How to Cool Down an Overheated Laptop

Article by Pierre Zarokian

Heat is not good for any computer. The hotter it gets, the greater danger of malfunctions and crashes or even permanently damaging your hardware. Although laptops don’t emit as much heat as a desktop does, the truth is that laptops are less ventilated than desktops.

With that said, it’s important to understand that the way to keep a laptop cool is by ensuring that it is well-ventilated. The hot air has to escape so as to cool down your laptop.

So, the first thing you need to do is ensure that the vents aren’t blocked. It’s not a good idea for you to put your laptop on a soft mattress or pillow. Worse still, never ever put the laptop in a bag unless it is in hibernate or sleep mode.

Also, since heat tends to accumulate at the bottom of the laptop, another way to keep your laptop cool is by buying a laptop cooler, which is designed to take away the hot air from the bottom. Most of them cost anywhere between $8 to $40, and have fans that keep the laptop cool.

Finally, another reason why laptops get heated is because of your laptop or desktop being dirty. While desktops are easier to handle, laptops are trickier. One temporary option is to use a can of compressed air which will blow away the dust from the vents. However, this won’t work in the long run because the dust is still within the laptop.

What you must do is turn off the laptop, turn it over and open the screws at the bottom. If you find dust when you open its parts, you just have clean it, and close the casing. And you’re done.