Hacks to Boost your Laptop's Lifespan

Do you love your laptop but it's getting dated and you're worried it's won't keep up with current demands. Some people sell used laptops and buy new ones every year but I personally see it as a waste of money. If your laptop is powerful enough and portable then there is no need to think about getting rid of it. Better think how can you extend the life of your ageing laptop? How can you get to save some bucks when selling your laptop and buying a new one?

Let me show you some useful tricks and tips to boost your laptop's lifespan by 50%. In this article, I have come up with 5 (five) easy hacks to keep your old laptop running a little longer.

 

1. Monitor your laptop and cool things down

 

More often, there is usually one application you are running on your laptop that is hogging your RAM. This will probably cause your computer to run slowly. If you are using a MAC, open up the finder and search for the Activity center. This will allow you to see what application is consuming the largest percentage of your processing unit. You can choose to quit the program or delete it permanently if it is not useful to solve the problem.

If you are on a Windows laptop, look for the resource monitor by opening the task manager, and you will see how all the applications are running on your computer. Make sure you delete the app only when you are sure of what it does.

Cooling your system is also an essential hack to increase the lifespan of your computer.  I had a MacBook which struggled during the humid summer months. I had to elevate it on a cooling pad to keep it from freezing. A cooling pad is very necessary and helpful, or you could just consider replacing the laptop’s built-in fan.

 

2. Clean your computer very often

 

There are basic maintenance that should be done on your laptop, especially if you use it every day. Cleaning your computer should be done every day just before and after using it. Taking some minutes periodically to clean the entry point around the keycaps, touchpad surface, keyboard surface, the hinge, ports and screen. This will save you from money and heartache in the long run. If you do not clean your touch screen regularly, it can make it filthy and in the long run, less responsive. Keeping fan vents dust free and clear is very important to make sure you maximize your computer’s usable life span.

 

3. Streamline your Laptop

 

Very often, look through your applications and file as well as services and program that run at startup. Delete any file or application you do not need. Will doing this extend the life span of the computer? Probably not. Except by reducing a meaningful amount of heat generated by the unnecessary activity of the processing unit.

But at least, deleting anything you do not need will make it feel faster just like cleaning up a room will make it bigger. The best way you can make your system feel like a new one is to freshen up the operating system. This will reinstall the operating system while leaving your files and data intact.

 

4. Do not eat or Drink Beside your Laptop

 

It is easy for you to think you can never eat near your laptop. But you will be surprised how pretty soon you forget. Make it a habit not to eat by your laptop because particles from your food can easily move through the keycaps of your keyboard and cause a long-term problem. Unlike a desktop computer which can have its keyboard replaced immediately, it is faulty, a laptop’s keyboard is integrated and is placed above some vital component. Small damage to the keyboard may cost you to replace the laptop and not the keyboard.

 

5. Accessorize your laptop

 

Many times, the built-in components of your laptop may wear out from constant usage. Using external accessories such as the keyboard, monitor and mouse; even the cheap ones helps to save the built-in components from wear and tear. When the components of a laptop start wearing out, the laptop itself may develop some faults.

Some laptops last longer than others. That usually correlates with the initial price of the machine. These hacks might not save you millions, but they will surely help you to prolong the life of your computer and give you some time to save up some bucks if you need to buy a new one.

5 Laptop Hacks for Better Performance

After spending years with different types of laptops, you will understand some basic or even advanced performance hacks along the way. These lessons can make a huge difference in improving:

• overall performance,

• responsiveness,

• and battery life.

In this article, I will be using the OMEN as an example for how to implement these lessons. Improving performance will mean that you don't need to sell your laptop and get a new one as often.

   

Know Your Power Plans

 

These days, laptops allow you to change your system behavior and performance easily on the fly through simple pieces of software. And by using these tools, your device can perform at a higher level.

For example, OMEN laptops have access to their whole gaming hub interface, which has many options. However, when dealing with performance, you will find several settings. This includes a balanced and performance mode, with a setting that will allow the fan to run at max speed.

 

Even though most laptops come out of the box with a balanced setting active, the difference between it and the performance mode is vast, especially in gaming. You will likely get a good bump in frame rate in performance mode as it favors GPU clock speeds. But regardless of the mode, most laptop hub's dynamic power work with their tempest cooling design to balance out the performance.

Hacks presented in this article will not only improve performance but will also improve your laptop's lifespan.

