{"id":463,"date":"2020-09-21T02:52:01","date_gmt":"2020-09-21T02:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/?p=463"},"modified":"2021-07-30T09:46:29","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T09:46:29","slug":"how-to-maintain-a-gaming-laptop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/how-to-maintain-a-gaming-laptop\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Easy Tips on How to Maintain A Gaming Laptop in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you just buy a gaming laptop? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you looking for ways to maintain your gaming laptop and extend its life? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know you have spent some money to get that gaming laptop and want it to last as long as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t worry, I got you. You have come to the right place! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tips help me to extend my laptop’s life for up to 7 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, I will share 8 tips plus a bonus tip on how to maintain a gaming laptop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 1: Cool Down Your Laptop <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 2: Undervolt your CPU and GPU<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 3: Repaste Your Old Thermal Paste<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 4: Use External Keyboard and Mouse for Your gaming laptop<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 5: Get Your Laptop Checked Up Regularly <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 6: Always Plug Your Laptop to A Power Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 7: Get a Good Anti-Virus <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 8: Shut down your laptop from time to time<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 1: Cool Down Your Laptop <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Keeping your laptop cool is one of the most essential parts of maintaining a gaming laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tip<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We know that <\/strong>heat is the number one enemy of your gaming laptop<\/strong><\/a>, especially in your gaming laptop’s life expectancy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Because heat can cause irreversible damage to your laptop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what can you do to keep your laptop cool?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some tips: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Clean Your Laptop’s Fans <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fans are the most essential part of your laptop, as it helps to keep your laptop cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, dust and dirt can block your fans. This will cause your fan to work harder and will increase the chance of overheating your laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To prevent this from happening, make it a routine to clean your laptop’s fan every 2 months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.Use a Cooling Pad <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A laptop’s built-in cooling system is not enough to keep your laptop cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going to be using your laptop for more than 2 hours, I would suggest getting a cooling pad. A cooling pad will help to keep your laptop cool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Don’t Use Your Laptop on Soft Surfaces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Don't<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I see people using their laptop on their bed and on the carpet all the time. This is a big no-no. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the soft surface will block the airflow and prevent your laptop’s built-in fan from working properly. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will cause your laptop to overheat very quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suggest getting a hard surface such as a table to place your laptop on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Don’t Eat or Drink Near Your Laptop <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Eating or drinking by your laptop is a big no-no. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because if any food or liquid drops into your laptop, it will cause severe damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don’t want to have to buy a new laptop just because you are eating while you are on your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also read: 5 Easy Ways to Cool a Laptop While Gaming in 202<\/a><\/em>1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 2: Undervolt your CPU and GPU<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most people don’t know this, but you can actually undervolt your CPU and GPU. But what is undervolting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undervolting is the process of decreasing the amount of voltage supplied to your CPU and GPU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Undervolt<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By doing this, you will be able to decrease the amount of heat generated by your CPU and GPU. Plus, it comes with some benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you will be able to increase the lifespan of your laptop’s hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people think that undervolting your CPU and GPU can lead to a drop in performance, but that is not true if you do it right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have undervolted my CPU and GPU for more than a year, and I haven’t noticed any drop in performance. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, I got a boost in performance because now the CPU and GPU<\/p>\n\n\n\n

don’t have to work as hard to complete the task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suggest that you do your own research on how to undervolt your CPU and GPU. There are many guides out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I personally use Throttlestop to undervolt my CPU and GPU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 3: Repaste Your Old Thermal Paste<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Repaste<\/a>
Image source: Amazon<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thermal paste is used to conduct heat away from your CPU and GPU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is used to fill the gaps between your CPU and your heatsink, and the gaps between your GPU and your heatsink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, thermal paste dries up and loses its effectiveness. After a few years, I have noticed that my laptop’s CPU and GPU got hotter than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is due to the fact that the thermal paste has dried up and lost its effectiveness. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this happens, you need to reapply a new layer of thermal paste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suggest that you do your own research on how to reapply thermal paste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many guides online that can help you with your specific gaming laptop models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I personally use Arctic MX-4 <\/a>for my thermal paste. It is cheap and do the job really well in my experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 4: Use External Keyboard and Mouse for Your gaming laptop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Image source: Asus.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you are a heavy gamer, then you should consider getting an external keyboard and mouse for your gaming laptop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using an external keyboard and mouse will take some time to get used to, but it is worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will also preserve your laptop’s keyboard and trackpad because now you are using the external ones and shift all the heavy workloads to these external accessories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are like me and tend to be on your laptop for more than 8 hours a day, I suggest that you get an external keyboard and mouse.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n\n
\"\"
Image source: Amazon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\n\n
\"\"
