Laptops or computers, in general, tend to produce a lot of heat on a regular basis, and that is exactly why they usually come with their own built-in cooling systems. But there will be times when the laptop can get too hot depending on certain circumstances that it can be difficult for its own cooling system to keep up. That is the time when you might think about getting a laptop cooler. So, are laptop coolers actually worth it?
Laptop coolers are worth it if you tend to push your laptop to its limits or if you usually use your laptop in a warm environment that doesn’t allow your laptop to cool itself well enough. However, in most cases and as long as your laptop’s cooling system is working, a laptop cooler might not be needed.
Laptop coolers are not fads, as some would say. They actually serve a good purpose and are pretty useful in certain circumstances depending on how and where you use your laptop. That said, you need to learn more about laptop coolers if you want to know whether or not they are actually worth it.
Are laptop coolers worth it?
When you own a laptop, it is essential that you know how to properly take care of it because there will be instances where your laptop actually cannot take care of itself. One such instance is when it tends to become a bit too warm while it is operating as laptops or any electronic device, for that matter, produce a lot of heat on a regular basis while they are operating. This is exactly why laptops come with their own cooling systems so that they can dissipate heat that is produced by their different components such as their CPU and RAM.
However, there will be times when the laptop may end up producing more heat than its cooling systems can handle. You might have noticed this when your wrists feel warmer while they are resting on the top of the laptop as you are typing. For some people, this can be normal.
But the truth is that this can be dangerous to your laptop because some laptops aren’t built or designed to be able to handle operating under such warm conditions. This is why some laptops that tend to produce more heat than they can handle often operate slower than usual or may even end up shutting down due to overheating.
As such, this is why there are some people who try to augment their laptop’s built-in cooling systems using a laptop cooler. Laptop coolers are usually cooling pads or stands that come with fans or other cooling methods that are supposedly there to help your laptop operate at cooler temperatures. For laptop cooling stands, they usually tend to raise your laptop to such a level that will allow the cooling vents to operate without getting clogged or blocked. Regardless of how laptop coolers work, are they really worth it?
Yes, laptop coolers are actually worth it when you consider the fact that not all laptops are capable of handling the processes and the different things that people do with them on a regular basis. Of course, you also have to consider that not all environments where people tend to use their laptops actually have optimal conditions that will allow the laptop to work or function under cool temperatures.
For example, there are some people who tend to open too many different processes for work-related reasons to the point that the CPU and the RAM are pushed to the limit. This can end up producing more heat than the laptop can handle. Another similar instance is when a gamer uses the laptop for games that tend to push all of the different components to the limit. And you have to consider the fact that gamers tend to play games for countless hours straight without usually giving their laptops enough time to rest.
Moreover, certain environments really aren’t ideal for laptops to work and function well enough to allow their cooling systems to work optimally. This can include homes that don’t have proper air-conditioning or environments that tend to be on the warmer side (especially during the summer). And even if the laptop has the term “lap” on it, it isn’t really supposed to work cool enough when you place it on top of your lap because of how the temperature of your lap and the fabric of the clothes you are wearing may end up making it difficult for the laptop’s cooling system to work.
As such, that is where you can see the importance of using a laptop cooler as these devices are actually capable of helping the laptop’s built-in cooling system to allow it to work more efficiently under circumstances where the machine tends to produce more heat than it can handle. In short, a laptop cooler is worth it.
What are the instances where you need a laptop cooler?
That said, what are the instances where laptop coolers are more than likely needed?
1. Hardcore gaming
Regular gaming sessions where the owner or the gamer plays games that don’t push the laptop to its limits don’t necessarily require a laptop cooler. But there are some games that usually push the laptop’s components to work harder for extended periods of time. In such instances, a laptop cooler should help keep the laptop cool enough when the built-in cooling system can’t handle the heat on its own.
2. Warm environments
If you tend to use your laptop in warm environments because you have no choice (such as when you live in a warmer region), a laptop cooler may make it less difficult for your laptop to work under cooler temperatures. While the internal heat produced by the laptop is the major culprit of laptop overheating, external heat can also help. So, as a laptop cooler helps in keeping external heat at bay, you are essentially making it easier for the internal cooling system to do its job.
3. Older laptops
Some older laptops have deteriorated so much that they tend to produce more heat than they can handle. So, if you don’t have the budget to buy a new laptop, a laptop cooler may allow you to extend the operational limits of an older laptop before it overheats and shuts down.
What laptop coolers aren’t able to do
While laptop coolers may be worth it, they still have their own limits. Let us look at some of them:
- Laptop coolers are not meant to allow you to play games that your laptop can’t run under normal conditions.
- You can’t use a laptop cooler to push your laptop well beyond its operational limit. If your laptop is already too warm, there is nothing else a laptop cooler can’t do.
- Laptop coolers are not substitutes for proper ventilation and cleaning. If your laptop’s cooling system is clogged, there’s nothing a laptop cooler can do about the heat the laptop is producing.
- Your laptop cooler is supposedly there to augment the cooling system and to decrease the external heat that can affect the laptop’s overall temperature. It is not meant to be the main cooling system of a laptop.
- A laptop cooler cannot make miracles for a laptop that has a busted cooling system.
