Stacking laptops

[MadHatter]

I have quite a few laptops of different brands and models (a few being IBM T23's) and am currently using them as test boxes for different temp server setups. Being setup as servers I have no need to use the screen or keyboard.. I just SSH in. So here is my questions..

Given the heat that laptops produce near the bottom of the unit would it due any damage to the laptops to have them stacked upon one another? I have probably 5 that could be stacked, and all of the fans blow to the sides or back (none looking for air on the bottom). I could take the batteries out too if that would help. Would this cause the plastic casing of the ones underneath to turn color from constant heat? Or damage them in any way? Right now I just have them all spread across a few tables but it takes up tons of space. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[Cerulean]

I would at least take out the batteries, since it is a source of heat that you can easily remove.

EDIT :: The only benefit the batteries would serve server-wise would be power redundancy. Just make sure you have a fan or two blowing air through between each of the laptops -- which in that case you might want each laptop 0.5cm or 1cm apart from each other.

EDIT2 :: Other than this, I don't know what possible damage it could cause if you just stacked them without additional ventilation and without spacing them apart a little. My webhost's laptop melted when its fans died...

 

[MadHatter]

How would I space them? I was thinking about putting something in between them and had some foam sheets.. but that would probably end up blocking air flow more as well as create a fire hazard.

 

[Nanan]

Go to Home Depot and get a 1"x2"x8' furing strip and have one of the guys in lumber cut it up into 8" long sections. It shouldn't cost you more then $4 including cost of cutting, if you get a cool guy he won't charge for the cuts and you get away with $2 for the spacers.

Just be mindful when you place the spacers to not block any vent or fan openings and you should be fine. I did this at an old job where I had 5 old IBM laptops running as test environments.

With the GPU in sleep mode/off the laptops will not be generating a ton of heat, if you do notice they are running warm go get a $5 box fan from Home Depot while you are at it.