

Ask YC:  Is it feasible to design a laptop that radiates heat from the back of the display? - amichail

This would mean you could use it on a soft surface such as a bed without having it overheat.  It would also be nicer to use when it's on your lap.<p>Is there any particular reason why the parts that heat up are not placed in the back of the display?
======
inklesspen
The hottest part is typically the CPU, northbridge, or GPU. The CPU is
connected to the northbridge, which is connected to the GPU and RAM. These
connections need to be extremely short, which is why these parts are placed in
physical proximity. You'd basically have to put the entire motherboard back
there, which is going to cause some very interesting engineering problems.

As a side note, amichall, I notice that of your last 30 posts, two were about
your startup, and 17 were Ask YC posts which, frankly, seemed pretty random.
You might want to start trying for quality over quantity.

~~~
amichail
_As a side note, amichall, I notice that of your last 30 posts, two were about
your startup, and 17 were Ask YC posts which, frankly, seemed pretty random.
You might want to start trying for quality over quantity._

That's what voting is for. I can't read minds.

~~~
inklesspen
No, what I'm saying is that if you, yourself, focus on making one or two
really good posts, instead of five or ten mediocre ones, not only will you be
helping yourself, but you'll also be helping out the rest of us.

------
wmf
The OLPC is designed this way; the motherboard is behind the screen.

------
xirium
You're asking the wrong question. Why do modern computers burn so much energy?
12 years ago, I was using an Amiga600 which came with a 15 Watt power supply.
Nowadays, try finding a laptop that has a power supply less than 100 Watts.
Furthermore, you can buy gamer tower cases which come with 1000 Watt power
supplies. WTF?

~~~
wmf
Obviously power consumption has gone up because demand for performance has
outstripped increasing power efficiency. But the Forrest Curve is catching up,
as we can see from all the enthusiasm for sub-$400 computers.

(BTW, laptop power supplies are double-sized, since they need to be able to
power the laptop and charge the battery simultaneously. e.g. a 40W laptop will
have an ~80W supply.)

------
pmorici
My guess would be balance. Putting all those parts in the display might make
it top heavy.

