monitor running hot

[BigRat]

I have a samsung syncmaster 750s. When i used it in my room at home I have a ceiling fan right above it so the top of the monitor was just slightly warm. Now I'm using it at my college dorm and due to the lack of space I've had to place it at the corner of my desk at the corner of the room. Now this place doesn't have good ventilation (neither does the rest of the room. It becomes like an oven in the afternoon) and when I touch the top of the monitor, it is very warm. Is there any harm in running it under these conditions?

😎 😱 :redface: :frown: :lol: 😡 😱 :tongue:

 

[Teq]

Monitors are cooled by convection... cool air comes in the bottom, is heated and rises out the top. So the top of the monitor is always going to feel warm in still air... in convection cooling that's actually a good thing.

Now, if it feels way too warm to you...

1) make sure the air inlets at the bottom are not being blocked by anything. You usually want about 6 or 8 inches of clearance all round the base of the monitor to be sure it's getting enough cool air.

2) make sure nothing is blocking the top vents... don't use the top of it as an "inbox" for your study papers...

3) check the vertical refresh rate in your display properties. Most monitors will run hot at maximum refresh... setting it about mid-range (usually around 70 or 75hz at normal resolutions) will cool things down a fair bit without unduely sacrificing display quality.



---><font color=green>It ain't better if it don't work</font color=green><---

 

[david__t]

Totally agree.

If you still feel concerned about the temps after setting it up right then there are loads of mods for monitor coolers. If it is temporary then you could buy a low noise 120mm fan and bung it on the top and attach it with blue tack to deaden the vibrations.

4.77MHz to 4.0GHz in 10 years. Imagine the space year 2020

 

[Teq]

Except that the spinning magnetic field from the fan would <i>seriously</i> interfere with the monitor's display.

Never put anything that produces a magnetic field near a monitor... unless you want to pay for a new picture tube, that is.


---><font color=green>It ain't better if it don't work</font color=green><---

 

[BigRat]

I'm not using the monitor stand at the moment. In fact I never did because it makes the monitor quite wobly when I bump into the table or something. Does this affect the airflow? I did consider using a small fan but hearing what teq said, I'm now a little unsure. Does a fan that small produce that much magnetic interference? Thanks for all the help there guys.

😎 😱 :redface: :frown: :lol: 😡 😱 :tongue:

 

[Teq]

Yes, the monitor stand will make a difference in airflow...

BUT... you can put a couple of thread bobbins or something about that size under the front edge which will help a lot. Stand them on end and hook them under the small plastic feed usually found just under the front corners, so they don't jump out.

Or... just put the monitor on the stand and use the bobbins under the outside edges to stabilize it.

Yes even a small fan will create interference with a monitor. I have a magnetic screwdriver here that affects my monitor from nearly a foot away... it really doesn't take much. What can happen is that the magnetic field from the motor will magnetize the metal in the picture tube itself, causing perminent colour errors that are clearly visible. Not worth the risk, in my book.

That said... there's nothing wrong with getting a small house fan (one of those little 6" jobbies) and directing it toward the monitor from a couple of feet away.




---><font color=green>It ain't better if it don't work</font color=green><---

 

[BigRat]

I just checked and noticed that there are no air vents underneath the monitor. Only on the sides and top. My dad is saying that using an AC fan will cause interference but a DC fan won't. So I think I'll try putting a small DC fan either on the top to exhaust hot air or on the side to pull in fresh air. If I see any change in picture quality I'll remove it at once. I know for sure a short exposure like that won't cause any damage. I once left my subwoofer next to my monitor and noticed that the picture was pulled towards it and had weird colours. Once removed it worked fine again.

😎 😱 :redface: :frown: :lol: 😡 😱 :tongue:

 

[Teq]

Well, the thing is to make sure you have enough circulation... just make sure the vents aren't blocked... don't even bother with the fan -- believe me, you will regret it. Even DC fans have magnets in them.

I repair monitors as part of my living... I've seen what even a small dc fan can do to a perfectly good display.

Go into your display properties... Right click on your desktop wallpaper, click on properties, now click on Settings, Advanced, Monitor... set the pull down to 70 or 75hz. That should cool things off quite a bit.



---><font color=green>It ain't better if it don't work</font color=green><---

 

[BigRat]

thanks i'll try that first

😎 😱 :redface: :frown: :lol: 😡 😱 :tongue: