Laptops are great for portability, but most of them are pretty abysmal at dissipating heat. As the components get more and more powerful, and the chassis slimmer and slimmer, temperatures start inching upward. Many users take to using external fans as a sort of solution. But do they help? We'll dive in and find out, starting with how laptop heat works.

Understanding Laptop Heat

Before external fans review, let's see why laptops heat up. Laptops compress powerful components in small proportions. These components emit heat when they work. The harder these work, the more heat they generate. Gaming and video editing, among other resource-intensive tasks, raise the temperature quite well.

Internal Cooling Systems

Laptops have cooling systems installed in them. These generally include internal fans and heat sinks. They serve to circulate hot air outside and cool air inside. Sometimes, however, especially for high-level performance, this system struggles to cope.

That is where the External Fan comes into play.

External fans are designed to supplement the cooling of your laptop from the inside. They come in several shapes and sizes. Some of them are stands with built-in fans. Others are simply pads that sit beneath your laptop. There are even small clip-on fans that attach themselves directly to the vents of your laptop.

Read Some Additional Stuff You Would Like About: Do laptop cooling pads help FPS? A Complete Brief Guide For Gamers

How External Fans Work

The concept of external fans is simple: they try to increase the airflow around your laptop. Increased airflow allows increased heat to be carried away from your device. Often, they focus their efforts on blowing cool air up towards the underside of the laptop, where most devices have their air intake vents.

The Possible Benefits

In many respects, this holds: external fans can help cool down your laptop. They can reduce the overall temperature of your laptop. This may lead to more consistent performance, at least for longer and heavier work. This may also prevent thermal throttling situations in which your laptop intentionally slows down to prevent heat damage.

Effectiveness Varies

However, not all laptops respond equally to the presence of external fans. Some laptops reap more benefits than others. It all depends on the laptop design, the power of the external fan, and how you use your laptop.

Laptop Design Matters

These tend to be the laptops most helped by external fans. Such laptops draw their cooling air in from underneath the laptop. An external fan can aid this process. Those laptops with other types of vents may not benefit as much.

Quality of the External Fan

Not all external fans are created equal. A robust, well-designed fan will automatically do better than a cheap, weak one. Look for fans with variable speeds and good user reviews.

Your Usage Patterns

If you only use your laptop for light tasks, an external fan mightn't make too much of a difference. However, if you are a gamer or use resource-intensive software, you're more likely to see the benefits.

Beyond Cooling: Other Benefits

Some of them can have additional benefits aside from just cooling. Many have ergonomic improvements by tilting your laptop. This could lead to more comfortable typing and viewing angles. Some also include extra USB ports, which are a nice addition.

Cons

Of course, there are also some downsides to using external fans. The first is that it can be bulky to carry, hence reducing portability. Most of them would need power, either from your laptop's USB port or from an electrical outlet. It may affect battery life or make the laptop less useful at all those places you could use it on battery. Some fans can also be rather loud and might get on your nerves in quiet areas.

Options to Consider

Not all have to cool their laptop with an external fan. First and foremost, make sure that your laptop's vents are unobstructed. Using the laptop on a hard, flat surface can help with airflow. Regular cleaning of the vents and internal parts also helps. For power users, undervolting or repasting the CPU could get you significant temperature drops.

When to Consider an External Fan

Consider buying an external fan if you feel your laptop usually runs hot, especially when you notice that performance dips during heavy tasks that appear to need a bit more cooling than the internal fan seems capable of providing. They're also a good option if you do most of your work with your laptop in warm environments.

Conclusion

These work, sort of, but they are not a magic solution. They will work best as part of an overall temperature management approach. For most users who are outgrowing the performance envelope of their laptop, especially, the purchase of an external fan will be money well spent. Such accessories help in sustaining performance and can probably lengthen the life of one's laptop.

Keep in mind that not all laptops are created the same, and what works for one may not work for another. If you're considering an external fan, then it could be a good idea to borrow one to test it out before making the purchase. That way, you will be able to see whether it creates any kind of noticeable difference for your setup.

It is important to keep your laptop cool for performance and longevity. Whether or not the solution is right for you, that depends on your particular needs and the model of your laptop. But for many users, an external fan can be a simple, effective way to help manage laptop temperatures.