Laptops or notebooks are portable computers that you can carry almost everywhere you go. They are quite easy to carry and handle. For a laptop to work longer the battery should be in perfect condition. But laptop batteries aren't that reliable and they hardly last for more than 2 years. These batteries are made up of independent lithium-ion cells. These cells or batteries are connected in parallel or series connections to deliver the required voltage.

Most laptops today use 4 cell lithium ion battery and if any of the cells get damaged then you have to replace the entire battery pack. In this case, the battery won't get charged completely. So you have to replace it if you want your laptop to perform normally.

Must read: Make a DIY power bank from laptop battery cells

Most people have a question that whether they can use their laptop without battery but plugged in. The answer is yes, as far as the electricity in your building is trouble free and properly grounded. Many PC gamers prefer gaming on adapter power only and they remove the battery to prevent excess heat. Laptops, their charger, and battery get hot when you use them simultaneously for gaming or for any other task that requires heavy computing.

Reasons Why You Should Use Your Laptop Without Its Battery

• Using a laptop without a battery keeps it and the power adapter cool all the time. The power adapter becomes hot when it charges and powers the laptop simultaneously. This reduces its life.
• Your laptop can work longer hours.
• If your laptop never leaves home and you use it like a desktop.
• You have a good power backup source like a Sinewave inverter or you use a UPS for the laptop for power backup.

Why Is UPS Necessary?

There is no problem in using a laptop without its battery but you should a use a UPS as a power backup. If you don't have any power backup source then in case of a power cut your laptop will shut down immediately and you won't be able to save your unsaved tasks. This scenario is not recommended at all. This is the only disadvantage of using a laptop only on AC power and removing the battery.

Using a UPS is 100 percent necessary as it will not only provide the power backup but will also save your laptop and its power adapter from electrical surges, current leaks, overcurrent, and short circuits. Make sure that the UPS you are using does have a fuse that will break in case of overvoltage thereby saving your laptop.

A laptop power brick converts the 240V AC power to 19V DC power (this power rating may vary). This 19V DC is a pure power that a laptop needs. But most adapters are not capable of filtering electrical surges and spikes which can damage your laptop. In this case, a UPS will do the trick. A 600VA UPS can power up to three laptops simultaneously. UPS filters out electrical surges, spikes, and overcurrent. It is highly recommended that you use a sinewave compatible UPS backup system but a normal one is also enough if you can't afford the prior.

Must read: How to take good care of laptop adapter

How To Use a Laptop Without Battery (AC Power Only)

• Remove the battery first.
• Connect the power adapter to laptop, then connect the adapter to UPS. Feed the UPS with mains supply.
• Now you are ready to use your laptop without battery.
• Just power it on and use it normally without fearing the power failure.

Advantages Of Using a UPS for a Laptop Without Battery

• Keeps the laptop and the power adapter cool.
• Provides power backup in case of power cut.
• Protects against electrical surges, spikes, overvoltage, and overcurrent that most laptop adapters fail to protect against.
• Acts as an inexpensive new surge protector.
• Much cheaper than a laptop battery.
• Can significantly last for years. I have seen UPS working for as long as 10 years. No laptop battery or even the laptop itself will not last that long.

So if your laptop's battery has failed then don't buy a new one if it hardly leaves the home. You should better invest your money in buying a UPS instead.

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How to Password Protect a Western Digital [WD] My Passport External Hard Drive

Western Digital My Passport is one of that external hard drives that come with 256-bit hardware encryption. As external hard drives can store large amounts of data then it is necessary for us to protect the data stored on them. Some years ago external hard drives were like USB flash drives with no encryption. Nowadays external hard drives come with built-in hardware encryption for data security.

Taking backups of your precious files is not enough, you should also secure it everywhere you are storing it. One such way is to install a password on your external hard drive. WD My Passport uses 256-bit hardware disk encryption encrypted with a key. The security of the drive is locked with the help of a password. Without the password, the drive can't be opened to view files. Whenever the WD unlocker software registers 10 invalid password attempts it gives you the option to erase your My Passport. In this situation, if you erase the drive then it will be a secure delete operation. No file can be recovered when you erase a password protected WD My Passport. What happens actually is that the software permanently deletes the key used for encrypting the data stored on the external drive. Technically it is impossible to recover any file after this scenario.

So if you have locked your WD My Passport then you will stay assure that if someone gets your drive then he can't unlock and view your files. However, he/she can use it as their own after a full erase. But your files can't be seen and recovered at any cost. So you see why it is necessary to password protect and encrypt your WD My Passport, the answer is sheer data security.

How to Set Password for WD My Passport Ultra

• Download and install the WD security software.
• Connect your external drive to your PC via the USB cable.
• Launch the WD security software.
• Enter your password carefully. You can also enter a hint, but I won't suggest it.
• After entering the password click 'Set Password'. Wait for few seconds and the password will be installed and saved on to the ROM chip of the WD My Passport.

• Now exit the software and disconnect the drive. Then reconnect it.
• A popup will open as wdunlocker.exe. Click it to launch. 
• To unlock it enter your password. You can also select the auto-unlock checkbox for the computer you use your drive mostly with.
• To remove password launch the software again.
• Select 'Remove password'. Enter your password. Then click 'Update Security Settings'.
• Your WD My Passport password will be removed.

➜ Warning: There is no way to reset the password on a WD My Password Ultra. So always remember the password and keep it safe by writing it somewhere. If you forget the password then it will be technically impossible to unlock the external hard drive. In this situation, you can only erase it by entering a wrong password ten times. After that, you will have an option to erase it. After erasing your WD My Passport you can use it again but the previous files can't be recovered.

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WD My Passport Ultra 1TB Review: Reliable External Hard Drive With 256-bit Hardware Encryption

WD (Western Digital) is the world's largest computer hard drive manufacturer. WD provides all kinds of storage solutions from desktop hard drives to surveillance storage. If I am not wrong then your PC is running a WD internal hard drive while you are reading this post. Western Digital makes reliable hard disk drives that can store your personal data for over a decade without getting failed. WD hard drives have the lowest failure rate when compared to other hard drive manufacturers.

It is said that a hard drive runs perfectly for the first three years of its life. After 3 years a hard drive's failure rate keeps on increasing on a yearly basis. So if you are running a hard disk drive that is more than 3 years old then you should be careful about your data stored on it. An HDD can fail anytime thereby corrupting all the data stored on it. In this situation, the HDD stops spinning and nothing can be read from it. So it is a wise decision not to get yourself into such situations. As you can purchase a new hard disk for your PC anytime but you can't get your personal data once lost.

