Easy to carry when traveling, convenient, light weight, versatile machines that we just can’t get enough of. You must know what I am talking about. Yes, Laptops are becoming extremely popular and for good reasons; however, you can feel that the cost of maintaining and repairing laptop problems is much more expensive than desktop computers.
Today, I will discuss one of the biggest disadvantages that laptop computers have. OVERHEATING! Many people have problems with their laptop computers shutting down unexpectedly, restarting randomly, “Blue Screening” (BSOD), becoming extremely hot to touch and more.
When people experience those symptoms, many mistake them for: spyware, driver problems, viruses and more. The GOOD thing is, I will tell you how to prevent your laptop from overheating, so if you ever experience any of the aforementioned problems, you know that HEAT won’t be the cause!
Laptops are smaller than desktops, thus have much less room for cooling. The cooling fans are usually located near the middle bottom of the laptop, which causes heat from the cooling fans to be blown out of the bottom of the computer.
So this explains why your lap gets “warm” or “hot” when sitting a laptop on it for long periods of time. That actually contributes to your laptop overheating. Sitting your laptop on any “cloth” surface such as bed covers, clothing, carpet, etc; can cause insufficient heat dissipation and can cause your laptop to overheat. Once again, an overheating laptop can shut down, restart randomly, Blue Screen and/or cause permanent and expensive hardware damage.
Here, I am going to give you some suggestions to prevent your laptop from overheating:
1.) Use a “Laptop cooling pad.”
These small devices attach to your laptop via USB, and contain fans that aim upward into your laptop vents, helping to cool the CPU down. The lap is a significant heat producer as the vents are blocked on the bottom of the computer, while the laptop rests on your lap. That in turn causes much of the heat to re-direct back into the computer, instead of blowing out the vents. Laptop cooling pads work well to prevent laptop overheating, but they also work very well for keeping your lap cool!
2.) Ensure your cooling fan works at all times!
If it is “obstructed”, or makes “strange and unusual” noises, get it checked out immediately. The cooling fan(s) cool down the CPU and blow the heat away from your computer. The picture on the left shows a cooling fan assembly exposed, after the laptop has been “taken apart.” This is necessary when replacing or servicing a laptop fan. The CPU must remain cool at all times. Without a CPU, your computer is nothing more than a lap anchor!
3.) Remove your laptop battery when it’s plugged into a power outlet.
This will help preserve your battery’s life, and prevent excessive heat buildup that occurs while continuing to charge your laptop battery after it has been fully charged. Since the battery is a conductor of heat, it helps to remove it when it is fully charged.
So, keep those tips in mind to remind yourself to pay attention to the heat which can seriously harm your laptop.