Conclusion: Performance modes will show their differences.

   

Lower Your Screen Refresh Rate

 

This step is taking a page from smartphones. It applies to users who spend too much time away from the plug with laptops at 60Hz and higher. With the HP OMEN 16, I improved battery life from about six hours with its default 144hz, to almost eight hours running at 60Hz. This will give you an extra hour in class or on a flight. Or when you can't access the nearest power outlet.

However, most laptops knock refresh rates down automatically when running on battery mode. So, this might not apply to you. But for most laptops that do not have this feature, it will come in handy.

To do this:

1. Click on your desktop.

2. Hit display settings and scroll down.

3. Select advanced display settings.

   • You will find the refresh rate near the bottom.

 

Remember: Do not forget to reactivate a high refresh rate when gaming.

Conclusion: Lower frame rate for longer work periods. 

   

Uninstall Bad Antivirus Programs

 

It would be best to uninstall programs like Norton or McAfee. There are some other free tools you can use to protect your laptop. The Windows Defender, for example, is free and versatile.

But if you need an extra layer of protection, you can go for Malwarebytes or Avira if you do not mind paying a little extra. Norton and McAfee most likely use CPU cycles to operate, while Defender and Malwarebytes do not take nearly as many resources.

Conclusion: Free anti-virus won't slow your computer. 

   

Use a Monitor or TV

 

One of the main benefits of having a laptop is having an integrated panel. But If your computer has a discrete GPU, having an HDMI or display port powering an external display has performance benefits. However, this won't work if you are using integrated GPU graphics.

Most gaming laptops have their HDMI and display port connectors directly attached to the discrete GPU. While the laptop screen is connected through the integrated graphics. That means if you are using an integrated display, that fast GPU has to pass its data through the IGP slower frame buffer, which can cause a bit of additional latency.

Conclusion: For higher performance, use an external display. 

   

Know Your Memory

 

Over the years, most laptop companies have been putting slow modules into their laptops, which has worsened lately. These are secondary timings you usually won't see, and they are just as important.

Gaming is where you will probably see the most significant change when comparing the fast and slow memory modules; especially CPU limited games. The first thing to do is educate yourself about the amount of memory used in your laptop. This way you will see if there is performance is being left on the table. And if there is, the solution is to run your laptop memory with a kit that will run tighter at secondary timings.

Conclusion: Don't lack performance by being misinformed. 

   

Conclusion

 

Optimizing your laptop will make it run smoother. This makes tasks like gaming, content creation, video editing, and typing easy. There are other things to do when you want your laptop to perform better:

• Keeping your laptop clean

• Restarting regularly

• Reinstalling the OS

• Running fewer apps simultaneously

Once you implement all of the above steps, your laptop will run smoothly, giving you the best performance.

 

How to maintain your laptop

Buying a new laptop is one thing; maintaining it is another thing. Most times, it’s the fault isn’t from the manufacturer, but the user. Carelessness, improper maintenance and abuse could shorten the lifespan of your new laptop, and you might find yourself in the market in search of a new one in two years due to mishandling. Proper maintenance is easy but is usually ignored; here are a few tips on how to make your new laptop last longer.

 

Clean your laptop

 

Dirt and dust can ruin the outlook of the exterior parts of your computer. From time to time, ensure you use approved wipes to clean your PCs surface to get rid of dirt and stains. Clean the screen and with soft materials so as not to scratch it. Also, your keyboard needs to be cleaned thoroughly to get rid of the dust in between the keys. You could use either a toothbrush or a cotton bud with a little isopropyl alcohol to do this or better still; a small vacuum would do just fine.

 

Avoid abusing your battery

 

The battery life of your laptop won’t always be as good as it was when you first purchased it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prolong it. Most laptop users make the mistake of overcharging their PC even after its fully charged. What this does is that it puts your battery under much pressure and reduces its lifespan. To make your battery last long, charge it till its full or at least 80% then unplug, use it and let it drain to at least 30% before recharging. Overcharging reduces the pressure and prolongs battery life up to four times more.

 

Avoid exposure to heat

 

Excessive heat can damage your computer, and reduce its lifespan. Avoid using your laptop in really hot environments. Ensure the temperature of the room is cool, and also make sure your laptop fans are always working, if not do well to clean the vents or service them.

