Laptops Arena

Continuing our saga of important laptop parts, we are going to speak about laptop coolers and laptop cooling pads. As you already know, overheating has been a problem with some laptops in the best as it is still a problem with certain models. This is one reason why netbooks have weak components inside, to prevent overheating. Because netbooks are smaller, their units are also smaller. Powerful components like top of the line processors and graphic card generate a lot of heat and high temperatures inside a small laptop could severely damage the internal parts.

When you have a powerful laptop, they are exposed to serious heat problems. This means that you can’t use the laptop on your lap because of the high temperature and it also shortens the life of your notebook. You may have noticed that the longer you keep your laptop up and use it, the more its temperature it’s going to rise. This is because the interior fans of laptop cannot handle the heat output generated by the laptop’s parts. Fans need cleaning because dust often gets though the air vents and the more dust is accumulated, the slower your fan is going to be. You must take laptop heating very seriously if you want a laptop which you can actually use for the next year.

Try not to put your laptop next to other things that generate heat. The first think that came to my mind was our very own bodies. They generate heat and when the laptop is not on a flat surface, the air vents could be blocked therefore preventing the circulation of the cool air. One thing which is important for you to know is that when the laptop battery is charging, it’s also producing heat. This is why I recommend you take out the battery from the laptop whenever you keep your laptop connected to a power outlet. Most people don’t pay attention to the stuff that lies on the desk to close to the laptop and they usually block the air vents. This means that hot air is retained within the unit and this leads to serious heating of the laptop. Make sure that there is nothing blocking the vent so that air can come out.



A great new solution for cooling your portable friends is the laptop cooling pad. The cooler pad is also known as a chill mat and it is considered to be an accessory for laptops. I say it should be a MUST! The cooling pads reduce the overall temperature of the laptop especially in cases where the fans can’t handle the pressure. Just like a mouse pad, you place the cooling pad underneath the laptop because the bottom is always the part that heats up first and then spreads the heat in the rest of the laptop. There are 2 types of cooling methods: active and passive. Passive cooling usually uses some cooling crystals that eventually turn into gel in time. If the laptop does not generate any heat, the gel turned back into a solid material. In the mean time, active coolers use air and liquid to redirect the heat away from your laptop. There are cooling pads that use a power adapter but we prefer those that use the laptop’s power to run and they are connected to the unit using one of the USB ports. It’s better this way because you may not have an extra power outlet in handy to plug the cooling pad in and you may not have a power outlet at all around you.



Laptop cooling pads work in different manners. Some of them can draw the heat from your laptop while others can blow cool air into the notebook. Depending on the model of the cooling pad, you can adjust the speed of the fan or it can stay the same as there may be only one standard speed. You should know that those coolers that are connected to the USB ports have one big disadvantage. An USB port can only supply the cooling pad with 2.5 watts of power and the consequences are obvious.



You have to be really attentive and weigh the pros and the cons of the cooler you want to buy. Don’t joke around with laptop heat because it damaged the internal parts of the laptop. You could be attracted to certain cooling pads are pretty and colorful and they match your laptop’s looks. Pay more attention to their functionality rather than their appearance. Think about where you use this laptop. Do you carry your laptop around a lot? Could you carry the cooling pad along with the unit? Can you use the cooling fan when you place the laptop on your lap? Will it be comfortable? Is it too heavy? You must answer these questions before “Is it going to look good under my pink Dell?”

Customer reviews are always a good way of researching a certain products. Which is best to tell you if a product is good: the salesman that has to bring profit to the company or the customer that has already used the product and it can tell you how it works? Look at all the functionalities that are available for the cooling pad you want to buy. Just like I said, some can be connected to one USB port and you can even attach other peripherals with the help of the cooling pad. Some pads have on and off switches so you can turn them off when the laptop is turned off as well. Other laptop cooling pads will stay on for as long as you keep them plugged into the power outlet.



This covers about all the important things you should know about laptop cooling pads. They are especially indicated if you have a monster laptop, bigger than 16 inches because big laptops have powerful components and therefore generate a lot of heat. Remember that a cool laptop is a laptop that is going to be functional for years to come.