How to Solve Laptop Overheating

Keep your laptop cool so you don't have to worry about overheating.

Each year laptops are built to be smaller and faster. For obvious reasons, most people don't want a slower, bulkier laptop, but a smaller size makes it more difficult to keep your laptop cool. Small components are packed tightly together, and there's less room for air flow in newer laptops. Preventing your laptop from overheating isn't impossible, but you might have to make some sacrifices in the departments of processor speed and time on your laptop.

Instructions

1. Maintain air flow. Softpedia notes that laptop users often use laptops at home on the bed, on a cushion of the couch or on their lap. All of these places restrict air flow and aren't good places to operate your laptop. Look for a flat surface with plenty of room on all sides of the laptop for airflow.

2. Clean the laptop fan. Dust and dirt particles can build up around your computer fan, preventing proper cooling of your laptop. Fonerbooks notes that laptops usually have a removable plastic covering over the fan. Remove this cover and clean out dust with a cotton swab.

3. Switch to Power Saver mode. Microsoft designed power saver mode to cut back on CPU power, screen brightness and overall power use. Switching to Power Saver mode will slow your computer down a bit but allow your computer to stay cooler.

4. Turn your laptop off when it gets hot. Coolest Cheap Laptops says if your laptop feels hot to the touch, overheating isn't far behind. Turn your laptop off, and allow at least 10 minutes for your laptop to cool down before using it again.

5. Purchase laptop-cooling gear. A laptop fan or support legs can increase air flow and cut back on laptop heat.

References

• Softpedia: How to Cool Your Hot Laptop
• Fonerbooks: Laptop Fans and Overheating
• Microsoft: Power Management
• Coolest Cheap Laptops: Laptop Cooling