This article will go over how to keep a gaming laptop healthy and will provide some tips about what you can do to improve the laptop’s lifespan. Here are some of the best ways to keep your gaming laptop healthy for as long as possible:
Table of Contents
#1: Use a Smart Power Adapter
More than one-third of laptop problems are caused by power surges. Even if you are located in an area without many power surges, the outlet can still be faulty, potentially damaging your laptop. This is why it is a good idea to use a smart power adapter (also known as a surge protector).
A smart power adapter will detect when the voltage fluctuates and then “reset” or turn off power to the laptop.
#2: Don’t Overheat Your Laptop
Heat is a big enemy to all gaming laptops. When you use your laptop for extended periods of time, especially when gaming, it is very easy for it to overheat. This leads to various problems, including the hard drive going bad or even destroying the motherboard.
If you don’t have access to a cooling pad, you should at least try to create some kind of airflow between the laptop and the surface it’s on. If you can’t do that, move around so that there isn’t any direct contact between your skin and the laptop; this could potentially help cool down the machine as well.
If you have the funds to do so, consider purchasing a laptop cooler. The easiest way to prevent your laptop from overheating is to use a cooling pad. A cooling pad is an easy and effective way to cool down the laptop and increase gaming performance.
#3: Don’t Abuse Your Laptop
While this may seem obvious, you should always be careful when using your laptop. If you are carrying it around with you, put it in a sturdy laptop bag and make sure that there isn’t anything potentially harmful touching the hardware (such as paperclips). If possible, try not to take it out of its case at all unless absolutely necessary. For example, if you are working on something that requires software that is only available on your gaming laptop or if there’s a Windows update.
If you want to avoid being the cause of damage to your laptop, make sure you are always turning it off when it’s not in use. You should also make sure that you are not using a laptop on a heavy or poorly balanced table. Using your laptop on an uneven surface will make it more likely to wobble and possibly go out of balance.
#4: Make Sure The Gaming Laptop’s Software is Up-to-date
Make sure the operating system and the programs you use are up-to-date. Having it updated will give you the latest features and help you avoid any security issues with the older versions.
#5: Remove Unnecessary Startup Programs
Removing unnecessary startup programs will increase the time it takes for the laptop or desktop pc to boot up. To remove annoying programs that start up when you open the computer, follow one of the many guides on the subject.
#6: Avoid Having TheLaptop Running When You’re Not Using It
This may seem like a silly tip, but it could be relied upon in case of emergency. When you are not using the gaming laptop, turn it off before going to sleep and/or hibernate it so that it does not continue to use up energy when you’re not using it.
There are several ways to go about this. If you have a laptop that has a sleep button, you can just press it whenever you’re done using it and go ahead and switch it off. In the case of an older model, there may not be a dedicated sleep button, but you can use the control panel to shut down most gaming laptops. By going into the control panel, simply click on the “Shut down” option and close all open programs before powering off the laptop.
#7: Clean Your Keyboard & Mouse Regularly
Everyone knows that keyboard and mouse pads are very sensitive to germs; this is because they are constantly in contact with the user’s hands. If you ever come in close contact with these devices, consider cleaning them regularly. This is going to prevent the buildup of germs on the keyboard and mouse, which will stop your gaming laptop from being affected by them.
#8: Check for Problems
If you are experiencing problems with your gaming laptop, it is important to solve them as soon as possible. This will ensure that you don’t have any other potential problems causing your laptop to overheat and/or shut down without warning.
There are several different ways you can go about this; the best way is to conduct a full system check before every use. One key method for making sure that the gaming laptop has not been damaged beyond repair is to do a hard drive scan. This will run a full test on the hard drive and display any errors. If an error occurs, take note of the information displayed so that you can take it in to see a technician or repair person.
Another great method for finding problems is by hooking up the laptop to an external monitor. If you do not have access to an external monitor, you can go to the control panel and check for any errors that could affect your gaming laptop. If there are any errors found, try doing a system recovery. This will effectively remove all the programs and files on the computer and replace them with their default versions, returning them to their original state.
The easiest way to conduct a system recovery is by using the control panel’s option “Startup Repair.” If Startup Repair does not fix the problem, you can attempt to do a system restore. System restore will take the laptop back to an older time before the problem occurred.
If the previous two methods don’t work, check if there are any viruses on your laptop. A good way to do this is by going into the control panel and performing a virus scan with antivirus software or a similar program. If viruses are residing on the PC, they could be displaying fake error messages and other unnecessary information that could be causing your hardware to overheat.
#9: Turn On Power Saving Options
In addition to the aforementioned laptop tips, several free and paid software programs can be used to monitor most gaming laptop’s performance. The available software is known as a performance meter, which monitors key areas of the laptop’s performance such as CPU, hard drive, and memory. While these tools can provide you with vital information about a computer’s health, it is important to understand that they are not 100 percent accurate and may not give you an accurate readout if your hardware has been damaged beyond repair.
#10: Clean Up Recycle Bin
In addition to removing any viruses, you should also make sure to clear out the recycle bin after use. It may not seem like a big deal, but this will free up some valuable space and prevent other files or applications from being stored. This will help keep the laptop running smoothly and save you time and money in the long run.
#11: Clean Your Computer
While this is a more general tip, it can be used as a go-to solution if your computer is not performing up to standards and you are not positive as to what the problem is. In addition to wiping down your computer after use, you should also make sure to dust it off at least once per week. This will help keep your PC running smoothly and could potentially prevent it from overheating. If you have specific areas prone to dust on your computer, there are several ways to combat this issue.
There are several brushes that you can purchase which will effectively clean those areas. You can also use a vacuum to suck up the dust if you have no other options available. In addition to dusting and vacuuming your computer, ensure that you perform regular system maintenance by going through the aforementioned steps.
#12: Defragment Your Hard Drive
Just like keeping your hard drive clean and dusted off, you should also try to defragment it regularly. If your gaming laptop is running slowly or is experiencing problems, it is important to try and make the most out of the hardware by defragmenting your hard drive. This will help speed up access times and potentially increase performance (which is always good!).
To perform defragmentation, you should perform a full system check and if there are any problems, release the files that are being stored on your laptop. Once the files are released, they will begin to rebuild and eventually run at full capacity. If you notice high temperatures or the laptop seems sluggish, it may be time for you to consider performing a de-fragmentation.
Conclusion
As you can see from this guide, there are several things you can do to take care of your gaming laptop. These include using cooler surfaces in addition to buying a good cooling pad with multiple cooling fans. If you follow these tips you should have a healthy laptop with fast performance. If you still feel your gaming laptop is sluggish it might be time to optimize it for gaming or upgrading the laptop’s components.