a reasonable SL experience.  If you're getting no more than 5 or 6, you are abusing your laptop.  It's a matter of time before it abuses you.  In addition to ventilation, I suggest doing what you can to reduce the graphics load that's generating heat in the first place.  Drop your draw distance to 64 to 128 m at most, set the quality slider no higher than Medium, and turn off shadows.