I think my Dell 17r is running hot. Fan advice?

Hi and welcome to Tom's forum.

Since the laptop is new, apply new TIM isn't an option, so, I suggest you go wit one of the laptop coolers in this page. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=E...

for highflow performance fans I love these

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

If you're a good diy person I'd suggest just build your own cooler. Get a cheap power plug from a thrift store or something with an output of 12v @500 milliamp or so and wire some desktop fans of your choice to it. Then getting a something like a cookie tray (lots of holes already in it) or a piece of cardboard cutting out the fan spots. I've made my own cooler and it worked much better than any usb solution.