Do Laptop Cooling Pads Work?

So, you have finally decided that the solution for your overheating laptop is a cooling pad but are unsure on whether cooling pads work as they as advertised.

I can’t blame you, the branding on cooling pads has gotten a little out of hand lately making many people doubtful of the bogus claims made by manufacturers.

This is where we step in. In this article, you get a comprehensive guide on everything you need to know before buying a cooling pad for your laptop. 

Are you ready to unravel everything there is about cooling pads? I will take you through the basics of how does a cooling pad works and functions and then address the potential harm it may cause.

Technically Yes, laptop cooling pads do work in reducing the temperature of the laptop by a varying degree. Given the right situation and environment, you can expect an average temperature drop of 10-15 °C.

This drop-in temperature not only eliminates the problem of thermal throttling but also enhances the performance of the laptop.

Expected Results When Using a Cooling Pad

Before you go head diving in and buy a cooling pad let me iterate to you that you are not always going to always get a consistent result.

The temperature may vary depending on the given situation. With the correct environment, you can expect a temperature drop of 10-20 degrees when using a laptop cooling pad.

On the contrary, if things don’t pan out as expected you are looking at a temperature drop of 5-10 degrees only.

You can however optimize the working of cooling pads for your laptops by using the information provided below.

Cooling pads work best for laptops with these two characteristics i.e.

• Laptops that are constantly exceeding or are near the thermal limit. Most laptops have a thermal limit of 100 for both the CPU and the GPU temperature.
• Laptops that are large and have plenty of vents and air channels for the proper flow and distribution of air.

This is not to say that laptops that are not within this set of rules cannot benefit from a cooling pad. They can, however the temperature change before and after applying a cooling pad will not be as big as you would have hoped or expected.

Also, keep in mind that there are plenty of other variables as well when it comes to how much temperature a cooling pad can reduce.

Hence each person gets a different outcome so why not share your experience with a cooling pad in the comment section below to widen the perspective of everyone reading.

Why Do We Need Laptop Cooling Pads in the First Place?

One cannot deny that the core idea of a cooling pad is great. These days laptops are jam-packed with powerful hardware without taking into account the repercussion of the heat it may produce.

Although manufacturers are trying to beef up the cooling systems in their laptops still the result a proper global standard is yet to be reached.

The heat problem further worsens when the laptop ages. During the duration of use, the laptop sucks in the surrounding dust clogging the internal fans.

Hence without the proper spin of the fans heat generated from the powerful hardware cannot be dissipated out of the laptop.

The excessive heat is not only harmful to the internals of the laptops and shortens the life span but can also result in throttling (a term used when to indicate the loss in performance of a laptop).

Laptop cooling pads are henceforth are made to counter this excessive heat issue. But is there any negative that this technology may bring?

Are Cooling Pads Bad for Laptops?

To end our stint with cooling pads I would like to clarify an important topic or much rather a myth that has been floating around infecting everyone looking to buy a cooling pad for their laptop.

If you also have been a target of the technical jargon on why laptop cooling pads are bad, then do not pay attention to that.

Cooling pads are absolutely fine both for short-term use and long-term use. They do not cause any side effects nor shorten the life of the laptop.

Just make sure to invest in a good laptop cooling from a reputable brand and you will be good to go for years of course taking into consideration you maintain the product.

Okay so now we have established that our laptop does indeed need a cooling pad and it is in a state where it can greatly benefit from it.

Naturally, the thing you should be asking for is an easy and effective way to use the laptop cooling pad. Do not worry folks I have just the method for you.

Before we get to the proper way of using a laptop cooling pad let’s take a brief glimpse at how does a laptop cooling pad work so we can better figure out what we should be doing for the better functioning of our laptop cooling pad.

The gist of the matter is a laptop cooling pad is a dock for the laptop with fans built into it. When a laptop is placed on the cooling pad these fans which are now directly situated below your laptop blow cold air into it at high speeds.

As we all know air is the enemy of heat. Once cold air at high speed enters the laptop’s motherboard bay it dissipates the excessive heat that is trapped there.

Hence you get a cooler laptop that performs better as well.

Now that we know how a cooling pad is built let’s analyze the proper way of using a laptop cooling pad.

Since the laptop cooling pad basically functions as a fan for the laptop these are the thing that you should consider for the proper functioning of a cooling pad

• Line up the cooling pad to the bottom of the laptop correctly. Make sure direct contact is established and the air vents of the laptop and the cooling pad are on the same plane.
• Use the cooling pad on a surface with access to free and interrupted airflow. Air should freely circulate the sides and the back of the whole setup. This ensures proper heat dissipation into the surrounding.

These are the two things that you should consider for the proper functioning of a cooling pad. If these are followed correctly then you can expect good temperature drops when using a laptop cooling pad.

When you get a grasp of it the concept of a laptop cooling pad is rather a simple one. And let me tell you simple proven technology does not disappoint.

Laptop cooling pads are easy to use, lower the temperature of your laptop, and while at that provide no side effects. I don’t see any reason why you should not get one.

Before signing off do share any personal experience you have with a laptop cooling pad. This can greatly help the newer folks looking into this niche product.