Cooling pads come in a range of different designs and sizes. Laptops are convenient because you can place and use them virtually anywhere, but in some cases they can get too hot. In this article, I will explain if cooling pads are bad for laptops.
Cooling pads are not bad for laptops. A cooling pad provides 5 to 15 °C of cooling to a laptop. But, many laptops have a ventilation hole configuration or no ventilation holes. A cooling pad has no effect on these laptops. Such as, the Macbook Pro and Air, and the Dell XPS.
Below I will cover:
- The disadvantages of cooling pads for laptops
- Do you really need a cooling pad for a laptop
- Are cooling pads good for laptops
- Laptop stand vs cooling pad – which is better and why
Disadvantages of Cooling Pads for Laptops
The disadvantages of a cooling pad for a laptop are:
- On average, it provides no benefit in performance or longevity of a laptop
- It requires additional space to use it, and transport it
For most laptops using a cooling pad will provide no performance improvement. According to computer component manufacturers the operating temperature of a laptop should be: 158 to 176°F (70°C to 80°C).
This can be checked using a free program you can download which tells you the temperature of the CPU and GPU.
Unless your computer is running over 225°F (100°C). It is perfectly fine. To see what temperature your laptop is running at use any of these completely free tools:
- Real Temp
- CPU thermometer
Download and install one of them and see what temperature your laptop is running at. I personally downloaded and installed Real Temp, it’s a very tiny program. I recently bought a laptop this year (2023) that is medium end.
On a warm day my computer is running at about 140°F (60°C). Here’s a screenshot showing the temperature of my laptop.
It was found in independent tests that some computers throttle performance based on a computers temperature. But, these are much rarer.
In a test performed by Jarrod Tech, it was found that only 2 out of 10 had a significant performance improvement from cooling it using a stand or cooling pad. Below, is a table that shows the results:
| Laptop | Did a cooling pad provide a performance improvement? |
| Lenovo Y540 | No |
| Acer Helios 300 | No |
| Acer Nitro 5 | No |
| Gigabyte Aero 15 | No |
| Eluktronics MAX-15 | No |
| MSI Alpha 15 | No |
| ASUS GA502DU | Yes – significant improvement |
| Dell G3 3590 | No |
| Razer Blade Pro 17 | No |
| Lenovo L340 | Yes – significant improvement |
These tests were performed in 2023, on medium to high end laptops which a CPU that is equivalent to a 9th generation i7 processor. Equivalent to a gaming laptop that costs around USD$1,000. Some had AMD processors, whereas, others had the more popular Intel i-series processor.
Do you really need a cooling pad for a laptop
However, interestingly, a cooling pad has the same cooling effect as all of the other options for cooling a laptop. Which are:
- A stand made of metal or plastic
- Propping it up on any object. For example two books on each side of a laptop.
- A cooling pad
- A cooling pad and stand combination (1 piece)
The best option is to start by propping up your laptop using something around the home to see if you get improved performance. Surprisingly, the reason is that a incredibly high quality cooling pad and propping up your laptop provide the exact same amount of cooling!
The independent test cited above found that out of 10 laptops, propping up a laptop using something around the home, or a laptop stand provides the same cooling benefit. If you want to do a free test, use a few things around the home to prop it up.
If you get no performance improvement from doing that, then you won’t get any performance improvement from using a laptop cooling pad. This is because your computer is one of the more common types that does not get faster the cooler it gets.
Laptop stand vs cooling pad
Overall, a laptop stand and a cooling pad provide the same amount of cooling to a laptop. Therefore, the main consideration the look you want to have, and the space requirements. Many laptop stands fold up and are compact.
Whereas, a cooling pad is solid, and takes up more space. A cooling pad also almost always requires a USB connection. Which can be a minor inconvenience. On the other hand, a laptop stand has no wires.
Are Cooling Pads Good For Laptops
Overall, cooling pads are good for laptops. A cooling pad cools a computer by on average 5 to 15 °C. But, a laptop stand also provides the same amount of cooling. Also, a larger and/or higher quality cooling pad does not provide additional cooling.
The one and only advantage of a cooling pad is if you use your laptop on your lap. Some laptops get very hot to the point of being uncomfortable if used on a laptop.
A cooling pad is a great option to stop this from happening. But, ensure you get one that is powered by a USB port. Doing so will give you greater mobility with your laptop.
The bottomline is:
A cooling pad most of the time won’t improve a laptops performance. But, a small percentage of laptops are thermal throttled. Thermal throttling is where a computers performance increases when a computer is cooler.
This should be tested by using something to prop up the underside of a laptop.
Propping up a laptop, and using a cooling pad provide almost exactly the same amount of cooling. If you find it does increase performance, a cooling pad is a good option. But, an equally good option is a stand.
The major difference is the look. And that a cooling pad will have no effect on some laptops. Some laptops have no fans at all. Such as, the Macbook Pro and Air laptops.
Inspect your laptop to identify if it has any openings for air, and how they are oriented. Many have a fan configuration that is unaffected by a cooling pad.
Another option is to buy an inexpensive cooling pad. You can get a solid looking one for around $20. And then see if it will provide a performance improvement. But, chances are it won’t.
Pros and Cons of Cooling Pads for Laptops
So summing everything up. Here’s a table that lists the pros and cons of using a cooling pad for a laptop.
| Pros of using a cooling pad for a laptop | Cons of using a cooling pad for a laptop |
| Provides 5 to 15 °C of cooling | Typically provides no performance improvement |
| More comfortable when using a laptop on your lap | Can get the same cooling results using a stand |
| You prefer the looking of a cooling pad over a stand. | Takes up more space than a stand |
| – | Requires a USB port for power |
The overall deciding factors are:
- If you prefer the look of a cooling pad compared to a stand
- If you use you laptop on your lap – and it gets uncomfortably hot (use a cooling pad instead of a stand)