Laptop cooling pads, an absolute necessity?

It's worth the money I think because sometimes you laptop can get really hot. It is not a must but if you're using you laptop a long time it can safe you're laptop. Also make sure the air can go toyour laptop easy because fresh air is the best cooling.

Thank you for starting this discussion..I may be getting my first laptop, a used one so it isn't new, and I never heard of a cooling pad..I am looking them up right now, and see about getting one..

I think it's a good idea to have a cooling pad for any laptop that's set on a solid surface and runs for more than an hour or so. I don't have one, but I've been thinking of getting one for my laptop. It's about two years old and sometimes just quits, like I'd pulled the plug. I've noticed that it feels hot, so I think it's overheating.

I am not sure, but I do think it would be a very good idea, if it is pretty warm.

I am using an older laptop and I find that the fan is at the bottom of the laptop. I've had a bad experience where my laptop overheated and the reason for this is that I placed my laptop on top of my bed and apparently because it couldn't "breathe" it overheated. I suggest if you don't have the laptop cooling pad yet, just make sure that the cooling vents are clear of any obstruction by working on a table or flat surface that allows the fans to work.

I honestly think cooling pads are another way to make money because some people often abuse their laptops. It's supposed to expell warm air, in order to cool it. So to have it expell warm air really isn't all that big of a deal. Just as long as you keep the laptop in a location where natural ventilation can take place. I personally have never had a cooling pad. I can't aford one, and my laptops (most of them that weren't crap to start with) never had heating issues until the very end, when they were about to die on me. Out of the laptops I've had over my lifetime, only one had a serious heating issue. And, it wasn't because it lacked a cooling pad, it was one that had a defective battery that broke down in the chamber. I later heard the battery was actually being recalled so thus was forced to buy a new laptop. You can create a natural cooling enveronment for the laptop, instead of spending money on the eletricity to maintain a cooling pad. Work in a well ventulated area, make sure you have about ten inches of space around all major vents. Keep the room cooled (I run a fan in it) and be sure to give it a break every once and a while. Sometimes if it feels like it's heating up, its from continious use. Let it idel or sleep for a period of time. This gives the moters a chance to breathe and will extend computer life. And, from a health prospective, it's good for you to step away from the keyboard every once and a while too.

Having a cooling fan for your lap is not a necessity, but it would most certainly help keep your laptop running better. If you are feeling warm air then it might not be a bad idea. I personally don't have one, as I never have my laptop on for extended periods of time. I usually keep it on for a couple of hours and then turn it to sleep so it can rest. I personally think that it is a good idea to have a cooling fan, but not necessary. Especially if the guy you bought it from told you that you wouldn't need one. I hope that helps. Happy mylotting

Keeping your laptop cool is an absolute necessity. however laptops already come with fans inside to keep them cool from within and therefore do not require other peripherals to keep them running for years. On the other hand, we the users tend to place our laptops in strange places (beds, rubber counters or any surface that generates heat) that may cause them to overheat. This is when these peripherals may come in handy. I live in a tropical climate and have had many laptops, and never has any of them failed me. instead each time i upgrade to a new one, i usually just give the old one away. The aim is to monitor your laptop (and not just what's on it) and do not place it anywhere. and if you do insist on using it on the bed, i place mine on a book or in my lap. that keeps it cool enough for me. happy mylotting everyone.

I wouldn't be worried about your laptop if the only thing you're noticing is the fan expelling hot air. That's a sign that the heat sinks on the processor and video card are working right. They move the heat from those components to the fan, which blows it out and brings in cooler air. Now, if you notice that your laptop is hot to the touch, then I would definitely use the cooling pad on it. That's a good indication that there's a problem with the way the heat sinks are working. I had an HP laptop a few years ago that would get hot enough to burn me if I touched it. When I took it apart, there was very little of the thermal compound left on the processor and heat sink. (Thermal compound is a paste that closes the gaps between the processor chip and the copper heat sink to help the heat sink conduct heat away from the chip better.) I put a new layer of thermal compound between the processor and the heat sink and after that I didn't have any more problems with it overheating. You can't really go wrong with using a cooling pad all the time, though. It'll definitely help bring cooler air to circulate around the case, which can help prolong the life of the laptop.

You might want get one to keep your laptop working for years!

Well, I think that cooling pads are a great thing to prevent laptop deterioration. However, I think it is not necessary if you are not using the laptop for extended hours. I have my laptop for over 5 years already and I never used cooling pads and my laptop was able to weather those years. But yes, I must admit that my laptop now heats up faster than before. But still, I am not using a cooling pad as of this writing as I just try to phase in the use of my laptop and I am not really a heavy computer user at all.So I guess it depends on how you will use your laptop then.

Actually I do not use a laptop,but from my point of view its better to use cooling pad as it will keep the laptop warm.

Im using laptop almost the whole day about 12 hours but I dont used cooloing pad.I think new laptops has a fan to cool down,and continue working.No need cooling pad,but when you do have one its much better for protection too.I think its much better to have two fan and cooling tab to not make the laptop hot specially when you are using it for too long.

Hi Kris, I just bought a laptop a week ago and I am happy that I made it to the promo of having at least 1000php of accessories. And I made sure that I would purchase that cooling pad. They say that it is really very important to make your laptop stay long. I don't remember them telling me not to buy it or advised me to go over to other accessories...I remembered them telling me to make sure that I would avail it. So now, I have it..and I am happy that it won't make my laptop that hot even though I use it for a long time. Plus, it's elevated so I can type comfortably. Have a nice day!

If your laptop runs hot enough that it's overheating both your legs while using it, and its internal circuitry,in my opinion it would be worth having one..better cooling would enable it to last longer..

Personally, I think it's still advisable to get one if you use your laptop in situations where air ventilation is a bit hampered like when you place it on your lap or on a pillow when, say, you're in bed using it (I do this sometimes). Poor ventilation would make your laptop heat up faster. I'm not sure though if a constantly hot laptop would affect the longevity of it but it wouldn't hurt to be on the safe side, would it? :)

Well, it depends on your laptop. Many laptops nowadays have good ventilation by themselves, so it's not neccessary to use a cooling pad. I use one for mine, because my laptop is kind of old, and the fans don't work as well as they used to, so without the extra cooling, it stops working. Actually, I had to buy the cooling pad years after buying my laptop, because it wasn't neccessary at first. If you feel your laptop getting hotter than normal, then a cooling pad is a good option.

I've been one to consider overheating a prime reason for damage to the delicate circuits. I've seen laptops running 24/7 in stores but they also sit on cool counter tops. Heat must radiate. I think they are being built better but if you ran an experiment and put them into an insulated box without air circulation how long would they last? Cool is better than crisp toast.

Hi kris, I'm sorry to hear about your cooling pad. They told you that new laptops don't need a cooling pad? hmm. Maybe try to check it out. I think that laptops need cooling pad, they get heated especially if used for a long time. I don't know if you know this already, but if you're going to use your laptop, try to remove the battery and put the charger on. It will still turn on, you can still use it. That way, you'll protect your battery from super heated. And if you want to charge you battery just put it back again. Please update me if your new laptops doesn't really need a cooling a pad.

I do not use a laptop so I cannot insist you whether it is essential or not.From my point of view its a nice idea to use so that it can be kept warm.