Alienware laptops are some of the very best laptops money can buy, especially their top-of-the-range gaming and workstation machines which are equipped with the best and latest componentry.
Alienware and their focus on quality performance and aesthetics have made them a leader among high-end laptops, however even these quality laptops can struggle with cooling, much like other laptops.
Keeping laptops cool is really important and doesn’t have to be difficult, but many people ignore the needs of these machines and don’t understand just how important this is for the short-term and long-term performance of their laptops.
In this guide we’re going to look at how to keep your Alienware laptop cool, as well as why cooling is so important and why laptops are more difficult to keep cool than conventional PC’s so that you’re armed with all the information you need to find a solution to this problem and why it’s so important.
But before we look at the solutions, let’s look at why cooling is so important, and why it’s worth investing in some of the solutions below.
Why is Cooling Important?
Cooling is particularly important for laptops, particularly high-performance laptops because they are generating an incredible amount of heat alongside the power and performance they are outputting, and while their performance rivals the best computers, (particularly in Alienware’s case) they don’t have the airflow and space inside the chassis of the laptop to manage airflow and heat as efficiently or effectively.
This can lead to issues such as throttling, which is where the CPU will massively reduce its speed and performance temporarily to help prevent its temperatures from breaching safe, predetermined limits, however, heat can also cause more long-term damage, permanently reducing the effectiveness and performance of your laptop by weakening thermal paste, stressing components and ultimately increasing the wear on your machine.
Why Are Laptops Harder to Keep Cool?
Laptops are so hard to keep cool because they are often much smaller than desktop computers, and this lack of internal space reduces the size of cooling fans internally, as well as reducing airflow capacity and thermal management.
Laptops simply can’t radiate away the heat generated by their processors and other components as effectively due to their size, and this is unsurprising especially in performance laptops like Alienware machines as they are generating near desktop-level performance, without the ability to manage the heat as effectively.
Laptops are also hard to keep cool because they are very often positioned in places that generate heat, such as your lap, or soft surfaces which massively reduce airflow and effectively choke your machine.
Thankfully there are ways to keep your laptop cool, and we’re going to look at some of the best solutions below to help you keep your machine safe from overheating and throttling.
How to Cool an Alienware Laptop
In this section, we’re going to look at some of the best solutions for laptop cooling, from general usage tips to helpful products that can help increase airflow and reduce temperatures considerably.
Cooling Pads
Cooling pads come in a range of shapes and sizes, but the core premise of these devices is that they keep your laptop cool by acting as the ideal work surface for the laptop to be positioned on.
Quite often these pads will be permeated with holes and made of a heat efficient material or alloy that draws heat out of the laptop’s lower chassis.
The pad will also often have several fans positioned on it, to help cool the pad and draw hot air and heat out of the laptop lower vents, further helping to reduce heat and increase airflow considerably which will help the laptop’s internal components and cooling systems to better manage and dissipate the heat they are generating.
Cooling pads are often very portable and quiet, and easy to use by simply plugging into your laptop with a USB making them incredibly convenient.
Cooling pads often incorporate lighting and variable positioning to allow you to use your laptop in various environments as comfortably as possible, making cooling pads a versatile and effective method of helping keep your laptop cool.
Keep the Laptop Clean and Well Maintained
The next thing you can do to keep your laptop cool is to keep it well maintained and serviced, as well as clean.
The amount of gunk and debris that can build up inside and on laptops is astonishing and somewhat disturbing, and this can have a huge impact on its cooling performance and temperatures.
Dust, hair, and other particles can easily clog up areas such as the keyboard, as well as the various cooling vents and radiators inside your laptop which drastically reduces their effectiveness and also reduces the effectiveness of cooling pads and other aftermarket cooling solutions.
Dust is an insulator and is also difficult to spot and remove effectively.
The best solution is to not eat when using your laptop, and to use compressed air to spray dust and debris out of the various nooks on your laptop, as well as the vents, to keep them clear and prevent a more difficult long term buildup of debris which can be more difficult to remove effectively and have a bigger impact on your overall cooling and performance.
Laptop Vacuum Coolers
Vacuum coolers are another great option and are more aggressive in their approach to cooling, actively ventilating your laptop’s internals and cooling the air it extracts with powerful fans.
These machines mount to the side of laptops on the cooling exhausts and are very effective if slightly more complicated to use and a little less popular.
When combined with a cooling pad however these coolers can have a big impact on performance when used correctly.
There are various brands, some of which have seen many iterations and are very high quality, while others are more basic or less well designed.
These machines can be somewhat cumbersome and hang off the side of the laptop making the machine less portable and user-friendly than cooling pads, and they may not deliver the best results depending on the quality of your laptop’s internal cooling system and vents.
That being said, if you’re desperate to lower your temperatures and improve performance, these are definitely worth looking into and trying out.
Don’t Place a Laptop on Soft Surfaces/Don’t Block Airflow
This touches on something we’ve already mentioned, but it bears reminding. Don’t use laptops on soft surfaces such as blankets or other fabrics, as well as surfaces that will block or stifle the cooling vents beneath the laptop and on its sides.
This can choke your machine and lead to long-term damage to your components and performance, do avoid this at all costs!
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