Most laptops use fans to cool components that would otherwise overheat. Typically a laptop volition take one or two fans cooling the main processor and graphics scrap. Many designs use a heatpipe organisation to describe heat away from these components, with a single fan cooling a heatsink which is fastened to the heat-pipes. The heatsink will have lots of fins to dissipate the oestrus, and dust can also build up between these fins, reducing cooling efficiency enormously.

With everything packed tightly to brand the laptop as slim as possible, at that place's very niggling room for airflow. And that means that fifty-fifty modest amounts of dirt and grit tin can hamper the cooling system's effectiveness.

How to clean a laptop

If your laptop'due south fan is running more than noisily or more oft than usual or won't plow off at all, the first place to look is in Windows' Task Manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc). On the Processes tab you'll see how much of your laptop's resources each app is using, but y'all may have to click on 'More details' to see these stats.

Look for whatsoever app using a high percentage of the CPU time, equally this is commonly the chief culprit when a fan is running at top speed.

If there's nothing out of the ordinary, you tin endeavour to clean the fan and heatsinks. Unfortunately, this is non an easy task in many modern laptops which aren't designed to be opened upwardly by users, and fans tin can be located deep inside.

Other laptops have removable 'service' panels underneath that require but a screwdriver to remove, but getting to the fan is the best way to properly clean information technology.

How to make clean a laptop fan using compressed air

If you're not confident using a screwdriver to dismantle your laptop, grab a tin can of compressed air or try a camera lens air duster if you're worried about using compressed air. Vacuum cleaners are not recommended: they're quite ineffective at removing dust from laptops and they can also cause a build-up of static electricity which y'all don't desire around a laptop.

Obviously make sure the laptop is powered off before you start, and remove the battery if possible. Insert the nozzle of the air duster into the vents (or as close equally you can become information technology) and get-go blowing the dust out. Try and finish the fan blades turning using a long plastic object - you'll take a difficult fourth dimension removing dirt from a spinning fan.

Laptop fan clogged with dust

How to clean a fan past opening upwards your laptop

For those that are happy to wield a screwdriver, turn off your laptop, flip information technology over, and remove the battery, if possible.

If there is ane, remove the plastic or metal panel in the base of operations and hopefully it will reveal the fan. Your success here will depend entirely on your laptop model. If y'all don't see the fan at all, you'll have to go one step further and remove other parts. At that place are many YouTube videos that show how to take laptops autonomously: just search for your make and model.

If you can access the fan, utilize a pocket-size brush to remove any dirt and dust. If y'all use compressed air, don't get too close with the nozzle and exist sure to stop the blades moving. You lot'd exercise well to unscrew and remove the fan at this point and check for whatever other clay underneath information technology which could be bottleneck upward the heatsink or air vents.

Later on y'all've removed the fluff and dust, replace parts in the order you removed them.

Tin can I replace the fan in my laptop?

Many laptop fans take plastic bearings which don't last forever. If your fan is emitting a loud whine (which information technology didn't when yous outset got the laptop) information technology's probably time to supervene upon information technology. Here, ebay is your friend but it helps if yous accept a popular make of laptop: we found a lot of Dell, HP, Acer and Asus fans simply yous'll need to search for your exact laptop model.

Before y'all order annihilation, bank check you can access the fan and lucifer up the dimensions or check with the seller to be certain you're getting the correct office.

Sometimes, these jobs are best left to the experts so contact your laptop manufacturer or a local repair shop for a quote.

Laptop cooling pads

A cheaper and easier pick is to buy a cooling pad which is essentially external fans for your laptop. You'll pay more for pad from a well-known brand, and less for a no-proper noun pad from Amazon or ebay.

For example, the 1 below has three fans and two USB ports and costs £12.99 / $24.99 from Amazon:

How to keep your laptop cool

It's not every bit user-friendly to accept to utilize your laptop on summit of a pad such as this, but the cooling outcome should take the load off the internal fans and potentially make everything cooler and quieter.