Laptop Overheating – A Concise Guide
A laptop is designed in such a way that it can accommodate most critical components within a limited space. These components include processor or CPU, RAM, hard disk, graphic card, mother board and host of other components. Naturally, when all these components are running simultaneously, they generate a lot of heat. A cooling fan installed at the bottom portion of the laptop circulates the air inside the laptop body so that optimum temperature is maintained. As a failsafe measure, your laptop shuts itself down when it is overheated. If it is a one-off incident, there is nothing to worry about. However, if your laptop is not functioning properly, among many other reasons, overheating might be a probable reason. You can determine if your laptop is overheating if –
The cooling fan is running excessively and makes noise
The laptop shuts down without any reason
Persistent blue screen errors
Such problem occur if you are playing games on your laptop or are running an application or a program that makes the processor and other major components work harder. Excessive overheating of laptop may damage the processor, hard disk, RAM, motherboard or a graphic card each costing nothing less than $100. If the laptop is still under warranty, it is advisable to get it checked from the vendor. However, if that is not the case, do rush to the vendor as you might end up spending a lot of money just for a very simple task.
Ways to Prevent Laptop Overheating
A faulty cooling fan is the most common cause for laptop overheating. If you observe the bottom portion of your laptop, you will find numerous vents which aid in air circulation. If the vents are blocked due to dust or any other reason, your laptop will eventually get overheated and lead to many other problems. In order to avoid this, try one of the following things –
You need to tilt your laptop while it is being used so that the air flow to the cooling fan is consistent. This can be achieved simply by putting a small book under the battery. Ensure that cooling fan vent does not get blocked because of the book.
If the problem persists, try sticking egg tray sockets at the four corners of your laptop while it is being used.
Laptops do not get overheated if you use them in a cool environment like an air-conditioned room.
Do not rest the laptop on a soft surface like sofa, cushion or a carpet as that may be blocking the cooling vents. Rather always try that the laptop is resting on an even hard surface that facilitates even air flow.
Clean the circulation vents either with compressed air can or a vacuum cleaner.
You also can buy a laptop cooling mat available at most computer stores or simply order it online.
Laptop overheating is not a trivial problem that can be overlooked. Take precaution well within time and increase the life of your laptop significantly.