So having multiple backups of your sensitive and personal data is necessary to avoid data loss. You should either use cloud services like DropBox or Google Drive. But data on the cloud is not safe. If you are storing your personal data on the cloud then you should encrypt it before uploading. Saving data on the cloud is a very cumbersome process if your data counts in GBs and you have a slow internet connection. Uploading, downloading and restoring your data from the cloud takes a considerable amount of time which highly depends on your internet connection speed.

The second alternative is to burn your data into DVD or Blu-ray discs. But these discs won't last long. As they may corrode due to moisture or a scratch on their shiny surface will ruin the data. Finally, you are left with taking data backup on flash drives, SSDs or external hard drives. Flash drives and SSDs are the best options to take data backups as they are fast and have a long life. But they are expensive and if you can't afford SSDs, then external hard drives are the second best option for data backup which is your personal offsite backup solutions.

WD My Passport Ultra 1TB (2015) External Hard Drive Review

You can buy your first external hard drive from Seagate, Hitachi, Transcend or ADATA. But these hard drives will only store your data without any security. WD My Passport Ultra is different from any normal hard drive because it provides 256-bit AES hardware encryption. You can lock your My Passport Ultra with a password so that no one can access your personal files. After setting your password the entire data on the disk gets encrypted with your password which gets stored in the ROM chip of My Passport Ultra.

1. Design and Build Quality: WD My Passport Ultra 2015 model comes with a very good design. The plastic body looks premium and can prevent minor scratches. On the front side, you can find a USB 3.0 port and a micro LED light. This LED light keeps blinking whenever the drive performs read/write functions. On the back side, you can find 4 rubber stoppers which provide extra grip to this portable hard drive on any surface. If you compare this 2015 model with the newer model then you will find that the newer design is not that good. WD My Passport Ultra is available in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB. The 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB variants are thicker than the 1TB model.  It comes in colors like classic black, brilliant white, noble blue and wild berry. WD My Passport Ultra is not a SSD. It is a normal 5400 RPM hard disc with a custom USB 3.0 interface. The hard drive is sealed inside the plastic body.

2. Data Transfer Rate (Speed Test): WD My Passport Ultra offers around 109 MBps read and 101 MBps write speed on USB 3.0 when benchmarked on NTFS file system. And we saw around 33 MBps read and 25 MBps write speed on USB 2.0 on NTFS partition. But file transfer speed depends upon file types and the computer hardware (RAM, CPU, internal hard disk) to which the drive is connected. On average I am getting around 70 MBps read/write speed on USB 3.0. The speed reaches up to 90 MBps when you transfer ISO files.

➜ Actual Data Transfer Speed Test

Watch this video below to see the actual read, write, copy and data transfer speed of WD My Passport Ultra 1TB.

3. WD Drive Utilities Software: The WD drive utilities software lets you manage your My Passport Ultra hard disc. You can check the drive for bad sectors via quick and complete scans. It also tells about the drive health. You can control the sleep timer and can set the LED light to OFF or ON. You can also secure erase your My Passport Ultra. Secure erase function will completely wipe the data and nothing can be recovered even via data recovery software. You can also backup your data to Dropbox from My Passport Ultra.

4. WD Security Software: With WD Security you can set a password for your My Passport Ultra. You can also use this software to remove the password. When you set a password then it gets stored on the ROM chip of the My Passport Ultra. Now, whenever you connect this portable hard drive on any Windows or Mac system then it will ask for a password. Without unlocking the drive you can't view files stored on it. Read set password on my passport ultra.

5. File System Compatibility: The WD My Passport Ultra is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Mac OS, and android (exFAT). WD My Passport Ultra supports NTFS, exFAT and OS X (Extended). It doesn't support FAT32 directly unless you use a third party FAT32 format utility. If you want this portable drive to work on Windows, Mac, and android at the same time then you can use the exFAT file system. While bigger file systems like NTFS and Mac file system works greatly you can still use exFAT if you want compatibility between multiple devices because exFAT is supported by most devices than NTFS or HFS. However, if you are going to use the My Passport Ultra only on your Windows PC then use NTFS.

6. WD Backup Software: Another most import feature of the My Passport Ultra is the automatic backup. With WD Backup software you can set this portable drive to take automatic backups of your data on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. If your portable drive is partitioned then you can choose any partition to take automatic backup with restore option.

7. Price: WD My Passport Ultra 1TB costs around $66. You can buy this from various sources online like Amazon or you can directly buy this from Western Digital which also comes with 30-days money back guarantee in the United States.

Handling External Hard Drives

The reason why internal hard drives have a very long life is that they run inside a desktop cabinet at a fixed place. The internal hard drive does not move here and there and keeps working at a fixed place. You don't need to take it places. But this is not the case with an external hard disc. External hard drives are reliable just like internal ones but they can stop working anytime if they are mishandled. Suppose you dropped your portable drive from a height and after this, it stopped working which corrupted all of your precious data. In this situation, you can't blame the portable drive because they are not shock proof and they can stop working if they hit a hard surface when falling from a height.

You need to put your My Passport Ultra inside a shockproof case which will protect the drive from damage, water, and moisture. A shockproof hard drive case will protect the drive from the force of gravity. If you have previously dropped your external hard drive many times and if it is still working then don't rely on it completely. Buy a new one and replicate your data because the previous one can fail anytime. These external hard drives are very delicate and require proper care if you want them working for a long time just like internal hard drives.

WD My Passport Ultra 1TB External Hard Drive Pros

• Easy to carry portable hard drive with slim design.
• Comes with 256-bit AES hardware encryption.
• The password protection feature prevents anyone from accessing your files.
• Comes with WD drive utilities which also lets you secure erase your My Passport Ultra.
• Good file transfer rates.
• Works with several android phones with exFAT support.
• Built in security software.
• Automatic backups with WD Backup software on an hourly, daily or monthly basis.
• Secure erase function works well. After a secure erase no file can be recovered.
• Comes with 3 years replacement warranty.

Watch the Video Review and Unboxing

Buy Now

You can buy the WD My Passport Ultra from amazon by going to this link. You can also purchase the secure case for your My Passport Ultra, go to this link.

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Laptop batteries have an average life of between 2-3 years. This lifecycle can be greatly extended if you take care of the battery and never overcharge it. A laptop battery pack consists of 18650 lithium ion cells that are connected in parallel and series circuits for giving the desired voltage. Today most laptops or notebooks use the 4 cell battery which is much lighter as compared to 6 cell batteries. The laptop battery is driven by an intelligent circuit which reports its health and the charge being held by the battery. The circuit notifies the Windows OS whenever the battery gets low or needs replacement. For safety purpose this intelligent circuit discards the entire battery-circuit operation whenever a single cell fails to hold the charge.

