The cooling system in a laptop performs a very important function. It serves to dissipate heat from the processor and graphics unit on the laptop’s motherboard. If the laptop heats up significantly, its performance drops, and the fan works loudly, the cooling system is likely damaged. Repairing the cooling system usually involves cleaning the laptop, replacing a faulty fan, and thermal paste. However, many cooling-related problems can be avoided by periodically performing cleaning and maintenance of the cooling system.
Structure and operation of the laptop cooling system
The cooling system in a laptop consists of a radiator, heat pipe, and one or more fans. An indispensable element of every cooling system is thermal paste and thermal pads. As the name suggests, thermal paste facilitates heat exchange between the system and the radiator. Heat from the system is transferred to the radiator and blown out of the casing by the fan. If one of these components fails, the entire system stops functioning, and the laptop starts overheating.
Cooling system failures and symptoms
The first symptoms of improper cooling system operation are excessive heating of the casing, loud fan operation, decreased performance, and laptop freezing – blue screens. If the laptop starts shutting down due to overheating, this is the last call to prevent motherboard damage. The first signs of overheating should not be ignored. Even short-term overheating of motherboard components significantly affects their lifespan.
To protect the cooling system from failure, we recommend performing cleaning and maintenance at least once a year. Such preventive measures significantly impact its reliability.
Causes of laptop overheating
- faulty fan – blocked fan (seized bearings) or bearing play
- leaky radiator
- lack of periodic maintenance – dusty cooling system, dried thermal paste
Symptoms of cooling system failure
- excessive heating of the laptop during operation – the casing becomes hot
- loud fan operation – the fan runs at high speeds, makes noise, and you can hear friction, rattling
- the laptop works slowly, freezes, its performance drops, blue screens appear
- the laptop shuts down a few seconds after turning it on
- the laptop shuts down when it heats up after about 10-15 minutes of operation
- the laptop shuts down under heavy load, e.g., after turning on a movie or game
Repairing the cooling system in a laptop
The repair involves disassembling the cooling system, thoroughly cleaning all its components, and replacing the faulty fan/radiator along with replacing the thermal paste with new ones. At LaptopFix Laptop Service, we replace the thermal paste with new ones each time after disassembling the cooling system. This is very important because, over time, the paste dries out and loses its thermal conductivity properties. Many customers have come to our service with laptops that were not very dirty, but the thermal paste was already dry, which was enough to cause the laptop to overheat.
If you notice any of the symptoms of cooling system failure in your laptop, or if your laptop requires periodic maintenance, we invite you to LaptopFix for a free evaluation in just 15 minutes. Our experienced technicians will diagnose the problem and propose the best solution.