How to Cool Down and Reduce a Hot Laptop’s Temperature

Excessive heat is one of the most common issues laptop users face. High temperatures can lead to thermal throttling, which reduces performance, and in extreme cases, hardware damage. Thankfully, there are several effective methods to cool down your laptop and prevent overheating.

Clean the Vents and Fans

Dust buildup in the vents and fans is a major culprit for laptops running hot. Here’s how to clean them properly:

• Use a can of compressed air to blow out vents. Hold the can upright and spray in short bursts to dislodge debris.
• Use a soft bristle brush to remove more stubborn dust from the vents and fan blades.
• Wipe down the visible heat sinks and heat pipes with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol.
• Be very gentle and don’t force anything – bent fan blades will make cooling less effective.

Keeping the vents and fans clean allows optimal airflow to carry heat away from components.

Manage Processes and Startup Items

Background processes and startup items can tax your CPU and GPU, causing higher temperatures:

• Close any apps you aren’t actively using like web browsers, office suites etc.
• Disable or uninstall bloatware that runs in the background unwanted.
• Adjust settings so your laptop doesn’t index drives in the background while active.
• Set power management to switch off hard drives after a few minutes of inactivity.

Stopping unnecessary background activity reduces load on components.

Update Hardware Drivers

Outdated drivers can prevent hardware from regulating temperatures properly:

• Install the latest GPU drivers from Nvidia or AMD.
• Update other hardware drivers like chipset, SSD, and WiFi.
• Update BIOS firmware if available for your laptop model.

Updated drivers optimize hardware settings for performance and thermals.

Adjust Power Settings

Windows and macOS include default power settings that favor performance over cooling:

• Set the power plan to “Balanced” or “Power Saver” mode.
• Lower maximum processor state to 80-90% for less heat output.
• Enable settings like “Cool Sense” or “Intelligent Cooling” if available.

More conservative power settings reduce component load at the cost of some performance.

Use a Laptop Cooling Pad

Laptop cooling pads attach to the bottom of a laptop and use fans to increase airflow:

• Choose a pad with high airflow fans (70-80 CFM or above).
• Get a pad with adjustable height settings to angle the laptop for ergonomics.
• Some pads include additional USB ports which is handy.

Cooling pads with high airflow fans can lower laptop surface temperatures by over 10°C.

Undervolt the CPU/GPU

Undervolting reduces voltage supplied to the CPU and GPU to generate less heat:

• Apps like Intel XTU (Windows) or VoltageShift (macOS) simplify undervolting.
• Start with a small undervolt of -50mV and test stability with stress tests.
• Increase undervolt in -25mV increments until unstable, then dial back a notch.

A stable undervolt can lower temperatures by over 5°C without affecting performance.

Use a Laptop Stand

Using your laptop on a flat surface like a bed can severely restrict airflow:

• Choose an open metal stand that allows airflow through the vents.
• Ergonomic stands raise the laptop screen closer to eye level.
• Passive stands hold tablets and have adjustable angles.

Stands raise laptops to allow 66% more airflow than using them on flat surfaces.

Replace the Thermal Paste

Old dried out thermal paste between the CPU/GPU and heatsink leads to increased temperatures:

• Arctic Silver or Noctua NT-H1 offer excellent thermal conductivity.
• Apply paste using the “rice grain” method for optimal coverage without overdoing it.
• Replacing paste every 2 years helps maintain lowering temperatures.

Fresh thermal paste can lower CPU/GPU temperatures by 8-12°C in laptops.

Use a Vacuum Cooler

Vacuum coolers use condensing principles to provide intense, targeted cooling:

• They attach onto vents using a rubber seal to maintain suction.
• Most vacuum coolers can lower surface temps by 20°C and CPU temps by 15°C.
• Cordless battery-powered models offer portability.

Vacuum coolers provide rapid, powerful cooling but are bulkier than pads.

Improve Airflow Around the Laptop

Using your laptop on cluttered surfaces or beds constricts airflow from the vents:

• Avoid placing laptops on elevated surfaces for better airflow.
• Keep the exhaust vents unobstructed and give the area clearance.
• Use laptops on hard flat surfaces like tables or desks.

Improving airflow and surface contact allows for more effective passive cooling.

Lower Ambient Temperatures

Using laptops in hot environments causes components to heat up quicker:

• Switch on AC or point a fan to maintain cooler room temperatures.
• Avoid placing laptops directly under sunlight.
• Enclosed spaces trap heat – use laptops in open, well ventilated rooms.

Ambient temperatures over 30°C can raise laptop surface temperatures by over 8°C.

Monitor Component Temperatures

Use free apps like Core Temp and GPU-Z to get realtime temperature readouts:

• Check temperatures after 15 minutes of average workload to test cooling methods.
• Consistent temperatures under 90°C for CPU and 85°C for GPU are safe.
• Thermal throttling occurs above 95-100°C – take steps to improve cooling.

Monitoring temperatures helps gauge the effectiveness of cooling methods.

Summary

• Keeping vents and fans clear of dust buildup is essential for allowing heat dissipation.
• Closing unused background apps reduces unnecessary load on hardware.
• Updated drivers improve thermal regulation on hardware like the CPU and GPU.
• More conservative power settings trade some performance for lower operating temperatures.
• Cooling pads with high-CFM fans can significantly lower laptop surface temperatures.
• A stable undervolt reduces CPU/GPU voltage to lower heat output.
• Laptop stands improve airflow and passive cooling from the exhaust vents.
• Replacing dried out thermal paste helps maintain a good thermal bond between hardware and heatsinks.
• Vacuum coolers offer rapid, intense cooling but have limited portability.
• Avoiding hot ambient environments and improving laptop airflow reduces temperatures.
• Monitoring temperatures determines the real-world effectiveness of different cooling methods.