However in most cases out of 4 cells, only one gets completely exhausted which is then becomes unable to hold the charge. This situation affects either the battery voltage or charge holding capacity. If the voltage of any cell is affected then the battery will not be able to give any backup. It completely fails and charging does not work. If the charge holding capacity is affected then only the backup is greatly reduced but the individual cell voltage remains unaffected. In this case, you can normally use and charge the battery but don't expect a normal power backup.

So, if your laptop's battery has stopped working then don't just throw it away. You can use the Li-ion cells to make a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) power bank that can charge phones via micro USB cable.

Warning: Please note that breaking open a laptop battery pack is not an easy task. You have to be very careful with the sealed pack. There is no option except cutting open the battery pack's top. Make sure that you do it gently without puncturing the lithium ion cells. A punctured lithium ion cell will catch fire and may explode without any notice. So, before opening the pack train yourself and watch some videos on YouTube to do it safely.

Things You Will Need

• Digital Multimeter.
• 18650 Li-ion Cells extracted from laptop's battery.
• 18650 charging circuit or a power bank case.
• USB OTG cable (preferably a non-working one): Not needed if you are using a power bank case.
• Thin wires used for DC batteries (Red and Black): Not needed if you are using a power bank case. 
• Soldering iron: Not needed if you are using a power bank case.

➜ Also Read: Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2i Review

How To Make a DIY Power Bank With Laptop Batteries

To make a DIY power bank you will need a power bank case. A power bank case comes with a built-in charger, USB ports and battery holder. Though it is a little costlier than the above-mentioned things, but its easy to make a DIY power bank with it. You just have to buy a power bank case and fit the battery in it, its that simple. It comes for 2 and 3 batteries but may be costlier than an actual power bank.

If you don't want to buy this enclosure then please follow our manual tutorial below.

Testing The 18650 Li-ion Cells

➜ Also check: How to use a Laptop without battery

In a Multimeter, there are two wires red and black. Connect the red wire to the VΩmA and black wire to COM. Now turn the dial to '20' in DC Volt (DC V as shown in image). Connect the red wire to the positive end of the cell which has a bulge and connect the black wire to the negative end which is totally flat. Read the multimeter reading. If the cell voltage is above 3 volts or above, then it is a good cell otherwise it is a bad cell. Repeat the procedure to identify all the good cells.

Setting Up The Charger Circuit

We are using an 18650 Li-ion battery charging circuit. This circuit charges the 18650 cells and has overcharging protection with LED indicators. Red indicates charging and Blue indicates fully charged. Please see the image below to make the connections.

➜ Also check: How to take good care of a laptop charger

Warning: The circuit doesn't have a reverse polarity protection. So if you connect the battery in reverse, means positive to negative and negative to positive then the circuit will burn. Use only black and red wire for connections. Red is for positive terminal and black is for negative terminal.

Important Step: You will need an OTG cable to deliver the power to mobile devices for charging. Cut down a USB OTG cable. In it, you will find four wires black, red, green and white. Cut all wires except black and red.

• B+ : It is an input point. Here connect the positive end of the 18650 cell.
• B- : It is also an input point. Here connect the negative end of the 18650 cell.
• OUT+ : It is an output point. Here connect the Red wire of the OTG cable.
• OUT- : Connect the black wire of the OTG cable.

Note: For making permanent connections you will need a soldering iron. If you don't have any experience of using it then seek the help of an electrician.

Warning: Do not use the soldering iron if you do not know how to use it. There is a risk of electric shock while using it.

Parallel And Series Connections

For our DIY power bank, we will be using parallel battery connection. In a parallel connection, the voltage across the circuit remains the same and its capacity to charge devices increases. While in series connection the voltage increases but the capacity to charge devices remains the same.

Parallel Connection: Parallel connection means connecting positive to positive and negative to negative, and the output is taken across the first positive terminal and the last negative terminal. Suppose you have 3 batteries each of 4 volts and 3000 mAh. So, on connecting them in parallel the resulting voltage will be 4 volts but the capacity will increase to 9000 mAh (3 x 3000mAh). See the image below.

Series Connection: Series connection means connecting positive to negative, and the output is taken across the first positive terminal and the last negative terminal.Suppose you have 3 batteries each of 4 volts and 3000 mAh. So, on connecting them in series the resulting voltage will be 12 volts (3 x 4 volts) but the capacity will remain the same i.e 3000mAh.

DIY Power Bank In Action

You can see the image below showing our DIY power bank charging a Samsung Galaxy phone. Please note that this power bank will charge most phones while they are running. But phones having bigger batteries can only be charged while they are switched off. I have used only one battery but you can connect two more identical batteries in parallel to this circuit.

How To Charge The 18650 DIY Power Bank

To charge the 18650 battery connected to the charging circuit you just only have to connect a micro USB charger to the circuit. When you connect the micro USB cable then the Red light will glow on the circuit which means charging has started. When blue light glows then it means that battery has fully charged and you should disconnect the cable. Charging may take 2 hours.

 

The above DIY power bank can be used to power any USB device that requires a power source less than 4 Volts DC. You can even use it to make a DIY LED torch and charge the battery from your cell phone's charger. 

➜ Also Read: How to convert your smartphone in to a digital microscope

Warning: Do not charge the battery near water, metal objects, or your clothes.

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A laptop charger or basically called an adapter is the sole power supply of a laptop computer. It serves two purposes, first one is powering the laptop and second one is charging the battery. A laptop can also be run without battery when you plug in the charger. Older laptop computers from 90's to newest laptop have one thing in common that all of them have a charger (external power supply). Without is you can't even think of powering your notebook.

Most of the time laptop chargers are just ignored and doesn't require much attention. But a laptop adapter should be checked for minor faults that can damage a laptop battery or the charging circuit. These adapters have various voltage ratings like 19V. So it is possible that overtime a laptop charger may deliver a high DC voltage or may deliver a lower voltage rating then actually required. A high voltage is not good for any laptop computer because it will damage the motherboard in the long run.

How To Take Good Care Of Your Laptop Charger

Below are some tips that will help you keep your laptop charger in a working state. Following the tips mentioned below will help you to extend the laptop charger's life.

1. Battery Charging: It is recommended to charge the battery your notebook is switched off. It has two benefits, one is that battery will take less time to charge and the adapter will produce less heat. If you are working for long hours then remove the battery and power your notebook directly from the charger. When battery isn't there the charger will run cooler because no current is drawn for charging the battery.

Note: You can use a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) when the battery isn't installed to prevent sudden shutdowns when electric power goes off.

2. Check Adapter's Voltage: Every laptop charger has a voltage rating. Mine has 19V rating. It is the DC power output that your notebook requires to work. You can use a digital voltmeter(multimeter) to check the laptop charger's voltage. See the image below.

