How to cool an overheating laptop
By Lindsay Burnham / Laptop Repairs / • • • • • • / 0 Comments

How to cool an overheating laptop

Laptops by their nature can generate a lot of heat. This is especially true when in use for long periods of time on your lap or an environment that's not cooled to optimise performance. But when your device starts to overheat, it can impact the performance of your machine. In this blog post, we outline the causes, and offer a few solutions of how to cool an overheating laptop.

 

What happens when the temperature gets too high?

A certain level of heat is to be expected and is normal for your hardworking device. Being a laptop, there is less space for the components compared to a PC and heat can build up quickly. However, when heat intensifies it can result in a slowing down of functionality which can lead to data loss. Longer term this can severely impact your machine.

Your laptop suffers a lot, you move it from a desk to your bag, onto a train or plane and then back again. This means dirt, dust and bacteria makes its way into the cooling device which is exposed on the base. This dirt builds up and can eventually affect the performance of the cooling fan.

 

How to prevent an overheating laptop

The temperature of your machine should not exceed 35 degrees celsius. To keep it within the guidelines we advise the following:

• Keep the vents free
• Make sure your laptop is on a flat surface so that air can circulate
• Remove any objects such as dust or hair from the vents
• Operate your machine in a cooler room
• Use a laptop stand which will allow heat to move round your machine
• Put a cooling mat underneath your laptop

To clear the vents, we recommend you use a compressed air spray. This should dislodge any dust or build of dirt and create a clear path for the air to move round.

 

What causes an overheating laptop?

Running lots of applications at the same time or streaming video games or films can contribute to the problem. They affect the temperature levels of your laptop. Over time your battery will deteriorate as will the thermal paste which cools your device. Monitor the number of applications you have open at once and close any that are resource intensive.

The CPU Turbo boost maintains the efficiency of the processing core of your machine – but only when it is operating within normal temperature levels. If your device is overheating, disable this function. Disabling the function may see a slight slowing in processing but it should also see a reduction in the temperature of your machine.

If following the tips above hasn’t solved the problem, and you still need to know how to cool an overheating laptop, then contact us. One of our technicians will be happy to review your laptop, make an appointment for the repair and provide you with a quote.

Is your laptop running slowly
By Lindsay Burnham / Laptop Repairs • PC Repairs / • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • / 0 Comments

Is your Laptop running slowly?

If your laptop or computer is running slowly it doesn’t take long before you lose your patience in dealing with the issue. You assume there is nothing you can do and start looking for a new machine.

However, help is at hand, at Gadget Rehab we can review your machine and offer you practical solutions. If you would like to try to solve the issue yourself first, then follow the steps below which we have put into three categories:

System

The first thing is to shut down your machine and restart it. If you always have your machine in sleep mode, it may be missing vital updates which can slow your machine. This could be the time, switch it off, switch it on again, may just work.

Next, check which programs open on start up. If you have too many set to automatically load on start up, they will add to the time it takes for your machine to be fully operational. You can check this in task manager or the program settings.

Make sure you have anti-virus software installed and run it to check for any viruses that may have found their way onto your machine.

This is also a good time to check all your drivers are up to date. To check, search for the latest versions online and make sure they are installed.

Hardware

If the hard drive on your computer is close to being at maximum capacity this will significantly slow the speed of your machine. Your machine always needs capacity to store and manage temporary files to ensure the smooth running of your programs and the efficient running of your machine. Aim to always have 20% capacity on your hard drive.

To free up space quickly:

  • Empty the recycle bin
  • Delete temporary files and unnecessary files
  • Move large documents to external storage devices such as an external hard drive, USB or to the cloud

Some programs take up a large amount of space on your machine. Programs which are industry specific such as finance or design software can install add-ons which you are not using. Disable the features you do not use.

Software

If you have several tabs open at the same time or a lot of programs running, they are all competing for your machine’s resources. This can put too much pressure on the processing power and cause your computer to slow. To fix this:

  • Close the program completely when you have finished using it
  • Close tabs not in use
  • Bookmark tabs so you can refer to them at another time
  • Check installed programs are not running in the background or have encountered a problem

It is important to keep your software up to date, however, you should only install necessary software updates and disable those that update automatically.

If you are still experiencing issues with your laptop or computer running slowly then it is advisable to make an appointment with us at Gadget Rehab. One of our engineers will be able to look at your machine and find the root cause of the issue. Call us today on 01494534008.

By Dan-The-Tech-Man / Apple Macbook Repairs • Microsoldering / • • • • • • • • • • • / 0 Comments

Laptop DC In Charge Port Repair and Replacement completed at Gadget Rehab High Wycombe.

Has your laptop stopped charging or has your DC In Charge Port been damaged or become faulty.

Don't panic your laptop may not have succumbed an instant death and Gadget Rehab may be able to recover this for you.

Laptop DC In Charge Port Repair

Give us a call to diagnose and repair this issue and hopefully we can get your device back up and running as quickly as possible.