Keep Your Gaming Laptop Running Like New: Best Maintenance Tips
Gaming laptops represent the pinnacle of on-the-go computing power. They're the right tool whether you're a gamer who travels a lot or a digital nomad looking for portable power to fuel intense applications like 3D modeling or video editing software.
They perform best while new, but forethought and occasional maintenance can maintain peak efficiency for years. Here's what to know about keeping your laptop's hardware, software, and security spick and span.
Cleaning
Due to size constraints, laptops already have a tougher time managing heat than PCs. Clogged-up vents and fans make things much poorer. The worse the dust buildup, the hotter and louder the laptop will get. Even so, gaming performance will suffer since laptops preventively throttle the CPU and GPU's maximum output when overheating.
Keep any vents and intakes free from dust and debris. Wipe them off regularly with a microfiber cloth and compressed air to blow built-up dust out from the inside, at least every six months or so.
Microfiber cloth works well on keyboards. Dampening it with distilled water creates a gentle yet effective cleaning solution for the screen and trackpad. Don’t forget to occasionally clean the mouse and any cables that connect to the laptop.
Software Optimization & Cleanup
Several laptop manufacturers are guilty of loading their laptops up with unnecessary programs. These turn on by default and hog resources while providing little value, hence the name bloatware. Disable them from system startup to get a bit of performance back. The same goes for unnecessary services you can experiment with disabling if you’re more advanced.
Monitoring software is another staple when it comes to laptop preloads. It's handy for keeping track of GPU and CPU temperature, overclocking, fiddling with RGB, etc. It’s a good idea to lock in the settings you’re comfortable with and then remove the tools from startup. You can also replace them with lightweight alternatives like MSI Afterburner.
Installing games, browsing the web, and creating media libraries can fill your SSD fast, especially if you bought a budget-friendly laptop with just 512GB of storage. A full disk will slow down performance even if the laptop is spotless, so regularly perform cleanups to get rid of accumulated browser caches and games you don't play anymore. The SSD is one of a few replaceable and upgradeable laptop components, so consider adding another or replacing the current one with something more roomy if you're running low.
Maintaining Safety
Laptops face most of the same cybersecurity challenges as desktops, along with some unique ones due to their portability. Part of laptop maintenance is ensuring threats like malware and data breaches don’t harm its performance and stability.
Start by making sure your OS and all programs are current and get automatic updates. This prevents known exploits from compromising your system while also adding extra features. Getting rid of old, unneeded programs and games also helps tighten security.
All your gaming, social media, and other accounts have passwords. Still, the protection passwords afford is only as good as their complexity. Having unique logins for each account is essential to keeping them safe and ensuring that one hacked account doesn't endanger others. Install a password manager for any device you’re using to easily set up unique credentials for each account and strengthen them with two-factor authentication.
Your behavior also plays a large part in your laptop’s safety. It might be tempting to torrent a new AAA game to try it out, yet that runs the risk of picking up viruses and other malware. You’ll also want to avoid suspicious websites and keep an eye out for phishing emails that hope to trick you into giving up the login info for your gaming and other accounts.
How you connect to the internet matters as well. Using an Ethernet cable at home is fine, but you'll want to stay away from public Wi-Fi since it's easily hacked or monitored. A better alternative is to use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot. With eSIMs that are suitable for travel, you can even do so if you're traveling abroad and can get the best rates anywhere without the hassle of switching physical SIMs.
General Longevity Tips
While possible, overclocking laptops is generally not worth it. You pay for the slight performance boost with much higher thermals. These – along with current settings that may exceed optimum levels – can lead to shorter component lifespans, which affects the entire laptop since components like the GPU and CPU aren't replaceable.
High temps are normal with gaming laptops, but you can reduce the stress by always keeping vents and fans unobstructed. If the temperature remains high despite your best efforts, consider a dedicated cooling pad to cool the laptop down.
Make a habit of turning the laptop off when you’re done with it for the day. This will prolong battery life and is essential for high-end gaming laptops with OLED screens to avoid burn-in.