Warning: Incorrectly using the multimeter may damage the charger. I take no responsibility for this.

Make sure that you know how to use a handheld digital multimeter. To test the laptop charger voltage make sure that you have connected the red wire to volt-ohm mA jack and black wire to com jack. Now set the dial to 20V DC if your charger rating is 19V. Now check the readings. It should be 19 volts. Don't worry if the reading comes out to be 19.23 or something in terms of 19.xx.

3. Check The Adapter Wire: Most times it happens that the adapters wire breaks due to twisting and rolling it. In this situation the wire comes out of its protective sheath and may cause short circuiting. This is a dangerous situation. If a chargers stops suddenly then you should check the wire insulation first. Before using it again you should get it repaired at authorized OEM service centers.

4. Replacement: When the laptop charger's voltage is not what it mentions and if it gets too hot even when the battery is not installed then you should consider it replacing with a new one. Always buy OEM products.

5. Avoid Faulty Power Outlets: Do not use faulty power outlets that are not protected with a circuit breaker. In this case if a high voltage flows then it will go directly through the laptop charger which in turn may completely burn it or even damage your laptop computer.

Laptop chargers are built to last longer and they require very less maintenance. But voltage should be checked once a month to avoid damage to your notebook.

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Laptops are portable computers that can be carried everywhere we go. A laptop’s design is so compact that it is not easy to clean or upgrade [except RAM and HDD]. Laptops are more vulnerable to overheating due to less space. The entire cooling mechanism in a laptop relies on the internal fan and heatsink. So, one should ensure proper functioning of the internal fan.

Today we rely on our laptops for sending emails, downloading files, communicating with friends and using high-end IDEs for software developments. In this situation a laptop can be left to run continuously for more than 8-10 hours without breaks. This can overheat any laptop if not handled properly. In the 6th Generation of processors, Intel used the 14nm die size with Skylake architecture.

Due to this smaller die size mobile processors are now running hotter than their predecessors. You may see the idle temperature of a 6th Gen Intel i7 6700 HQ CPU as 40-50 degrees. But this is not a problem because this processor has high junction temperature so 40-50 degrees is normal for this CPU. You may also think of using laptop cooling fans or cooling pads, but they provide little to no help in cooling. It is also possible to keep your laptops cool without using cooling fans because it is not convenient to carry them everywhere. There is a reason why laptops run hotter than desktops which is that laptop processors have less surface area for a heat sink. A desktop CPU has a larger surface area which spreads heat evenly and easily transfer to the heat sink. Desktop CPUs come with metal caps which work as a heat spreader. In mobile processors this heat spreader is missing.

This tutorial is applicable for any laptop computer that is running Microsoft Windows. You can even apply this on your Macbook or smaller notebooks.

Laptop Overheating: 13 Great Tips To Keep It Cool In Summers

1. Internal Cooling Fan: The internal cooling fan is the most important part of a laptop because its the only thing which protects your laptop from getting damaged due to overheating. Many times it may happen that the internal fan stops working. If this happens then the laptop will start overheating because the heat will not be thrown out which is generated by the CPU and GPU chips. To prevent this situation you have to Read Laptop Internal Cooling Fan Not Working.

2. Thermal Compound: Every laptop’s processor uses a thermal interface material which is applied between top of the processor and the heatsink to enhance heat transfer from the processor to copper heatsink. The heat transferred to this copper metal heatsink is thrown out of the laptop via fan. You should consider it replacing every 3 years if your laptop starts overheating due to heavy usage. Arctic Silver 5 is currently the best thermal paste for Intel processor. Read How to apply arctic silver 5 thermal paste.

3. Power Saving Mode: If you are using Microsoft Windows then you can enable ‘Power Saving’ mode while doing casual works like typing, browsing etc. Power saving mode limits the CPU performance which also prevents overheating.

4. Use Laptop On Clean Surface: Dust is the ultimate enemy of our computers. So always make sure that your machine is placed on a clean surface which is free from dust. Also do not use a cooling fan on a dusty surface. Never use a cooling fan which is covered in dust otherwise it will blow more dust inside laptop than air. Clean the fan thoroughly before using.

5. Do Not Use It On Your Lap: Laptop means that a portable computer that can be put on your lap while using it. But this is wrong. Actually these machines are not designed to be used while being put on your lap. This will entirely block the air vents and fresh air can’t get inside your laptop. A laptop fan maintains air flow with help of air vents, if air vents are blocked then half of this air flow mechanism gets destroyed which raises the CPU temperature. You also should not place your laptop on cushions, pillows or sofas.

6. Lift your Laptop: The bottom of your laptop has 4 rubber stoppers. These rubber stoppers help the laptop to stay at a place so it can’t move here and there while using. You can put a tiny cardboard square (L x B x H = 2 inches x 2 inches x 0.5 inch) below these stoppers to lift your laptop a little bit which will help more air to pass through the bottom of the laptop. More fresh air helps in maintaining optimal temperature. You can also use a cheap laptop stand.

7. Keep Room Temperature Low: Laptops are designed to function normally within room temperature (24 degrees celcius). If the room is hot in summers then do not use your laptop without air conditioning. Air conditioning will also help to reduce the laptop's internal temperature greatly.

8. Avoid Sleep Mode In The Laptop Bags: Never put a laptop inside its carry bag when it is in sleep mode. Sleep mode doesn't turn off the laptop but keeps it at lower power so that you can resume your work. If you put it in the laptop bag then heat from the fan will trap inside the bag which make the laptop even hotter. If you want to keep it in a bag for carrying and don't want to lose your work then use the 'Hibernate' mode instead of 'Sleep' mode.

9. Cleaning The Laptop: Most laptops are very easy to clean like the HPs. They are easy to open and provide direct access to the internal fan by just removing the plastic panel. You can directly clean the internal fan by using a soft brush. However, it is not applicable to all laptops because newer ones are more slimmer than their predecessors. If you want to clean then you may need to open the entire laptop. See the image below which shows different access to laptop's internal parts. This design was found in older laptop computers but now a day they come as a whole unit.

10. Run Laptop Without Battery: Laptops are not that diligent as you think of them. Using a laptop for continuously 8-10 hours is not recommended. I personally suggest shutting your laptop for 10-15 minutes every 2-3 hours to give it a break. If you work daily for 8 hours then I suggest you to remove the battery and run the laptop on AC adapter only to prevent excess heat. When you remove the battery then there will be no charging and the laptop adapter will stay cool. Use a UPS for power backup. Running a laptop on a UPS is safe.

11. Uninstall Unwanted Programs: You should uninstall unwanted software from your laptop. These programs can run in background to waste CPU cycles. High CPU usage means high temperature. Uninstalling these useless programs ensure lower CPU usage. The CPU usage doesn't go above 25% while browsing in chrome in just one tab.

