Laptop cooling fans

Introduction

Laptop cooling fans are used to protect laptops from overheating. Sometimes, laptops get overheated and produce disturbing noise or get shut down frequently or even get damaged. While working on the laptop, it would be really annoying, if the system produces severe noise or gets shut down recurrently. If the sound is too loud, it indicates that the laptop is really hot. So to avoid this, laptop cooling fan is the best option. Cooling fans not only take care of your computer, but also comfort you at a better level.

Laptop Cooling Fans

Mainly, there are two types of laptop cooling fans. The first one is the in-built cooling fan, which means that it is installed inside the laptop, near the CPU or graphics processing unit. This is a necessary part of the laptop to protect the system from overheating. The second type is the laptop cooler pad which contains fans internally. This is an optional device. If you feel that your laptop gets heated to a higher extend because of continuous use or high load, then you can purchase this and install on your laptop as an additional protection.

Parts

The major part of a laptop cooling fan is a scoop or bowl shaped frame that lifts the bottom of the laptop. This helps the hot air to circulate away from the laptop. The second part of the cooling fan is the power plug-in. Sometimes, it comes along with the USB port. In cooler pads, one or more fans might be used, depending on the performance expected.

Advantages & Disadvantages

The primary advantage of both types of cooling fans is that it protects your laptop and comforts your lap from overheating. The key advantage of in-built laptop cooling fan is that it is relatively cheap and small. The installation also is an easy task. But the second type is relatively expensive. These are available in many different colors, shapes, sizes and features. For example, many have stands that can be positioned at your comfort level. Some of them need not be plugged into additional power supply. Rather, they get it from USB port itself. Many of these types come with USB hub for additional devices. Moreover, in certain models of this type, the speed of the fan can be adjusted manually.

The major disadvantage of an in-built laptop cooling fan is that if the temperature of the laptop goes beyond a certain limit, then the laptop gets shut down automatically to prevent permanent damage. So, for laptops producing higher temperature, in-built cooling fans will not be a sufficient solution. Another major disadvantage of laptop cooling fans is that the power used gets increased as and when the parts come across wear and tear or friction. In addition to this, when the vents of the fan are hindered by dust, then also the outcome becomes low and power consumption becomes more. In these cases, though the laptop cooling fan works, it will not be productive. Thus, it might even lead to damage to the motherboards or USB ports. So, it is always better to remove dust and unwanted particles out of the fan, to allow the laptop cooling fans to work smoothly and efficiently.