One advantage of owning a laptop is that you can carry and use it practically anywhere; your bed, commute, kitchen, etc. Assuming you have tried using your laptop on a mushy surface like a bed, chances are you noticed that the laptop will start over-heating after a couple of minutes. However, this should not deter your comfort as there are several ways of ensuring your laptop doesn’t overheat.
Some of the simplest ways to prevent a laptop from overheating include:
1) Using a cooling pad.
2) Investing in a laptop bed stand.
3) Connect the laptop to the TV, and so forth.
This article will cover what makes a laptop overheat, different methods of dealing with the overheating issue, tips for preventing a laptop from overheating, and other things we feel would be necessary where the subject is concerned.
What Makes a Laptop Overheat?
At the bottom and the sides of your laptop, you will find several cooling vents designed to facilitate airflow. The warm air produced after your laptop runs is pushed out by fans incorporated inside the laptop while cool air is sapped in, and the cycle continues.
The laptop also has small stands that prevent it from lying flat on a surface to promote airflow. However, this feature is only applicable when the laptop is on a flat surface, say a table.
Whenever you use a laptop on a mushy surface like a bed, couch, blanket, etc., the laptop sinks into the surface, preventing airflow. And when the hot air has no outlet to be expelled, it remains in the laptop, causing it to overheat.
Tips on How To Use Your Laptop in Bed Without Overheating
There are a few ways to prevent overheating on a laptop. The method you choose is dependent on the level of comfort you seek and how much you have to spend. As mentioned earlier, below are a few options to choose from:
Method #1: Buy a Laptop Cooling Pad
Cooling pads are designed to act as an extension to your built-in laptop fans. Some are equipped with as many as five extra fans, which will undoubtedly ensure your laptop is cool while cushioning noise emanating from laptops.
Essentially, cooling pads are meant for people who use their laptops for power-intensive activities such as gaming or programming. Therefore, even an affordable one will work perfectly if you do not run heavy programs on your laptop.
The problem with cooling pads is the angle you are using the laptop in matters a lot in how effective the cooling results will be. If you cover the fans of the cooling pad too much, your laptop will still overheat.
Method #2: Buy a Laptop Bed Stand
One of the best ways to prevent a laptop from overheating when used in the bed is by plopping it on top of a laptop bed stand. Most companies give you the option of choosing any design you like and allow you to adjust the height to your liking.
Although a laptop bed stand does not come with additional fans, you will not need them as the surface will be flat; hence your in-built fans will be able to do their job.
Aside from preventing your laptop from overheating, laptop bed stands are also very comfortable and good for your spine. You will hardly need to strain your hands and neck while staring at your laptop screen.
Method #3: Connect Your Laptop to the TV
If you have a TV near your bed and what you do doesn’t involve typing, consider casting your laptop screen to the TV. Of course, this will be dependent on how close the TV is and the model of your laptop. If you choose this method, you will still have to invest in a portable mouse and mouse pad to facilitate performing tasks from the TV screen.
Additional Tips
Here are a few things you can do to prevent your laptop from overheating:
- Service your laptop every six months.
- Occasionally clean out the vents.
- Adjust the graphic settings and brightness.
- Consider placing an oscillating fan near your bed.
- Place a flat elevated surface under the laptop, such as a thick book.
Conclusion
Suppose you want to use your laptop in bed; use the above tips to prevent your laptop from overheating. However, don’t ignore the problem because if your laptop keeps overheating, the heat will eventually damage the inner components, forcing you to replace the laptop altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some laptops come with an inbuilt feature that allows you to monitor the laptop’s CPU temperature and so much more. If your laptop does not have the said feature, download third-party software.
Not necessarily. Chances are it will be unpleasant as it will overheat. However, there are many ways to protect your laptop from overheating when used in bed.
