Why Do Laptops Get Hot?

The above image shows the typical hot spot on the bottom of a laptop computer

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.

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