My Laptop Is Getting Too Hot - How Can I Make It Cooler?

An overheated laptop is at risk of becoming damaged and inflicting burns.

Despite their names, laptops don't seem to be used very often in laps. One of the reasons for this is due to the heat generated by a running laptop. The heat from a laptop can make it uncomfortable to rest in your lap, and can be dangerous for your device. If you are having problems with your laptop overheating, there are a quite few techniques you can try, and products you can buy, to cool down your laptop.

Things You'll Need

• Laptop cooling stand

Instructions

1. Turn on your air conditioning or move to a room that has air conditioning. The cool air in the room will help cool your computer down.

2. Place your laptop on a hard surface. When your laptop is on a hard surface, its fan works more efficiently.

3. Unplug USB devices that you are not currently using. USB devices that are plugged in use power even when you aren't using them. This can cause your laptop to heat up.

4. Lower your screen's brightness setting. The brighter your screen's display, the more power your laptop is using. Most laptops have a power saver option that dims the screen.

5. Open your laptop case and clean the dust out of it. Dust can become trapped in your laptop, which slows down its internal cooling system. Note, however, that you should only take your laptop apart if you are sure that you can put it back together.

6. Use a laptop cooling stand. Laptop cooling stands are designed to keep your laptop cool and your legs shielded from heat. These stands vary in quality, with the most expensive often having at least one or two built-in fans.

Tips & Warnings

• If you think your laptop is overheating, turn it off. Getting an extra bit of work done is not worth burning out a component in your laptop.

References

• The New York Times: 10 Ways to Cool Down Your Laptop