Summary
Heat is not good for electronic devices. Heat can cause surprise shutdowns, damage components, and even start fires. If you have a device that is overheating, here are five ways that can help keep it cool.
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While it hasn’t affected my area as much, there’s been a heat wave across the US recently. And while heat can be miserable for a human, it can be even more miserable for our tech. If you have a device that’s overheating, here are five strategies you can use to help keep it cool.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
First, remove all dust from the device. Open the case if you can and use compressed air to clean away all the dust. If you have any built-up dust that compressed air can’t remove, use rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs to remove it.
Second, do your best to keep devices away from direct sunlight. Direct sunlight raises the temperature over time, and on hot days, you may find that your device will operate slower or stop working altogether.
Third, make sure that computers have plenty of space around them. If you have a computer tucked away in a tight area, it may need airflow improvements to stay cool. Also, make sure that nothing is covering up the vents.
Fourth, if your laptop gets too hot, consider purchasing a cooling pad. A cooling pad is a cheap device with extra fans to help keep it cool. A cooling pad can prevent overheating and extend the life of your laptop for just $20 or $30.
And fifth, ensure you aren’t running software that your computer can’t handle. Every program has operating requirements. If your computer doesn’t meet some of those requirements, the program may still work, but the computer may run very hot as it attempts to keep up.