I've got a 13 laptop that I've had for a few years now, and it's been working perfectly until a couple weeks ago. It's a Dell Inspiron laptop.However, a few weeks ago, one of the fan has burnt out, and is completely unusable. As a result, the computer overheats fairly quickly, even on minimal usage. Whenever I open up a browser, or my IDE, I run a deep risk of overheating my computer: and as a result, it shuts down immediately.Are there any good computer fans, ideally powered by USB, that would work as a way to prevent my computer from overheating? It should be able to trap heat effectively from the right side to be vented out. I've got a price range of about $20, and it should be quiet, and durable (last me about 1-2 years) while I wait to get a new laptop :)
External fan for over-heating laptop
usb;laptop;ventilation
First of all, a small disclaimer. Bear in mind that whatever external fans you may feasibly buy and install will provide much less efficient cooling than an internal one, mostly due to proximity and heat dissipation efficiency (there's a reason why the fan is usually close to the heatsink, which is in direct contact with the CPU).  Running the computer under these conditions will have a high risk of damage due to overheating.  Now, on to your actual question.I've had heating issues with previous Dell laptops that I've owned (Vostro, Inspiron), and have used cooling pads/mats to great effect.  In particular, Cooler Master makes good cooling pads, like this slim cooling pad in your price range.  I would definitely recommend something like this for a simple, store-bought solution.You could also go for a more involved, probably more expensive and DIY solution, like building your own fan assembly with a high-performance fan (such as this one from Noctua, which makes some of the best air coolers for CPUs).  I have no experience with something like this, other than putting together cooling kits, but I would think they may give you better cooling performance.  Then again, they might not.  I would recommend this only if you like the challenge of building it, which might be really fun :).Best of luck!