12. Use Antivirus Software: Keeping your laptop virus free will prevent high CPU usage. Use a paid antivirus software like the Avast premier or Avast internet security to regularly check for viruses.

13. Avoid Gaming: Laptops are not meant for gaming. Gaming on a laptop can increase the temperature up to 65 degrees Celcius. If you are gaming on it then make sure to sit in an air conditioned room and use a cooling fan. Don't play games for long hours. A lot of heat is generated during gaming so avoid longer game play. Regular gaming for long hour will dry out the thermal compound soon and you may need to replace it if overheating at idling is seen. Basically if a laptop temperature is 55-60 degrees at idle then it is overheating. If you own a gaming laptop then you don't need to worry much.

These were 13 tips to keep your laptop cool in summers. If you liked the article then please share it.

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How To Extend The Life Of Laptop USB Ports

Laptop’s USB ports are prone to quick damage due to over usage. A laptop has basically 2-3 three USB ports out of which one or two ports may be USB 3.0. The USB 3.0 port is extremely useful while transferring data at high speeds. The laptop’s USB ports are prone to damage because of device connection and disconnection again and again within a day. If this situation continues then the USB receptacles on laptop start to malfunction because they get loose overtime due to usage. If the port permanently fails then it needs to be changed and it is not an easy job to replace it. It is one of the costly method to get it changed also if you are submitting your laptop to your laptop manufacturer for repairing then it will take at least one week to get it repaired. So to avoid this situation we have to minimize the usage of the USB ports also you can preserve at least  one port so that it will stay alive until your laptop fails completely. I am going to tell you some tips to extend the life of the laptop USB ports.

How To Extend The Life Of Laptop USB Ports

1. No USB Hubs : Say NO to USB hubs because they use a single port to power many USB devices. This situation is like connecting many pen drives in one port. This can heat up the port and eventually it can fail.

2. Use Wireless Mouse : A wireless mouse comes with a USB nano receiver which needs to be connected to any of the USB ports of laptop. This nano receiver wirelessly receives signals from mouse. The wireless works exactly the same way as a wired mouse. After connecting the nano receiver you are actually preserving the USB port because the nano receiver can be left connected to your laptop everytime, this will prevent the connection/disconnection as you do in a wired mouse. Also the nano receiver will prevent dust from entering the port. This USB port will work until the laptop stops working.

3. Use USB Extension Cable : If you your laptop has only two USB ports then you should use a Extension cable. Just plug the cable in laptop-USB-port, now on the other end of wire you can connect/disconnect any device multiple times. This wire eliminates the wear and tear on the laptop’s USB ports and takes the damage itself. Because it is much cheaper and easy to buy a USB extension cable rather than buying and replacing a USB receptacle.

4. Cleaning : Keep the USB ports clean and remove any dust.

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Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Paste Review

Arctic Silver 5 is thermal compound for CPU and GPU. Thermal compound helps in transferring the heat from the CPU cores to the heatsink by filling up the microscopic valleys between processor cores and heatsink. Without the use of thermal paste a processor will always run hot, that will reduce its life. You can think yourself the CPU manufacturer Intel ships its own thermal paste with boxed Intel CPUs, now you can think how important is the thermal paste for the CPU and GPU. Intel's stock Thermal Interface Material is not available on online stores, so we have only one option left is to buy aftermarket thermal compounds. Currently Arctic Silver is considered to be the best thermal paste for CPU and GPU chip doesn't matter if it is of desktop's or laptop's. In this tutorial I going to review the Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste and tell you about it pros and you will be able to decide whether to buy it or not.

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound Review

1. Less Viscous: Unlike other cheap quality silicone thermal compounds. AS5 is less viscous. It has a sticky nature. Once applied between the CPU and the heatsink it creates an excellent thermal seal that increases the heat transfer. It easily spreads over the entire surface of the processor after the heatsink is installed.

2. Excellent Heat Conductor: It contains 99.9% pure silver which is a good conductor of heat.

3. Cooling Efficiency: Take two situations here. First one is you are running the CPU at 100% load, like playing a game without using Arctic Silver 5, then suppose the temperature is 60 degree Celcius. Then after applying Arctic Silver 5 the temperature at 100% load will be around 48 degree Celcius, which is 12 degree less than the previous situation around 20% overall loss in temperature. This test is done on Intel Core 2 Duo processor. You get different temperatures with different CPUs. But Arctic Silver 5 claims 3-12 degree Centigrade lower CPU temperature at 100% load as compared to standard thermal compounds. This claim proved true in my case where I used it for Intel Core 2 Duo.

4. Long Term Stability: After applying AS5 during the CPU's first use, the paste thins out to fill the microscopic valleys and ensure the best contact between the heatsink and the CPU cores. Then the paste thickens slightly over the next 50 to 200 hours of use to its final consistency designed for long term stability. It doesn't separate or spill, it stays right where it was applied.

When To Use Arctic Silver 5

• If your processor is running very hot or your computer or laptop shuts down automatically due to overheating.
• If you haven't upgraded the thermal paste for years.
• If you want to extend the life of CPU.
• If you are a gamer then this is highly recommended for your CPU and GPU to protect them from overheating and even burning. It can be used with Intel and AMD processors without any problem. 
• If you are using a laptop or notebook whose processor and GPU heats up very much. Notebook CPUs and GPUs are more prone to overheating, Arctic Silver 5 can reduce this problem.

Arctic Silver 5 Cons

It can cause problems in the motherboard or CPU if it comes in contact between two electrical paths because it is slightly capacitive. This is your fault if you do not apply it correctly.

Should You Buy It

Arctic Silver 5 is worth buy if you want your computer's processor temperature come down by 13% at full load. The difference will be between 3-12 degrees, depending on the type of CPU.

Read How To Apply Arctic Silver 5

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How To Apply Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Paste To CPU And GPU

Arctic Silver 5 is a thermal compound that is used to enhance the heat transfer from CPU core to the heatsink. Arctic silver 5 contains 99.9% pure silver which is a very good conductor of heat. It is not a silicone based thermal compound. The reason behind choosing arctic silver 5 is its efficiency to cool down the processor by 12% better than other thermal interface materials at 100% CPU load.

Arctic Silver 5 is a grey coloured, oily and sticky paste. By rubbing a tiny drop of it between two fingers you can see the silver in it. Arctic Silver 5 starts working whenever the cpu temperature increases. When the processor is idle you won’t notice any changes in temperature but when you play games then CPU usage will increase upto 100% at this stage you will notice a change in temperature, it will be 12% less than the previous temperatures. Most people see that there laptop or desktop CPUs are running hot, the reason is dried out thermal paste. The thermal paste should be changed once in every two years to extend the life expectancy of CPU and GPU.

