How can I keep my laptop cool?

Keeping your laptop cool is essential to preventing it from overheating. Excess heat build-up in a laptop can result in the laptop overheating, which could cause damage to the internal components. When a laptop overheats, most often it will shut down automatically in an attempt to prevent any damage.

Preventing heat build-up is important and should be considered when purchasing and using a laptop. To help reduce heat build-up and keep the laptop cool, you can use a cooling pad.

Cooling pads come in multiple varieties. Some are basic pads, which allow for better airflow on the underside of the laptop, where heat build-up is more common to occur. Other cooling pads have fans built in to help pull heat away from the laptop, thus improving airflow and keeping the laptop cool.

You can purchase cooling pads from most computer retailers and online. Prices range from $15 to $75, or more for the really nice ones. However, cooling pads in the $35 to $50 are typically adequate for most everyday laptop cooling needs. We recommended a cooler pad with a built in fan since it will offer a much better cooling solution. Most, if not all, of those cooling pads plug into the laptop for power, using a USB connector. They are light-weight, and most are pretty quiet when running.

Short of buying a cooling pad, another way to keep your laptop cool is to place the laptop on a table or flat, hard surface when using it. This allows the bottom of the laptop to be elevated above the surface it is sitting on, which keeps air flowing underneath and around it. Also, make sure there are no objects sitting close to either side of the laptop. Many laptops push warm air out the sides of the laptop, and if the sides are partially or completely blocked by an external object it will prevent heat from escaping. The heat could build up and cause the laptop to overheat.

Also, try to use the laptop in an environment that is not too hot or humid, as this can cause excess heat to build up in the laptop.