5 Easily Overlooked Things That Can Damage Your Laptop

Laptops are among the most breakable things around. They aren’t breakable because they are fragile, though. If anything, laptop manufacturers make sure that laptop parts are encased in some of the hardiest computer chassis ever.

No; laptops are breakable because of their portable nature. After all, the more mobile something is, the more susceptible it is to outside forces. Often times, these outside forces even include user mishandling.

Below are five easily overlooked things that can surprisingly do a lot of damage to your laptop components. 

1.       Not providing adequate ventilation conditions

Laptop parts are housed in chassis that, if current trends continue, seem to be getting smaller and smaller. To counter this, said laptop parts are designed to be more efficient with their power-to-heat-generation ratio.

That said, heat is still generated. To that end, adequate ventilation has to be maintained, and this entails clearing the pathways for air to flow through, i.e. the laptops’ air vents.

 

The problem comes in when people place their laptops on collapsible “surfaces” (such as they are) like blankets. These tend to fold over and cover the vents, forcing the heat to accumulate inside the laptops and making them overheat.

2.       Too much shaking

While solid state drives are slowly but surely becoming the norm for laptops, many current ones are still equipped with hard drives. These HDs contain a lot of moving mechanical parts. When a laptop with an HD is shaken for prolonged periods, there is a very real danger of the HD’s parts moving too much, possibly leading to corrupted data; or worse, the HD itself being broken.

  

3.       Using the screen half of the laptop like a handle

Some people are just so irresponsible that they handle their stuff with less care than one would like them to. Some of them are just too filthy rich to care (although that doesn’t necessarily mean I condone their actions); but others are just unforgivably unaware.

And it doesn’t even stop at laptop screens. Some grab their laptops by one side of the chassis (increasing the chances for violent shaking, which leads to Item #2); while others shockingly dangle theirs via opened optical drives.

The only proper way to carry a laptop is with both hands, balancing the computer by carrying both its sides. Any other way is just asking for trouble.

  

4.       Cord-mangling

As many people whose “OC senses” tingle at the sight of tangled cords, there are probably just as many who couldn’t care less.

They should, though, because tangled cords do have a breaking point, after which they just become mangled. This is worse if the break occurs inside the wire and not out, since it could be a while before users can come to the conclusion that their laptops’ problems probably lie in severed connections.

  

5.       Foregoing a laptop bag

Finally, some people take laptop bags for granted, deeming them as mere accessories that most can do without. However, the fact of the matter is that laptops are meant to be taken outside; and when out, sufficient protection is an absolute necessity.

What’s in a Laptop LCD Screen?

 A laptop part that many people consider when buying a laptop is the LCD screen. There are four things to take note of when assessing a laptop screen’s ability to display images: Screen size, resolution, screen type, and graphics processor. Let’s break each factor down.

Screen Size

Laptops come in various shapes and sizes to accommodate as varied a range of user preferences as possible. Whether you’re a casual computer user who does a lot of travelling, a hardcore gamer who goes out to attend the occasional LAN party, or any kind of user in between, rest assured that somewhere out there is a laptop tailor-made just for you.

There are four major laptop categories, grouped according to size. The general rule of thumb is, the bigger a laptop is, the less portable, but more powerful its laptop components are. The smaller it is, the less powerful its laptop parts become, but it gains an advantage in portability.

Since laptop screens account for the whole top half of a laptop, it follows that a laptop’s size dictates its screen size as well. Screen size is measured diagonally. Many laptops now come with screens in a wide aspect ratio to accommodate a more cinematic display and/or to reduce the screen’s depth dimension (and therefore its overall size,lowering the cost of production).

From the largest to smallest, here are the four laptop categories and the common screen sizes they have:

·         Desktop replacements: 17” to 19”

·         Thin-and-lights: 14” to 16”

·         Ultraportables: 13.3” and below

·         Netbooks: 12” and below

Resolution

Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels that a screen is able to display. Basically, the more pixels a screen can show, the sharper the image will be since more pixels equals finer individual image points.

Think of it like this: Usually, the farther you are from an image, the more defined it is; but as you get closer, you begin to see individual colors (or image points) that make up the whole picture. Now, if these image points were smaller (meaning there were more of them that made up the whole picture), then you’d have to go pretty damn close before the image broke up again into distinguishable image points. That’s how pixels in LCD screens work.

Most widescreen LCD’s give a maximum resolution of 1366 x 768, which is par for the course. If a laptop LCD can go beyond that (preferably the hi-def standard of 1920 x 1080), all the better.

Screen Type

Most people aren’t aware of this, but there are two common variants of LCD panels commonly used in laptops today. The first is TN (Twisted Nematic), which is cheaper to produce and has faster refresh rates. The other is IPS (In-Plane Switching), which offer better color density and wider viewing angles. The pros of one are the cons of the other.

Refersh rate refers to a screen’s ability to switch from image frame to image frame. The faster it is, the smoother the video moves. If it dips below standard speeds, screen-tearing ensues. Color density refers to the amount of colors an LCD can display onscreen at the same time. Finally, viewing angles means how well you can see an image in its full splendor when you’re not exactly front-and-center.

