So I have this twelve-year-old laptop that has started to get hot after a few hours of use. My guess is it is on its way out now, so I don't want to spend any money on keeping it alive, like buying a cooling pad etc.
What I do right now is to use it for the few hours, and when it starts to heat up I turn it off. Then start it back up after a while.
I am wondering if that routine of shut down-start up may be too taxing on the poor old guy. Does anyone know if it's better to just keep it running instead of repeated on-off cycles? It's a Linux laptop, incidentally.
Second that! Dust is the enemy of anything air-cooled. I've seen significant improvements after cleaning out minitower PCs, and that has way more open vent area than a laptop. (Astounding how much crap can be packed in there.)
I second the you won't believe how much dirt you'll find sentiment. Every time I deal with an air system (from motors to refrigeration a/c etc.) I always marvel at how our lungs deal with a lifetime of this crap.
Can of air, yes, add a few soft bristle brushes, a soft old tooth brush might do but something longer bristled might be handy, an artists painting brush is good if you have one around.
I know $50 sounds like a lot for an air duster when the cans are cheap, but I've not bought a can in years, and don't have to deal with the bitterant agent leaking or the can getting cold. Worth it.