Laptops are built with stronger hardware than ever. But the more powerful a laptop is, the hotter it'll get. Top models can hit temperatures of 170 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, especially when gaming. Hot laptops feel awful to hold, and heat can wear down your components over time. If you don't want your laptop to double as a space heater, consider investing in one of the best laptop cooling pads.
Our favorite laptop cooling pads for gaming include the TopMate C11, which has its own detachable phone stand. We also recommend the Thermaltake Massive TM, which features two 120mm fans and a temperature sensor. Either one will cool your laptop and help guard your thighs from burns. Vacuum Cooling Principle
Below, you can find all of our picks for the best laptop cooling pads on the market. We've also included information on how well cooling pads work and what you should expect from a typical purchase.
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Yes, but it depends on what you're looking for. Testing shows that the best laptop cooling pads can cool down laptops, usually by about five to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on strength. That's not huge, but can make a difference over time. And if you tend to use your laptop directly on your lap, putting a pad underneath can protect your thighs from discomfort.
On the other hand, there's not much evidence that cooling pads actually help laptops run faster. The few-degree difference isn't enough to noticeably improve CPU or GPU performance. And if your laptop already has overheating issues — maybe because the vents are damaged or dusty — a cooling pad is just a temporary fix.
Laptop cooling pads can make you more comfortable when gaming, but don't expect them to improve your laptop's performance. For better performance, you'll need to invest in better laptop hardware. Check out our guides to the best gaming laptops and best budget gaming laptops to see our top recommendations.
Most cooling pads range from about 20dB to 50dB in volume. An output of 50dB is about as loud as a typical conversation between two people or the hum of a refrigerator. The stronger a cooling pad's fans are, the louder it'll be.
Remember that a cooling pad won't replace your laptop's internal fans. So, if your laptop's internal fans are running at the same time as the cooling pad, you'll have two sets of fans making noise, which means double the volume.
The weight of a cooling pad depends on its size and the material it's made of, typically plastic or metal. However, cooling pads generally weigh between 1.5 and 3.5 pounds.
For reference, gaming laptops tend to weigh about four to five pounds, and a gaming laptop charger adds at least a half-pound more. This means that in total — with the laptop, charger, and cooling pad — you're looking at about seven to nine pounds of weight.
Any cooling pad you buy needs to be at least big enough to fit the base of your laptop comfortably. Your laptop shouldn't be hanging off the sides or the back and should be able to sit flat without any wobbling. In other words, a bigger cooling pad will work with smaller laptops, but not the other way around.
Cooling pads work best when the pad's fans can line up with your laptop's vents. This will usually mean keeping your laptop in the center of the pad, an even distance away from each fan and/or directly above the center fan.
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