In this tutorial I am going to teach you how to apply Arctic Silver 5 to CPU and GPU. This tutorial is applicable for desktops but if you have knowledge about laptop/notebook disassembling then this tutorial will also work for them without any problem, but you have to take extra care while using this tutorial for your laptop/notebook’s CPU and GPU.

Requirements

• Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound.
• Cotton swabs and clean cotton cloth.
• 70% Isopropyl Cleaner for cleaning the older dried out thermal paste.

Find Your Processor

First of all get to know about your processor’s make and model, whether it is of Intel or AMD. Because Arctic Silver 5 have different application instructions for different processors. Some use the vertical line method of applying thermal compound and others may use the horizontal line method, surface spread and middle dot. So follow the steps below.

• Go to this link.
• Choose your CPU make, either Intel or AMD.

• After choosing the processor maker you will see the list of all CPUs. 
• Locate your CPU and read the instructions carefully by clicking the ‘Application Method’ . It is both applicable for laptop and desktop processors.

• I have Intel Core 2 Duo processor so I will be using the vertical line method.

Important Instructions

• Before opening the computer cabinet disconnect the power cord.
• Make a note of each wire that you disconnect from the motherboard because if you unable to find where to connect the wires then you will get yourself into trouble. Just write on paper about the all the wire connections in the motherboard. Do check the motherboard manual first carefully.
• If your desktop is using an Intel heatsink then read the instructions carefully to how to remove it from CPU. You can find the instructions in motherboard manual or check Intel’s website.
• If your desktop’ motherboard is using a custom heatsink then it uses a “backplate” that is attached at the back of the motherboard right behind the CPU socket.

• This backplate should not move while installing the heatsink because it has 4 screw holes in which the heatsink would be fixed. 
• I placed the motherboard over a book so the back plate won’t move and when I install the heat sink the back plate won’t fall down because the heatsink has springs in its four screws. 
• We have to press these screws two at a time to fix them in the back plate holes before screwing them.
• Watch some videos on YouTube about how to install and uninstall a custom heatsink with back plate.

Warning: Whatever you are doing is at your own risk. I will not be responsible for any damages to your computer.

How To Apply Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Paste On CPU

• I am assuming that you have read the instructions to apply arctic silver 5 on its official website. I have Intel Core 2 Duo so I will be using the vertical line method.
• You have already opened the cabinet and disconnected all the wires from the motherboard. Also remove the button cell on the motherboard.
• In my case I removed the motherboard from the cabinet and placed it on a book so the back plate won’t move here and there. You can do the same if you have a custom heatsink, if you have Intel’s heatsink then no need to remove the motherboard out of the cabinet.
• Remove the heatsink and place it a side. I am assuming that you have watched some videos on YouTube about how to remove it.
• Now you can see the CPU on which older thermal compound is still present.
• Take a cotton swab and gently clean the older thermal paste from the CPU and bottom of the heatsink. Clean it thoroughly.
• Apply some Isopropyl cleaner with a cotton swab to clean the top of CPU and bottom of heatsink. Make sure the cleaning liquid should not spill on processor circuits. Use clean cotton cloth to dry the cleaning liquid.
• Now the processor will shine like new.
• Now just drip the Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste on top of CPU in form of thin vertical line ( application is CPU dependent, as you have read earlier). Don’t apply too much paste otherwise it will come on motherboard circuits and may damage it. See the image below.

• Now place the heatsink above the processor and press it gently so that the thermal paste spread on the entire surface of the processor. Don’t press it too hard.

• Now twist the heatsink 1 or 2 degrees in clockwise and anti clockwise just 2 to 3 times. Now at this stage do not pull the heatsink above otherwise the thermal paste seal will be destroyed.
• Now just srew the heatsink with the back plate. Or if it is Intel’s then just fixed it, I think you have read the instructions.
• While screwing make sure heatsink won’t move here and there.
• Connect all the wires to the motherboard and before starting the PC double check that you have made right connections.
• Start the PC and monitor the temperature with Specyy Hardware monitor. Download Specyy.

Observation And Result

Before applying arctic silver 5 the CPU temperature while playing games at 95-100% load was 61 degrees celcius. After applying Arctic Silver 5 the temperature for the same condition at 95-100% load is 50 degree Celsius. While playing some games a process named ‘rundll32.exe’ starts automatically, it makes high CPU usage. After starting the game kill this process in task manager to cool down the processor even more. Now the max CPU temperature remains between 45-50 degree celcius even while playing games and previously it was crossing 60 degrees. So you can see there is a 10 degree drop in temperature after applying Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste.

How To Apply Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Paste To Desktop Motherboard GPU

This tutorial is applicable for the older motherboards which are using a Intel GMA GPU. This procedure is not applicable for Intel Core processors because they have Integrated Graphics in the CPU chip.

• The Intel GMA GPU uses an aluminium sink fixed on the motherboard with two clips. It is easier to remove. See the image below.

• Remove the GPU heatsink and clean older thermal paste as I taught you above.
• See the image below. The black line is where you have to apply Arctic Silver 5 a very thin line.

• After applying the Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound press the heatsink gently.
• Re-install the GPU heatsink.
• You have done it.

Where To buy Arctic Silver 5 In USA

In USA you can order arctic silver 5 via newegg.com or amazon.com. Check the list of all retailers and resellers of Arctic Silver 5 in USA.

Now you have successfully applied Arctic Silver 5 to your desktop’s motherboard CPU and GPU.

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Laptop Internal Cooling Fan Not Working : Tips To Solve

A laptop’s internal fan is a part of the cooling system that keeps its CPU and GPU cool and protects it from overheating. A laptop’s internal cooling fan draws air from the air vents located on the bottom of the machine and throws out hot air from either side left or right. The fan may be located either on the left or right side of your machine. In this tutorial, I will teach you how to fix the laptop fan if it doesn’t spin on startup. If the fan stops rotating then the cooling system of your laptop shuts down, thereby increasing the CPU and motherboard temperature.

If this problem is left unnoticed then this can damage the internal components of the laptop due to overheating. So I will tell you some possible cases in which the laptop fan doesn’t work, also I will tell the solutions of these cases.

Possible Cases Of Laptop Fan Not Working Or Spinning

1. Incorrect Positioning:

You should place your laptop on a firm level. Do not use it on your lap. A flat surface is highly recommended. In most cases, a laptop fan will not work after you boot up the laptop. There is no reason why the fan stops suddenly after a bootup. In this case, you should shut down the laptop and then start it again after 2-3 minutes. The fan will start working.