Graphics Processor

Finally, we have graphics processing units (GPUs), or video cards. The two major manufacturers of GPUs are AMD and NVIDIA. Video cards from each company have their own strengths and weaknesses best detailed in another article. The bottom line is that if you’re not the type of user who plays video games or watches hi-def media content a lot, then the GPU your laptop has really doesn’t matter much. If, however, you use graphics-heavy programs like the aforementioned video games, Blu-ray players, Photoshop, and the like, then GPU choice should factor into your decision.

Basic Laptop Maintenance and Tips

How does one take care of a laptop? Well, there are many ways to care of a laptop, especially the one you own that probably cost more than a thousand bucks! So it’s worth protecting because you want it to last as long as you can.

If you’re clueless about the basics of your laptop, consult this list. You’ll certainly find some useful information here.

Prolonging Laptop Lifespan

  

 There are several things you can do to increase the lifespan of your laptop: 

1. When left in cold places, allow your laptop to become accustomed to room temperature first before turning it on. This prevents any condensation, subsequently avoiding short circuits. 

2. To prevent any dust from accumulating in the vents, always place your laptop on top of a clean, flat surface.  

3. By preventing dust from entering, you’re also preventing heat buildup. To assist in preventing heat buildup, always make sure you have proper ventilation – again, place your laptop on top of a clean, flat surface.  

4. While on the subject of heat, never leave your laptop in direct sunlight. This prevents any damage to the internal components. They are very costly to repair. 

5. When transporting your laptop, always put it inside a heavily padded bag to prevent any accidents.

 

Cleaning Tips

To prolong the laptop’s life even more, cleaning must be an essential part of your routine. It’s important to follow these tips:

Keyboard

The keyboard is something we come into contact with every day. It’s important to clean them from time to time, preferably once every few weeks, or once a month.

Keyboards become hosts for germs, crumbs and dust. To clean them, use compressed air, because you can get into those hard to reach places easily.

Protecting the keyboard is important if you want to preserve the laptop’s aesthetic quality. To improve your chances, you can get a keyboard cover, or use a full keyboard when you’re at home.

 Screen

No doubt your LCD panel will accumulate stain spots and dusty corners as time goes by. To clean this, just apply some alcohol to a cotton ball to clean the edges. The quick evaporation of alcohol prevents any liquid from seeping into the cracks.

You can also use a warm, lightly damped cloth. You’ll be able to remove any stains with ease. Also, remember to not use excessive pressure, or else you’ll risk puncturing the screen.

 Body

To clean the rest of the body, all you need is a soft piece of cloth to wipe away dust. This will also prevent any scratches. If there are any stains, just apply some alcohol and it will quickly go away.

 Conclusion

The aforementioned tips here are plenty, and it’ll definitely help keep your laptop in top condition.

If you don’t have the time to clean your laptop regularly, try to prevent direct sunlight and dust. These two are the worst killers of laptops. You don’t want dust and heat damaging the internal components.

How to Fix a Wet Keyboard

    

 Image Source: www.thecollaredsheep.com

     Laptops are at a disadvantage when it comes to laptop replacement parts because they aren’t designed to be as robustly upgradeable as desktops. This fact is practically a given when talking about integral system components like CPUs, hard drives, and video cards; but this is just as applicable with “outer” laptop parts like batteries, LCD screens, and keyboards. While the outer parts are relatively easier to come by than the inner laptop components, they could still cost you a pretty penny, being that every single laptop part is more often than not custom-made by the computer manufacturer to fit in its laptop and its laptop alone.

     The three aforementioned outer parts are the most commonly reported laptop components which are damaged, as it turns out. Because of the reasons mentioned above, most people would rather just buy a new laptop than have to go through all the trouble of acquiring their required parts through specialized means. Fortunately, there are ways to fix these parts without having to spend a dime. For this article, let’s talk about fixing a wet keyboard.

     The first thing you should do is to turn off your laptop. I know that it sounds silly for me to have to mention it, but believe me when I say that there are a lot of people who neglect this simple step, whether they do it intentionally or otherwise. If neglected, it could pose the problem of having the spilled liquid come into contact with exposed laptop parts and short your computer out.

     After turning your computer off, wipe away the liquid using a small towel. Afterwards, put the towel down on a flat surface (a tabletop, preferably). Lift the laptop up, and ever so gently tilt it to the side to allow the excess water inside the gadget to run off and drain out. Do not do this with violent, jerky motions because doing so could make the liquid inside slosh around further and contact even more laptop parts. Just tilt the computer at an angle and let the liquid pour out onto the towel. Rotate your laptop slowly if need be to really get all that liquid to come out.

     Next, dry off the excess liquid with a hair dryer. Make sure to let the air get in those tight spaces between the keys. Also, make sure to set your hair dryer on “cool,” as a higher temperature could possibly melt all those delicate plastic and silicon components.

     Finally (and this is the hardest part), make sure to wait for a couple of days or so before you start using your laptop again. This is to ensure that every last bit of fluid has dried up by the time you turn on your machine again. This is especially imperative if the liquid spilled on your keyboard is viscous like starchy soups or sugary drinks. After waiting, your laptop should be good to go.

And there you have it: A few simple steps to follow when trying to fix a wet keyboard. Not only were you able to fix your laptop, but you also learned something new, and saved half a hundred bucks to boot.