Cooling fans vs cooling pads. Clamshell mode

Hi, I haven't used my macbook for gaming much, but the few times I have i've noticed it gets quite warm. I plan on buying a game for it soon (diablo 3). I will be running it on an external monitor with wireless keyboard and mouse and plan on keeping the macbook in clamshell mode while I do this. I had a few questions. I have read up on macbook cooling and have learned that elevating the computer will help in cooling it and that the air is dispersed through the hinge area of the screen and keyboard and not underneath the computer. Will a laptop cooling fan do any good in further cooling it from underneath? Do the cooling pads without fans that simply disperse the heat have a worthwhile effect? And lastly how does clamshell mode effect the cooling vents? Does it not cool as well while closed? Thanks for the help.

Well over 300 views and no help...

Perhaps because none of those reading have an answer for you? Just sayin'.

The elevation will definitely help in keeping it cooler. They have pretty cheap elevation stands. Or create your own makeshift one lol
Not sure that clamshell works too well with keeping it cooler as it doesn't allow the heat to dissipate as well.

I'd say most of the cooling fans are kinda wasteful unless you can get one for real cheap, but the elevation should work well enough

Hope I could help, have fun lol

After years of trying just about every stand and fan setup there is I settled on a gel filled mat. No fans needed. The surface is dimpled to allow the heat to displace well. The solid gel balls turn to liquid as it gets heated and then turns back to solid when cooled. My new MacBook Pro has yet to fully melt the gel. My older one however can fully melt it in around 6 hours of heavy use. I have two of these mats. When one becomes liquid I stick it in the fridge and pull out my second one.

You can get them on amazon for $5.99 Look for:
Targus AWE45US HeatDefense for Laptops (Gray/Black)

Just out of curiosity, how about the gel filled ones that don't require refrigeration?

The one I mentioned does not require refrigeration. I only put mine in the fridge to cool it faster. The pad will cool on it's own in a couple hours. Putting it in the fridge cools it in about 30 minutes.