How to Cool Down Your Laptop: 5 Methods that Work

 

The growth of the tech industry seems to ebb and flow towards smaller devices, then bigger devices, then back again—but in the last few years, when it comes to consumer-level computers, a lot of people have been prioritizing compact size and mobility over raw power.

Laptops have long surpassed the desktop in popularity, particularly among young professionals and students. Even larger number of PC gamers are opting for the mobility of a gaming laptop over the more powerful—but stationary— desktop. Sure, the price points can be vastly different, but with the trend in PC gaming moving towards less-demanding esports titles like League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, and Rocket League (to name a few), even budget-friendly gaming laptops are having no problems running them

However, anybody who has spent a few hours gaming on a laptop knows that the biggest problem that laptops have is that they run too hot. It’s a frustrating problem, and it can take a toll on the hardware in your laptop, too.

While cooling off a laptop isn’t nearly as easy as keeping a desktop computer cool, there are some handy workarounds and tricks you can employ to keep your laptop cool. In this guide, we’ll go over five different methods you can use to cool down your laptop and prevent it from getting too hot in the first place.

1. Get A Laptop Cooler

Due to the compact design of laptops, its not uncommon for them to overheat. The compact design on laptops limits the amount of cooling they can have. So, if you can add more cooling to your laptop, that is going to help your laptop run cooler.

Fortunately, there are a lot of laptop cooling pads on the market, and they work simply enough: a laptop cooler is, in essence, a fan built into a small laptop stand/tray. You place the pad on whatever surface you’re using your laptop on, then you put your laptop on top of the pad and turn it on. The pad’s fan starts to direct air to the bottom side of your laptop, thus cooling it down..

2. Use Your Laptop on A Table or Desk When Possible

Seriously, laptop placement is everything. While lounging on your side in bed is an excellent way to relax, keeping your laptop positioned atop your mound of covers or between your legs on your mattress is hardly the best idea. When it comes to “where,” your best bet is to set your laptop on a hard, flat surface—and not on a softer surface.

3. Keep Your Laptop Clean

Surely this goes without saying, but if your laptop is clogged up with dust and other unmentionable debris, the exhaust fans just aren’t able to do their jobs. Even if you don’t live somewhere where there’s lots of dirt or other particles in the air, every square inch of earth is covered in some sort of dust. If you aren’t a diligent home cleaner, especially if you’ve got pets, your whole home is filled with dust. That dust is making its way into your laptop through its vents and clogging the whole machine up.

4. Change Settings on Your Laptop

Believe it or not, there are settings you can adjust on your machine to ensure that it’s running at optimal temperatures. Aside from ensuring that you purchase a laptop that’s able to meet the demands of the games you’re playing, you’d be smart to check and update your drivers regularly.

Options include lowering your screen’s brightness, making sure that nothing is plugged in that doesn’t need to be plugged in, and closing resource-hogging applications that you’re not using. Also double check your laptop’s power management settings, where you’ll find a variety of options and pre-determined configurations that will maximize saved energy.

5. Routine Maintenance and Battery/Charger Management

Like any electronic devices, laptops just aren’t built to last in the way that other products might be. As such, everything inside your laptop is working with a limited lifespan. So, routine maintenance on your laptop is a must. And, while cleaning out your laptop on a regular basis is a part of good laptop maintenance, there are other things that you might want to check on a regular basis to help keep your laptop running as cool as possible.