Are laptop cooling pads worth buying?
Heat is the arch enemy of all types of electronics, and it is the number one reason for their damage over time. If we mean computers specifically, they include many electronic components inside such as the processor, hard disk, RAM , and power supply , and thus produce a lot of heat during operation.
Therefore, an excellent cooling system must be available to work on exhausting this heat, which in turn ensures that these components will perform their functions properly on the one hand, and maintain their life for the longest period on the other hand.
For desktop computers, there is more control over the cooling system, so the user can completely change the cooling system and move to a more efficient system such as water cooling, or add more heat-dissipating fans inside the case, and other things.
In the case of laptops, the cooling system is very fixed and complex - due to the compact design. Therefore, these devices have to work hard to keep their internal components from overheating.
But sometimes things get out of control of the cooling system and the temperature rises excessively, especially when running games or editing programs. This is where external solutions come in. If the laptop temperature rises with daily use, consider buying a cooling pad.
Before I tell you why, let me first explain how it works.
Basically, laptop cooling pads are divided into two types: Active and Passive. The first type is a pad that contains a large fan or several small, powered fans, the purpose of which is to move the hot air coming out of the laptop and make the internal cooling system more efficient when performing difficult or resource-intensive tasks. This is by far the most common type, and you will see different forms of it in the markets or online stores.
Passive cooling pads work to reduce the temperature of the laptop by "dissipating" the heat. In other words, these pads are highly efficient thermal conductors , which allows the heat to be absorbed from the laptop and then dissipated into the air.
The idea is not much different from the way processor cooling fans work, with the board radiating heat into the air and away from sensitive components.
Active cooling pads are cost effective, they are very cheap. On the other hand, the internal cooling fan(s) can be quite loud, and they require power or an external source to operate, which often means sacrificing a USB port on your laptop.
Passive cooling pads operate completely silently, they are just a piece of metal with no mechanical components, and they are the best in terms of design and cooling efficiency. However, this is the most expensive type.
Why might you need to buy a laptop cooling pad?
Airflow and heat dissipation are two of the factors that manufacturers prioritize when designing laptops. However, there are some expensive laptops that have heat-related issues.
If your laptop slows down after using it for a long time, or if it gets too hot, or if performance drops suddenly at times, the main reason is likely overheating. Older and cheaper laptops are more likely to experience these problems than others.
Perhaps the reason is the compact design of these devices, as placing a large number of electronic chips in a small space always leads to heat dissipation challenges, and they are not properly solved by the manufacturers. Considering the difficulty of disassembling the laptop to check the heat problem, the best solution is definitely to place and use the laptop on a cooling pad.
Keep in mind that overheating can cause strange problems that at first glance may not seem to be related to heat at all. For example, there have been reports that the sudden loss of Wi-Fi connection on recent Sony VIAO laptops is due to the overall temperature inside the device.
It turns out that Apple has designed MacBook Pros to automatically reduce their performance significantly when the temperature rises, in an attempt to protect these devices as much as possible.
You may also notice performance degradation when playing video on cheap Ultrabooks or Netbooks when the temperature is high. In general, if there is a problem after a certain amount of use, you may need to use a cooling pad as a solution.
See also: The most effective way to reduce the temperature of the computer processor
Which Cooling Pad should I buy?
The most cost-effective laptop cooling pads will always be active pads. As such, you should choose one that has multiple cooling fans, preferably three or more.
However, keep in mind the noise generated by these fans working together before settling on this type of cooling pad. If the fans are made of poor materials, expect the noise to interfere with the audio when watching a video or playing a game, giving a poor impression and user experience.
If noise is a concern for you and you prefer to work in silence, or if your laptop has a minor heat problem, passive cooling pads are a good option.
Here you should buy panels made of materials that conduct heat efficiently, such as aluminum. Since the cooling process is done by increasing airflow, the panel should leave a large empty space under the laptop; try to avoid panels that stick out to the base of the device, and rather choose those that provide more height.
Since cooling pads are placed directly under the laptop, make sure to get one that's roughly the size of your laptop, not smaller. Tilted cooling pads are generally more comfortable than flat ones, but make sure there are some pieces to keep the laptop from sliding around while it's being used at this tilt.
In conclusion, if your laptop is experiencing heat-related issues that are clearly noticeable during daily use, cooling pads are a practical, effective, and also inexpensive way to solve this problem. It is not the final solution, but at least it will revive the device and make it work well — without having to buy a new laptop.
But if you think that the cooling pads make the laptop experience uncomfortable, you can commit to trying some effective tips to reduce the laptop temperature, which we have previously reviewed in a detailed topic on how to “ cool the laptop .”