2. Heavy Dust Accumulation

Over time the fan accumulates dust on its blades that reduce its efficiency to cool down the machine, the fan gets clogged due to dust. This might be a possible case in which the laptop’s fan stop spinning. What happens actually is that when the laptop fan blades get covered with dust then the fan is unable to make an air flow. As a result, it just rotates without throwing the heat out of the system.

Solution:

You should clean the fan by disassembling the laptop and cleaning the fan blades to remove dust. You can take the help of any hardware engineer who is qualified at this job. The Fan should be thoroughly cleaned once in every 3 years and if it needs replacement then you should replace it with a new one. To prevent excess dust accumulation, always use your laptop on a flat and dust free surface.

Note:

When laptop fan is removed for cleaning the CPU thermal paste needs to be re-applied. You can use arctic silver thermal grease.

➜Also Read: how to apply thermal paste on CPU and GPU.

3. Blowing Compressed Air Into Fan:

We can blow compressed air in laptop fan through its vent to remove dust. But compressed air can sometimes become a case in which the fan gets stuck. Actually, the high pressure applied by the compressed air on the fan can leave it in a stuck state.

Solution:

Blow air from your mouth several times in the fan’s air vents located on left or right. After doing this several times, the fan will start working. High pressurized compressed air should not be used in the air vents.

4. Motherboard Faults: (Rare Situation)

Sometimes it happens when the fan is in working condition but fails to operate due to minor motherboard faults like blown capacitors (bad capacitor). These capacitors provide the necessary power to fan to operate. The bad capacitor can be identified by visually inspecting it, the top of the bad capacitor always bulge outwards, therefore, indicating that it is open.

Solution:

Re-solder new capacitors on the motherboard. Only use capacitors with the same voltage, temperature and power ratings. Motherboard faults are rare, use a good quality voltage stabilizer or UPS to protect your laptop's motherboard from voltage fluctuation and spikes.

5. Low Battery:

When the laptop’s battery percentage reaches less than 20% then the internal fan will automatically stop due to low power and you won’t even get notified. This problem is rare but when it happens it can damage the motherboard and CPU due to overheating because the cooling system is stopped temporarily due to very low charge left in the battery. I have encountered this problem on my ASUS notebook and DELL Inspiron laptop.

My ASUS laptop was low on battery and percentage reached to less than 20% and ultimately it reached 9%. The internal laptop fan turned off automatically and I was not aware that the fan is not spinning. After one hour I realized that the laptop is overheating because I started feeling the heat on my fingers and palm. The touchpad was very hot. I checked the temperature with Speccy and found that the CPU temperature was 60 degrees as the fan was stopped. On restarting the laptop a blast of very hot air came out from the fan which went normal in few minutes.

Solution:

If this problem happens to you then immediately turn off the system. Remove the battery and re-install it. Plug in the charger into your laptop and switch it on. If you have a laptop cooler then immediately place the laptop on it, if you don’t have one then build yourself at home see here below.

➜Read: How to build a DIY laptop cooling fan

Now start the laptop, this step is necessary because the fan will start removing the heat. Fully charge the battery and in future make sure to always plug in the charger when the battery level reaches 30%. If you mostly work at home then use a UPS to power the laptop adapter and use it without battery.

➜ Suggested Read: How to make a DIY power bank with laptop batteries.

Warning:

Sometimes the laptop fan stops spinning. It may happen due to electric current fluctuations. This doesn't mean that the fan has failed completely. A quick reboot will fix the problem. Whenever the fan stops spinning your notebook's internal temperature may rise up to 65 degrees and the bottom of the notebook will heat up. If you notice this then immediately shut it down and start it again to remove the excess heat.

When you start the notebook you will feel very hot air coming out from the fan with a burning smell. Always restart your portable computer if you come across this and never switch it off otherwise the heat will damage the motherboard parts. Also, make sure that your laptop charger/adapter is in working state and is giving stable voltage output. You can read tips to take good care of your laptop charger. This tutorial will also teach you to find out faults in a laptop charger using a voltmeter or a multimeter.

How To Know If Laptop Fan Working Or Not

You can use Speccy a hardware monitor application for Microsoft Windows. It tells the temperature of laptop’s hardware according to its usage. Today most laptops have Intel Core processors including i3, i5, and i7. So the idle temperature of these CPUs is 50 degrees.

So if Speccy shows 50 degrees then this means the fan is working properly. Other processors like Intel Core 2 Duo has an idle temperature range of 28-40 degrees. The temperature may even rise to 55 degrees even while browsing. So make sure you are sitting in a cool room having a temperature less than or equal to 24 degrees. Read tips to keep laptop cool.

Another way is that put your ear close to the air vent located either on left or right side. You will listen an air blowing sound and feel air coming out of the vent. If you neither feel any air and nor hear any blowing sound then don’t worry because the laptop fan runs at different speeds. At lowest speed, your ears cannot detect its working.

Run a game that can increase the CPU usage. When the game starts the fan will start to rotate at high speed and blow out hot air which can be even felt with hands. If the laptop fan is not spinning then the laptop's bottom (or where the CPU is situated) will become hot, this can be easily felt by touching the laptop's body.

Real-Time Laptop CPU Temperature Monitoring

The laptop fan may stop working anytime due to electric current fluctuations like whenever your laptop's battery is very low or depleted and you connect the charger. Monitoring the laptop CPU temperature in Windows system tray will help you keep track of the temperature. Basically, the normal temperature does not go above 50 degrees. If the temperature is unexpectedly high at normal usage then the fan may have stopped working. You can use speccy to monitor it in real-time.

• Download speccy.
• Go to 'View>Options'.
• In 'General' tab select 'Metric' in 'Temperature'.
  
  
  
• Click the 'System Tray' tab.
• Check all options here.
  
  
  

• In 'Output' select 'CPU'.
• In 'Sensor' select 'CPU 0-Average Temperature'.
• Refresh Every '1' sec.
• Click 'OK' and minimize it. The temperature will be visible in 'System Tray'.

If none of the above-listed solutions work then its time to replace the fan for the optimal working of your laptop.

Now you have successfully fixed a laptop fan that is not working and has stopped rotating. Now read this article. If you are experiencing weird problems with your notebook's fan then leave your comments here, we will help.

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5 Proven Tips To Increase Laptop Lifespan

Laptops are compact and portable computers. Their compact design and weight make them portable computers. The need of portable computers is increasing day by day because more and more people are choosing laptops over desktops due to their portability. A laptop needs more maintenance than a desktop computer. Without proper maintenance a laptop’s internal components and motherboard can fail before its life span. Well it is difficult to say about the correct life span of any laptop, but most laptop manufacturing companies like ASUS says that an ASUS built laptop will not get any problem after using it for 3 years from the date of purchase if used and maintained properly.

