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Laptop overheating and cleaning

Hot, loud, slow, or switching itself off. Often all it needs is a proper clean.

Dust builds up in a laptop's fan and heatsink, and the thermal paste between the processor and the heatsink dries out over the years. The laptop runs hotter, the fan gets louder, and the processor slows itself down to protect itself, which feels like the laptop getting old.

A deep clean, fresh thermal paste and a fan check is the cheapest thing you can do for a laptop that has got loud and slow, and it's often the only thing it needs. With Lebanon's summer heat and dust, it's worth doing every year or two.

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Signs it's overheating

  • The fan is loud all the time, even with nothing open
  • It's hot underneath or around the keyboard
  • It slows down after a few minutes of use
  • It switches off by itself during games, video calls or heavy work
  • The fan rattles or grinds

What we do

  • Open the laptop and clean the fan, heatsink and vents properly, not just blow air through the grille
  • Replace the thermal paste, and the thermal pads where needed
  • Check the fan, and replace it if it's worn
  • Measure temperatures under load before and after, and show you the difference

What affects the price

  • How far your model has to come apart to reach the fan
  • Whether the fan needs replacing
  • Thermal pads as well as paste, on some gaming and workstation laptops

Questions people ask

How often should a laptop be cleaned?
Every one to two years for most people. More often for gaming laptops, laptops used on beds or carpets, and laptops in dusty places.
Can I clean it myself with compressed air?
Air through the vents helps a little, but it often packs the dust tighter against the heatsink, and it does nothing for dried-out thermal paste, which is usually half the problem.
Will cleaning make my laptop faster?
If it was slowing down because of heat, yes, noticeably. If it's slow for another reason, such as a full or failing drive or too little RAM, we'll tell you what will actually help.

Send the model and what's wrong. You'll get a price range straight away and a fixed price once we've seen it.

Based in the Chouf, Lebanon: Deir el Qamar, Beiteddine, Baakline, Damour and around.

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