The short answer
Clear the vents, use it on a hard surface, and have the fans and heatsink cleaned of dust once every year or two. Heat is what kills laptops.
- Never use it on a bed, a sofa or a lap with soft fabric. The vents are usually underneath and fabric blocks them completely.
- Use a hard flat surface, or a cheap stand that lifts the back.
- Blow the vents out with compressed air every few months, with the machine off.
- Have the fan and heatsink cleaned properly every year or two, which needs opening it up. Dust forms a felt mat across the heatsink fins that no amount of external blowing shifts.
- Check what is running. A machine that is hot while idle has a process consuming the processor.
What will ruin it
Do not use a vacuum cleaner on the inside of a computer. Static discharge from the nozzle can damage components. Compressed air, and hold the fan still so it does not spin up and generate current.
Why it works
Heat degrades every component and forces the processor to slow itself down to survive, which is why an overheating machine is both unreliable and slow. Dust is an insulator, so a clogged heatsink stops transferring heat at all.
Tipking is general household information, not professional advice. Test anything on a hidden patch first. Full disclaimer.
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