Image source: Amazon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I personally use a Razer Huntsman Gaming Keyboard<\/a> and a Logitech G502 Gaming Mouse Combination<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been using this keyboard and mouse for more than 3 years now, and I am delighted with the quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, it delivers a better gaming experience for me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, my gaming laptop’s keyboard is not responsive enough or fast enough and causes me to lose some games. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why you want to invest in an external gaming keyboard and mouse combination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only do you get a better gaming experience on your gaming laptop, but it also helps you preserve your keyboard and trackpad from the heavy burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 5: Get Your Laptop Checked Up Regularly <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want your laptop to last for more than 5 years, then you should get it checked up by a professional at least once every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laptops are very complex machines. Many things can go wrong with it if you don’t maintain it well. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good technician can find potential problems with your laptop before they become significant issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I personally take my laptop to a local computer shop in my area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They check my laptop for malware and viruses and make sure that everything is running smoothly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also update all of my drivers and check if I have the latest BIOS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They usually take care of everything for me, and all I have to do is wait for them to do their thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 6: Always Plug Your Laptop to a Power Source<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Always<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t want your laptop’s battery to die out really quickly, then you should always plug your laptop into a power source when you are using it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, the way most laptop battery work is that while you are using your laptop, a small amount of power is continuously being drained from the battery even if you are plugged into a power source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is to keep the laptop’s battery alive. This also helps you to extend your battery life. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By plugging in your laptop all the time, you will decrease your battery Charge Cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the number of times you can completely deplete your battery and then recharge it back to 100%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, let’s say you have a laptop that has a 1000 charge cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means that you can completely deplete your battery and then recharge it back to 100% 1000 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you unplug your laptop and use just the battery until it is depleted, you have used 1 charge cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you then charge the battery back to 100% and then use just the battery until it is depleted again, this counts as another charge cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, if you keep your laptop plugged in to the power source<\/p>\n\n\n\n

while using the battery, this does not count as a charge cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why it is vital to always plug your laptop into a power source while you are using it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can extend your battery life significantly by doing this.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, if you have a laptop with a removable battery, I suggest that you use your laptop when the battery is removed and keep on connected to the power source. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will prevent wear and tear on the battery, and it will last a lot longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 7: Get a Good Anti-Virus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Get<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Malware and viruses can really wreak havoc on your laptop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t have an anti-virus program, then I suggest that you get one immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can malware and viruses damage your laptop, you ask?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, these malicious programs can really slow down your laptop and sometimes cause it to overheat.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The worst thing that can happen is for your laptop to get hacked entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can lead to a lot of problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems such as identity theft, having your bank account drained, and even your laptop getting wholly taken over by a hacker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be prevented by using a good anti-virus program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I personally use Bitdefender, which is an excellent anti-virus program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also very easy to use and can be set to automatically scan your laptop regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also has a very low impact on your laptop’s performance. I highly recommend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 8: Shut down your laptop from time to time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Shut<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You might be wondering why I have included this tip in a post about making your laptop last longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, you see, laptops are designed to be used on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you leave your laptop on all the time, it will wear out a lot faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The constant heating and cooling that occurs when your laptop is on are not good for the hardware.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I know what you are thinking. Why not just use hibernate instead of shutting down your laptop?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, you can, if you want to, but I still suggest shutting down your laptop from time to time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because hibernating uses up a lot more battery power than just shutting down your laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going to be away from a power source for more than a few hours, then I would suggest shutting down your laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just remember to hibernate or shut down your laptop before you leave it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will help your laptop last a lot longer than if you just leave it on all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonus Tip: Play on a slightly lower settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are serious about gaming, you might not want to hear this, but I will suggest that you play games on the lowest settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This might not be the most fun thing to do, but it will definitely help your laptop last a lot longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playing games on the lowest settings won’t look as good, but it will help prevent your laptop from getting too hot and potentially crashing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because most games require a lot of processing power, which takes a toll on your laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going to be gaming, then I suggest that you play on the lowest settings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This way, your laptop will last a lot longer, and you can still enjoy your favorite games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So there you have it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8 tips plus a bonus to help you maintain your gaming laptop in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tips extend my gaming laptop’s life for up to 7 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I want to hear from you. Do you have some tips to extend your laptop’s life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Share it with us and leave down some comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you just buy a gaming laptop?  Are you looking for ways to maintain your gaming laptop and extend its life?  I know you have spent some money to get that gaming laptop and want it to last as long as possible. Don’t worry, I got you. You have come to the right place!  These … <\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_generate-full-width-content":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[138],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gameranswers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}