Overheating laptops have been a problem for a few years already. The first time when this issue gained a huge attention was in 2006, when reports claimed that some laptops went on fire. Back then, the problem was caused by some faulty batteries and companies such as Acer, Sony and Dell had to initiate major recalls of laptops.
However, sometimes not the bad battery is the issue that makes your laptop to overheat. As you already noticed, all the electronics get hot when they run for a while, such as a DVD player after you play a movie. Electronic components will always generate heat as long as they are working and your laptop is no different. Below, we will explain you some reasons why your laptop gets so hot and we’ll tell you about some ways that you can use to keep it cool.
Reasons Why A Laptop Overheats
There are two main reasons why laptops have more overheating problems than desktops. First of all, the components in your laptop are crammed inside there. With other words, since the components are closer to each other and since the laptop casing is so narrow, there is not much room from where the heat can dissipate.
Another issue that causes your laptop to overheat is the power. Nowadays, laptops get more powerful processors and operating systems that require more processor power to run. With other words, more heat will be generated inside the case. All laptop manufacturers know about this issue and there are a lot of components inside that are supposed to remove the heat such as: air vents, heat sinks or fans. All these type of components are working together to keep your laptop cool, but sometimes that’s not enough. At the same time, sometimes it can be the user’s fault that causes the laptop to overheat.
Laptop Overheating: Things That You Can Do
By making sure that your laptop’s cooling abilities are working well, you will most likely fix this issue. With other words, you will need to take care of your laptop and not let it stay in a room full of dust.
With other words, if you notice that your laptop is generating a lot of fits and if the fans start running at shorter intervals, the first thing that you should consider doing is a basic maintenance.
First of all, you will need to check your fans and make sure that they are working properly. However, since the fans are inside the case and by opening a laptop case, you can void the warranty, we suggest you to check on the internet if a laptop’s Manufacturer Company that has created a fan-diagnosing tool that you can download and install on your laptop. If you can’t find one, we suggest you to download one from any other reliable vendor online.
Another thing that you should do when your laptop is overheating is making sure that the air vents are clean. Most laptops use airflow to aid with cooling and they have intake vents near the front of the case and exhaust vents somewhere in the back.
Debris and dust can block these vents and stop the air to “circulate” inside the laptop. The best ways to clean the vents is to blast them with compressed air. You can also use a slightly damp cloth, but make sure that it isn’t too wet.
Laptop Cooling Accessories
If you notice that your laptop’s cooling system is working flawlessly and the laptop still overheats, then you will need to “help” it by purchasing a cooling accessory. For example, if you use your laptop on your lap, then there are high chances that the device overheats because it can’t “bread” as any soft surface will impedes airflow into and out of the cooling vents. At the same time, it can also cause the heat to get “caught” underneath the unit and this is how the people’s lap gets burnt.
You can avoid your laptop to get burnt by purchasing a stand, which puts a distance between you and the bottom of the laptop. With other words, it creates a space where the heat is able to dissipate.
There are also laptop pads that come with one or more fans that help the device to cool. These kinds of pads are not very expensive and we suggest you to purchase them, especially if you have a gaming laptop, which tends to overheat very often.
We also suggest you to take your laptop to service at least 1-2 times per year. This way, the person who works there will be able to open the case for you and remove all the dust that’s inside it.
HINT: Keep in mind that the heat characteristics of your laptop will always change depending on the temperature from the environment, power usage and age of the device. With other words, even if you have a perfect cool setup, your laptop will still overheat if you are in a room that has around 95 F degrees.
