LAPTOP COMPUTER INFORMATION PAGE - The goal
of this page is to provide a basic understanding of why laptop
or notebook computers get hot. Updated: 6/28/11
Why do Laptops
Get
Hot?
That's a good question.
Laptops get hot because they are computers and all computers get
hot. In fact, humongous main frame computers require a special
air conditioning system just for the computers. I guess the
question now is why do computers get hot? Computers get hot
because they are composed of electronic components that all
generate heat as a by product of using electricity. The main
producer of heat is the
CPU
(Central Processing Unit or main Computer Chip). That's why you
will always find at least 1 fan on a modern laptop and that's
for the CPU. Typically you will find 2 fans on a desktop. One
for the CPU and one for the power supply. The ingenious thing
about laptops is that put the power supply (the
laptop brick) outside the internal case of the laptop
otherwise laptops would get much hotter than they do now.
Laptops typically generate less heat than their big cousin the
desktop computer. However, the heat that they do generate is
more apparent to the user because the heat is much closer to the
computer operator. For example, the keyboard on a desktop
computer never or rarely gets warm and uncomfortable because
it's far from computer system. However, most laptop users can
tell you that laptop keyboards tend to get warm and sometimes
uncomfortable. The other problem with laptops is that they can
overheat if their fans or cooling ventilation gets restricted or
even blocked altogether. This usually occurs when you operate
your laptop on a soft uneven surface like carpet or bed
blankets. The uneven surface fills in the air gap and prevents
the warm air to escape from the portable computer. The first
general rule is to either use a good
laptop
cooler or always place the laptop on a smooth hard surface.
The other rule is to never place the laptop on a bare laptop or
on any bare skin. Placing a laptop directly on your skin can
cause what experts call "Toasted
Skin Syndrome" where a person's skin becomes reddish in
color from the prolonged exposure to a heat source. Therefore, I
recommend that if you are going to use a laptop on your lap,
that you get some type of laptop cooler that puts a barrier
between you and your laptop computer.
Hot Spots on the Bottom of Your Laptop
The general rule is that as a
byproduct, all electronic components generate heat to some
degree. The typical modern day
laptop
has several main components that all generate heat creating
hot spots on the bottom of your
laptop. The usual hot spots include the CPU, Video or
Graphics
Card, Hard Drive, CD-ROM or DVD Drive, and even the
laptop battery generates heat. And therein lies the best
reason to get a 4 Fan Laptop Cooler like the QuadCooler, because
a cooler like this provides
balanced cooling to all the hot spots on the bottom of your
laptop or notebook computer.
Take a look at these melted laptop
computers.
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