If you’re using the laptop as intended (i.e., on your lap), wouldn’t those be almost entirely blocked?
The gaming laptops that I am familiar with don’t fit the traditional laptop role. Their battery life sucks and they are heavy due to the powerful hardware which really hinders their portability. They are more for people who need a portable desktop. I would almost never recommend a gaming laptop but they do fit specific needs.
I’m a long-time PC gamer but first time gaming laptop (“notebook?”) owner. I’m traveling at the moment, so I had to ditch my desktop for the laptop. Mine is still fairly portable so I’m often tempted to use it on my lap… but I’m always afraid to cover those vents so I’m left scrambling looking for something in my hotel room or AirBNB that would approximate a lap desk. 😅
I’ve been baffled by this design decision. Thanks for the context. It makes a bit more sense now.
I can assure you the laptop will not incinerate itself if you cover those vents for a while. I have used my laptop in a bed as it was charging and blocking those vents made it a bit slower but that’s about it.
There’s definitely a market for mobile PC gaming which is why the Steam Deck sells so well, as well as the new market of competitor products (Asus Rog Ally, for example).
That said, the vent location is a bit bizarre. Perhaps the manufacturer intended the laptop to be mounted or something… ?
Perhaps if it’s not too late, you can return the laptop when you get back from traveling.
What laptop is it? I have an MSI GS66 and there’s a “cooler boost” button to throw the fans into overdrive which keeps it cool even on my lap. Does yours have something similar?
This. I got a gaming laptop because gpus were very expensive back then and this was a good one comparable with a desktop equiv. I go to Europe for 2 months a year so this is super convenient. I have never used it on battery beyond moving from one plug in location to another. While gaming battery life is like 45 minutes.
Because it’s the only place they can evacuate heat. The sides are covered by I/O and are limited size.
Gaming laptops really aren’t made for using in your lap. They’re more a portable desktop that you connect things to.
You can also vent heat between the keyboard and the screen. I have an HP laptop that does that.
Because despite their name, laptops are meant to be placed on a hard flat surface when in use - NOT on your lap, a pillow, etc. They have little rubber feet that allow just enough room for the hot air to escape, and when placed on your lap the air gets trapped. Manufacturers warn about the effects of the hot air on your lap for extended periods of time.
It’s by necessity. The hardware in a gaming laptop gets a lot hotter, so you need wider openings that are closer to the heat generating parts. If you were to do this on the sides, you’d need to build the case bigger and put a much stronger heat transfer system to account for the smaller and further opening.
How does it help though when the user inevitably uses it on their lap and covers those vents?
I think that it’s fairly safe to say that nobody uses a gaming laptop on their lap when gaming, particularly mouse and keyboard players. I only use mine when I travel for work, and I bring a proper keyboard and mouse with me.
That said, I do occasionally use it on my lap. When not gaming, the heat produced is pretty low and it works just fine. It also has small intake vents on the side.
Even my “corporate” Thinkpad with no dedicated GPU has all the fans on the bottom and exhausting to the sides and back.
With the new hinges there’s space on the back for exhaust, some impeller fans drawing from the sides and exhausting out the back would be so much better. I custom printed some 1/2 inch high feet so it doesn’t throttle sitting on a table or lap desk because it’s just a terrible design even when used normally
I had the same thought as you before and one of my friends said “many people don’t call them ‘laptops’ anymore but instead call them notebooks”.
I found that name very fitting. Barely anyone uses their (gaming) laptop on their lap anymore. Usually on a desk in a thing that holds the laptop up to ventilate.
Note: I don’t know the exact name of it in English.
It doesn’t, the assumption is that users will not use them directly on their laps for heavy loads.
There isn’t much they can do. There isn’t enough room on the sides to vent all of that heat. This is the tradeoff you make when you ask for 200 watts of performance in a laptop form factor.
Very few folks use a gaming laptop on their lap without some kind of stand or hard table designed for it.
Battery life is too short and you need a place for a mouse.
The Sides are mostly “reserved” for I/O or the inner space ist already used by the battery. The Back IS possible and often used but mostly blocked by the display too. Front also blocked by the battery.
So what remains ist the bottom and the manufacurers try to minimize the problem with lifted feets which is mostly useless ob the lap.
But I consider gaming laptops not as mobility foccussed. They’re more foccussed on the ability to carry around but using on a desk.
Having used my gaming laptop on my lap, honestly it doesn’t really block the vents. Like 50% of the bottom is vent, so either I have my legs together and there are gaps at the side, or I have my legs apart and there is a gap in the middle.
But also yes, it’s about packing it up and setting it up significantly easier and faster, as opposed to actually doing things on the go. If I let my laptop use full performance on its battery, I would expect sub-30 minute battery life, as opposed to the ~2 hours I get when the GPU is turned off.