Yes, we can agree with the above statement, that a laptop’s life span greatly depends on maintenance and handling. Laptop computers are fragile and more vulnerable to breaking when falling from a height accidently, in this case a laptop may become dead. So besides maintenance and proper handling a laptop needs care too.

In this tutorial I will tell you about 5 proven tips that will increase your laptop’s lifespan.

5 Proven Tips To Increase Laptop Lifespan

1. Monitor Laptop Temperature : Monitoring the laptops temperature is the essential task to maintain correct temperature. You can use a laptop temperature monitoring software like ‘Speccy’ which will monitor the temperature of CPU, GPU, motherboard and hard disk. Out of these hardware components, CPU is more vulnerable to overheating  because it performs all tasks. The more the CPU is used, more it will heat. There is a temperature range for different CPUs. For example Intel Core i3 has a maximum temperature of 100 degrees Celsius. Intel Core i3 runs hot, even the low power Intel Core i3 3217U runs at 42-43 degrees Celsius at idle. Intel core i5 and i7 run hotter when used in turbo boost mode. If your laptop has Intel core i5 or Intel core i7 then you should disable the turbo boost mode in BIOS settings to prevent overheating. Visit Intel’s website to get the temperature range of your laptop’s CPU.

Today most laptops are manufactured with a Ball Grid Array BGA CPU which is soldered to the motherboard. A BGA CPU can't be upgraded because it is fixed on the motherboard. If a BGA CPU burns out because of overeating then there is no chance of replacing it by yourself, but the manufacturer can fix this but require a big repair amount. Laptops having BGA CPU should be cooled properly. By monitoring the laptop’s temperature we will get right info that our laptop is not overheating while doing normal tasks.

2. Cleaning The Laptop : Cleaning the laptop regularly will ensure good performance and a better life span. Clean the laptop keys with a soft brush to remove the accumulated dust. Weekly remove the battery and clean it to remove the dust, also clean the battery cavity in laptop to remove any dust particles. By using a soft brush gently clean the corners and sides of the LCD screen, and with a cotton swab clean all the ports of your laptop. You can clean the laptop’s body with a mild cleanser that can kill the germs living on your laptop.

Skil Air Blower 8600

3. Air Flow : A laptop has two types of air vents. One is the inlet air vents and other is the outlet air vent. The inlet air vents are located on the bottom of your  laptop where the laptop takes fresh air in to cool the internal components. The outlet air vent is located on the left side of the laptop which throws the heat out generated by CPU and GPU in form of hot air. Never place a laptop on a bed or sofa because doing so will block the inlet air vents and laptop will overheat, also never use the laptop by placing it in your lap, because doing so will block both the air vents. Do not use keyboard protectors like rubber covers because they will block the air flow.

When air is blocked then laptop lifespan will start decreasing day by day. Because the CPU, GPU and all chips on motherboard are made of Silicon that expands more on heating and contract on cooling. This rapid expansion of Silicon due to overheating causes more wear and tear in CPU, GPU and motherboard chips. Always place the laptop on a firm surface so that air can flow below the laptop. To increase the ground clearance of the laptop, you can place four bottle caps or thick cardboard pieces cut into small squares at each corner below the laptop, so that the laptop has now more space below it. This will allow more air to flow below the laptop thereby keeping it cool.

4. Use Laptop Cooling Fan : If you run heavy tasks on your laptop like video conversions or play heavy games for long hours the be ready to say good bye to your laptop. Because playing heavy games on laptop for longer time periods damage the laptop’s internal hardware components in the long run. While playing without using a laptop cooler the CPU temperature may rise upto 65 degrees Celsius, this can’t be called overheating because most CPUs (Intel Core 2 Duo)  have a maximum operating temperature of 85 degrees Celsius, but this doesn’t means that playing heavy games on laptop won’t damage it.

Playing games on laptop creates little damages that can be felt over time. After all laptops are not meant for playing games, however if you play heavy games on your laptop, then use a laptop cooler fan that will cool your machine while you game. A laptop cooler will bring down the overall CPU and GPU temperature by 5 degrees which is essential to prevent overheating .  If you use a laptop cooling fan then the CPU temperature will below 55 degrees Celsius and GPU temperature will be between 45-50 degress Celsius which is a great success. Check out the video below.

I have played games like Call of duty Modern warfare 3, NFS most wanted 2012, Far cry 3, Battlefield 3, GTA 4, Call of duty black ops 2 on my laptop while using a laptop cooling fan during gameplay and the CPU temperature remains at 52 degrees Celsius. Never play games on a laptop without using a laptop cooling fan, don’t use laptop cooling pads because they are useless. If your laptop has AMD GPU then using a cooling fan is must because AMD GPU runs hotter than NVIDIA. You can see this tutorial making your own laptop cooling fan.

Note : A laptop cooler is also of no use if the fan is not directly situated below the air vents.

5. Prevent Electric Fluctuations While Charging Battery : Electric fluctuations can cause serious damage to the capacitors on your laptop’s motherboard. The capacitors hold charge that is essential for a laptop to work. Electric fluctuations can blow these capacitors and your laptop will not turn on when this happens. Always ensure that your home’s electricity is free from fluctuations and the electric port should be grounded or earthed. Heavy electric fluctuations while charging the laptop battery can ruin the laptop within one year and that will require serious repair. Don’t charge the laptop via unearthed electric port or that have electric fluctuations.

Room Temperature Highly Affects Laptop's Temperature And Performance
Hot room temperature can dangerously overheat your laptop within minutes. I have an ASUS notebook, I once used it in a room whose temperature was more than 28 degree celcius. Within few minutes I noticed that my laptop was overheating even while browsing internet. The temperature rose to 60 degree celcius, this is pretty high for a ULV notebook. I immediately moved to an air conditioned room and used a laptop cooler fan. After few minutes the temperature came down to 40 degrees while browsing the internet. So gaming on laptops is a big no in summers or unless you are sitting in a AC room with laptop cooler.

Tips To Increase The Laptop’ Battery Life

• Never play games on laptop’s battery power.
• Don’t charge the battery unnecessarily. Don’t wait it to get completely exhausted.
• Do not overcharge it as it will start leaking charge over time.
• If you are going to store your laptop for a long time then completely charge the battery. Then remove the battery and store it separately. Also if the battery is stored for several months then do not recharge it.
• If a laptop is stored with a completely charged battery for a long time then the battery will leak and will damaged because all its electrolytes will come out and it will be blown causing damage to laptop. Never do this.

I think I have covered the topic in detail and I am sure enough that after following above tips your laptops life span will increase and also you have minimized serious damages and hardware failure problems on your laptop by following above tips. If you have any question do reply in the comments section.

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