Laptop Cooling Ideas

Laptop Cooler

• Perhaps the easiest and most foolproof way to cool a laptop is to invest in a laptop cooler. Laptop coolers are products that use fans, elevation and other means to cool down the computer. A typical cooler will consist of a housing that is an appropriate size for your laptop, which has fans on the bottom that will increase airflow, diverting the hot air that would otherwise be trapped in between your computer and the surface you set it on. Another advantage of using a cooler underneath your laptop is that if you use it on your lap, you will have a barrier between the heat and your legs.
  
  

Makeshift Cooler

• If you don't want to buy a cooler, you can still achieve a similar effect with household items. When you use a laptop on a desk, heat gets trapped under the computer. By elevating the computer, such as with some adhesive foot pads designed for a chair, you will reduce the amount of trapped heat. After finding a way to safely elevate your computer, you can go a step further and set up a normal household fan to blow air across the laptop. The air passing under the space you created by elevating the laptop will push hot air away from your computer.
  
  

Computer Use

• The way you use your laptop will influence how much heat it generates. If you often find yourself running many programs at once or playing taxing video games, try to limit multitasking and lower graphics settings. When you run your laptop off the battery, the battery will create much more heat than when it is plugged in, so plug it in whenever possible to reduce heat. Refrain from using the laptop on top of a pillow or other soft material that will gather heat and stifle ventilation.
  
  

Considerations

• There are many factors that can lead to laptop overheating---use common sense regarding where and when to use your laptop. If you are out in a hot summer day at a coffeehouse, it probably isn't a good idea to use your computer, especially in direct sunlight. Taking your laptop down to a cool basement, on the other hand, may stave off heat just as well as a cooler. Also, avoid using your laptop in dusty areas, as dust can clog internal fans.