What surfaces is it okay to leave my laptop on?
My dad keeps bothering me about keeping it on and then leaving it on the surface of my bed. He seems to act like I'm suffocating the laptop because it ventilates on the bottom or something? He keeps telling me to put it on top of flat surfaces such as a small box or books so that it can ventilate better. He's afraid I'll overheat my laptop I think. Is he right? It gets a bit annoying when I come into my room and I know he's been there because my laptop's been moved onto something that I don't want my laptop to be on. Will my laptop overheat if I don't leave it on a flat surface? Will anything happen if I leave it on my bed? I notice that my laptop and the surface it is on top of gets warm after I use it, but is it really something I should worry about?
Answers:
You're dad is right, most of the air vents that allow heat to vent from your laptop are located on the bottom of your laptop.
You need to be sure that you don't block these vents or your laptop can overheat. A flat surface usually will allow your laptop to vent properly, most laptops will get warm even when allowed to vent properly so it's a good idea make sure you have proper airflow around your computer, excessive heat is not your laptop's friend. It's okay to use it on your bed, but if you're going to let it sit for a long time, it won't hurt to put it on a flat surface.
Even laptops need cooling fans. If you cover it entirely, it just may overheat sometime, and you'll blow the main board, or at least the CPU, and that could be expensive, and the computer would not be the only thing to blow its top.
I work in a call center (notebook division) and yes you are suffocating your notebook. We have to call them notebooks now because some person got burnt by having his "laptop" on his lap and sued. It is best to have it on a hard level surface to keep it cool. Newer notebooks should have a kill switch if it gets to hot, but i would not let it get that hot. So definitly please keep is on a hard level surface when it is on. I have seen what can happen if it doesn't ventilate properly.
PS if it were to fry, it would be at least $698 and it goes up.
and if you really want this laptop to be around for awhile I suggest you get a laptop cooler mat, its a tray that sits under laptop with extra fans running in it, it plugs in to the wall and will be your laptops best friend.
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