Maximum PC

This past weekend I modded an old HP laptop into a shadowbox frame, much like the DIY picture frame how to that was recently posted. Everything seemed to go fine until I let it run for a while, the machine is now overheating because its trying to vent straight down. I tried putting a few holes in the frame to allow for airflow and that didnt really help. I've considered a fan to get more air moving, but im not sure how I'd power it. Anyone got any ideas that could help me out?

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/939164/Internals.jpg

Mod Edit: Your picture didn't just break the tables, it destroyed them. If you embed images try to size them down to around 1024x800 or so.

For a fan you really only need 3-5v DC to power it. The picture is really has to see what is going on there. You might need an intake and exhaust port to bring in fresh air and dump the waste heat out.

you can probably just make a vent and just use an exhaust fan. MaxPC put a 120mm exhaust fan only, in an unvented cabinet, and it still dramatically reduced component temps.

OP doesn't have room fro 120mm fans. Likely will have to use 25 or 30mm and in order to reliably move the air a pair of them will likely be required considering the volume of box we are working with. Most laptops have an in and an out on them for this very reason.

I understand the process of airflow and i've put some holes for ventilation in the frame. I thought about fans but i dont know how to power them, seeing as how the laptop motherboard in there doesn't have any power connectors. I did leave the stock cpu heatsink/fan combo on the cpu, but it cant seem to handle the cooling alone for the 16"x20" frame.

then again, a self-contained picture frame is a lot smaller then a cabinet. a single 60mm fan will probably do the job. I've never seen a laptop under $1000 that isn't Pentium 4M that has more then one fan.

At this point I think the only options you have is to find a power source some where on the motherboard or bring in your own with an adapter from radio shack. You may be able to solder wires onto the power jack for the AC adapter if you feel you have the skills to solder in that small of an area. That would probably give you 12v DC to work with (Although most smaller fans IIRC are 5v).

Maybe... but I doubt it. My guess is that the shadow box isn't that thick so there a) isn't room for a 60mm and b) there isn't much space to channel air, hence the fans need to help it along.

Your point about the fans, while I doubt that it is as common as you think to not have two fans of some kind, is irrelevant to this scenario. Why? Laptops suck in air and exhaust it right back out (in the case of the CPU fan). That hot air doesn't stay inside the case. Inside the shadow box he is sucking air in that is inside the box, blowing it over the CPU, and then pushing it right back INTO the box again. Look at any laptop, I'd put money on the CPU fan being semi-circular pulling in from the back and pushing out the side (or vice-versa). The problem is the air never leaves the box.