Keep a Gaming Laptop Healthy

7 Parts:

Heat Damaged Components

Impact and Pressure Damage

Using Software to Monitor the Temperatures Inside Your Laptop

Keep a Gaming Laptop Healthy: Importance of Gaming Laptop Maintenance

Tips, Tricks & Warnings

Questions and Answers

Comments

With the high powered gaming laptops of today, it's finally possible to take your serious PC gaming on the road without lugging your desktop PC and monitor around. But there are always certain compromises to be had when putting a lot of power into a relatively small package and in the case of a gaming Laptop, that compromise is heat. This How To will outline the main causes of Laptop failure and decreased performance, as well as giving you some handy hints on preventing these and getting your Laptop running as smoothly as possible.

You have probably noticed that in the middle of a game, your Laptop can get warm and the sound from the fan inside suddenly becomes more obvious, this is the Laptop trying to cool itself as intensive processes start to generate a lot of heat. Heat damage can be caused by inadequate airflow, poor maintenance or excessive use at high temperatures. (The risk of this increases as the Laptop gets older.) Below are a few simple steps that will help you prevent heat damage.

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   Although it's called a Laptop, never actually use the Laptop on your lap, a pillow, the bed sheets or any other surface that is not solid and flat

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   Doing this can block vents for fans and passive airflow which can lead to overheating. The ability for the Laptop to dissipate heat naturally is also greatly reduced when it is not placed on a flat surface.

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   Avoid running the Laptop in high temperature environments

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   For some, this might mean using it in a cooler part of your home or office. If you are in a tropical or a very hot and dry climate, then invest in a cooling pad for your Laptop. This will not only elevate it from any surface it is on, which increases natural airflow, but it will also provide additional direct airflow to the vents below the Laptop. When choosing a cooling pad, check the bottom of your Laptop for vents and choose a pad that has fans lining up to these vents or choose one that has manually adjustable air flow.

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   Check for dust blocking any vents on the Laptop

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   A quick visual examination will reveal any dust blocking the vents around the Laptop. It's a good idea to keep a can of compressed air on hand in case you need to clean the vents. Compressed air can be purchased from most computer stores or your local hardware store.

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   If you are noticing excessive heat (try using the software in the section below) while gaming, especially if you notice it only in certain games, try turning the graphics settings down

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   Running games on high graphics settings with mid-range hardware can cause excess stress on the Laptop components.

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Impact or Pressure Damage. A Laptop, being portable, faces higher risk of receiving shocks and bumps. In addition to this, your hands are usually resting on the chassis and keyboard which can cause internal damage from excess pressure.

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   Handle With Care

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   This one goes without saying, but it's something that should be stressed. Your gaming Laptop contains both moving and non-moving parts that can be damaged or dislodged even with the slightest impact. Take care when moving or transporting your Laptop and use a Laptop bag or sleeve when possible. If the Laptop is running and you need to move it, shut it down or suspend it first, as some components are especially sensitive when in use. The hard disk surface for example can be permanently damaged if it takes impact while spinning.

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   If you're at a desk or table, consider using an external keyboard and mouse

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   Gaming on a Laptop can be an intense experience and can be cause for some less than delicate use of the keyboard and touch-pad. If you use an external mouse and keyboard, you will reduce any shocks and bumps that the Laptop would receive (which can cause internal or chassis damage). Alternatively if the game supports a game-pad then consider using one instead.

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Many Laptop components have sensors built into them that constantly monitor temperatures. This enables the computer to automatically shut down to prevent damage when temperatures are too high. Although tolerances for components like the CPU and certain chips on the motherboard can go as high as 100 degrees Celsius, it is best to keep things running between 30 and 70 degrees. CPUID Hardware Monitor is a lightweight software application that can help you keep track of your current temperatures as well as keeping track of the lowest and highest temperature while you leave the application running.

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   Download CPUID Hardware Monitor here

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   There is no installation necessary. Just open the zip file and you will see two applications. If you know that your Windows installation is 64 bit, then run x64. If you're running 32 bit then run x32. To check which operating system type you are running, press the Windows key and the Pause key on your keyboard simultaneously. This will bring up your system properties where you can check for "System Type". Just click the image on the right for an example.
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