That's hot...

So the last few weeks, I’ve noticed that my computer gets pretty hot after it’s been on for more than twenty or thirty minutes. In fact, it was feeling a little TOO hot, if you ask me. Almost like it could spontaneously combust at any random moment. I had gotten into the habit of only keeping it on for a half hour or so, and then turning it off until it cooled down. Which really seemed like a bit of a nuisance…

And then a couple days ago, Rick was using my computer for some reason, and he heard the fan inside frantically spinning in a futile effort to keep things cool. So, using a technologically advanced maneuver called “blowing on the computer vent,” he blew on the vent and a crazy cloud of dust puffed out into the air. And almost immediately, the computer began to cool down. So today I grabbed a can of compressed air and cleaned as much dust out of the vents as I could. And I’m amazed at what a difference it’s made. I mean, I WAS pretty sure that my computer hadn’t gotten so ridiculously hot when I first acquired it – so it would make sense that something needed to be tweaked. I guess I just never even thought that it could be something as simple as DUST. Who knew that something so seemingly innocuous could practically cause your computer to explode??? (Well, now I DO know…)

Although it’s funny, because this is like one of those problems that my dad would’ve suggested was simpler to figure out than most people would think. Most of us (at least those of us who don’t really know much about the inner workings of a computer) would wonder which expensive component needed to be replaced… and then we’d ask ourselves if it was actually worth it to replace an expensive component, or if it would make more sense to simply buy a new, much cooler computer. And, to be honest, I was starting to think a new computer was definitely in order. It was either a new computer or an eventual pile of smoking laptop ash…

But, just like my dad always says, the solution ended up being a great deal simpler and a lot less expensive than a new computer. Get rid of the dust. That’s it. Who’d have thought? I’m just happy that I don’t have to constantly keep a fire extinguisher on hand…