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Laptop getting warm on left side

15 years ago

Hi,

Every now and then my laptop gets a bit warm on the left

side, and is a bit noisy. What would cause that?

What should I do when that happens?

Thank you in advance.

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Comments (7)

genes
15 years ago
Depending upon how old the laptop is...its probably a build up of dust around the processor/heatsink on the motherboard and around the fan...what you can do, is buy a can of pressurized air at a electronics store ..turn off the laptop, unplug it, close lid and turn it over..you will see vents on the bottom/side..you should be able to see a fan beneath one of the vents..take a toothpick and stick it through the slit and put it between two fan blades to keep it from over spinning..spray the air thru the vent and try and blow the dust off..this may help short term but ideally, it should be partially disassembled and properly cleaned..also, dont use it on your lap or any other soft surface as you are blocking the vent holes and that would also contribute to overheating..let us know what make and model your laptop is to better help you..ie: Toshiba L350 etc
kudzu9
15 years ago
Many laptops get warm in different places from the heat they normally generate. That's not to say that this isn't caused be a dust accumulation as "genes" described above, but it might also be normal. How old is this laptop and is this something that just started occurring that never happened when it was new?
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mimilm
Original Author
15 years ago
hi
Thank you for your quick reply. I have a HP Compaq. I will
have to get one of those cans of spray. Is it ok to still
have the laptop on or should I turn it off ?
I have mine on a table all the time.
Thank you.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
15 years ago
you can buy for pretty cheap the pads to put under your laptop that have fans in them that help dissipate the heat that builds up under them. Most plug into the usb port for power. Of course some are better than others. Turn off the laptop and disconnect the power cord to try to clean it.
laptop cooler
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
How many batteries do you have?

Some batteries get a little warm when it is being charged.

Most Laptop CPUs dissipate heat using a heat pipe to conduct heat to a heat exchanger, then a blower (not a fan) throws the heat out. Both the blower and the heat exchanger can be dirty and may need to be cleaned.

dcarch
mimilm
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you all for your answers. I knew this would be the
right place to come. I'm glad it doesn't happen all the
time, just now and then.
genes
15 years ago
As Mentioned in my initial post "buy a can of pressurized air at a electronics store ..turn off the laptop, unplug it, close lid and turn it over"

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