 

Don’t make sleeping your laptop a regular habit

 

Most times we don’t want to shut down because we're busy with work and want to resume where we left off. It’s understandable, but it’s also dangerous to your laptop health. If you find yourself always sleeping or hibernating your PC, then you have to change that habit. It is advisable to shut down your computer once in a while to let it cool down. This enables it to reboot, which helps your programs and apps to function more efficiently.

 

Update your laptop regularly

 

Starting from the OS to the programs and apps, updating your PCs software makes your laptop function more smoothly. When you update programs and apps, it adds new features and fixes existing bugs that diminish the performance, and you don’t miss out of any fantastic features that come with the latest version.

 

Always back up

 

You can never know what might happen to your computer the next minute, that’s why you should regularly back up all your important files on an external drive or a cloud such as Google Drive and Dropbox. Backing up will keep your data safe in case of any unforeseen damage to your laptop.

 

Clean up your hard drive

 

When your storage is 80-90% full, it could make your PC slow. Make it a habit to often free up your hard drive by deleting every file, program or software that you aren’t using anymore.

 

Update your antivirus

 

A computer virus can destroy your files and damage your computer. Updating your antivirus is important to prevent your computer from crashing due to a virus attack. Updates make antivirus detect and delete threats faster, securing your laptop.

How To Protect Your Laptop from Hackers

Image from Pixabay

Not all hackers are criminals, at least by the definition of the word. However, there are criminal hackers and those are the ones you have to protect your laptop from. They can be an organization or it could be a single person with a bad intentions. Hackers steal the data from your computer and can use it it to hurt you. Sometimes it could be life destroying. However, do not be afraid. There are ways you can protect yourself from them. Here, we give you ways to protect your laptop from hackers.

 

Keep security programs on your computer are up-to-date.

 

Download the latest security programs, which includes anti-malware software that comes with multi-technologies that can protect you against ransomware, spyware and exploits. You also need to check if your system OS comes with a firewall, if not, you need to download a secure one.

 

Update your computer’s OS frequently

 

The same goes for other software on your system. This could be set on automatic mode, so it gets updated every time there’s an upgraded version. Doing this will help you keep hackers away from exploiting the vulnerabilities in your outdated OS, which can be used to hack your computer. Also, to get extra protection, you need to enable system updates and all the Microsoft applications will be up to date as well.

 

Keep your data private

 

If you plan on selling your laptop hardware, make sure you destroy all of your information on it. You can do this by using d-ban to cleanse your hard drive. If the information is very sensitive and critical, you have to remove the platters where the information is stored, then destroy the hard drive.

 

Use strong passwords

 

Use passwords for all your devices, and make sure the passwords are not easy to coin, using your personal information. If you have fingerprint lock on your device, or the facial recognition unlocking feature, make sure you activate them and use them. Also, I don’t forget to make the time out for locking your device relatively short.

 

Security questions

 

When creating a profile of any form on the internet or your laptop, come up with unique security questions and answers. It is now old fashioned to use questions like your father’s name or the name of your first school, as one quick search on the web might reveal that. You can also use the pattern of changing the real answers to security questions asked. If you’re asked what is the name of your dad, you could make the answer the name of your boyfriend. But you must not forget the answer you gave.

 

Use encrypted

 

Use encrypted passwords for your Wi-Fi, and make sure you change your router after a while. Old routers sometimes have vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

 

Keep sensitive data off cloud

 

Do not keep critical data on the cloud. Sensitive data should be kept off the cloud, as the cloud isn’t as safe as you think. Data stored on the cloud can be exploited as data encryption can sometimes be weak on the cloud.

   

Laptop Mistakes You Need To Avoid

Image credit: Pixabay

So you are in the market for a new laptop? And you want to use it for gaming, streaming, video editing, school or work. But you don't know where to start. Well, to begin, it all comes down to your workflow and priorities. The bad news is that it can be a bit challenging to pick the right laptop because there are so many options. The good news is that there are so many options out there at different price points that will fit your budget.

Many laptop manufacturers heavily market some overhyped features in their laptops, and that is where I come in. I will be giving you five laptop features you should avoid. Also you can sell your laptop to us if you need extra cash or just don't have any use for it anymore.

   

Display

 

It is essential to understand the kind of display you want on your laptop. Many laptop manufacturers sell extra features that are just a gimmick. For example, the 360Hz refresh rate is beneficial, but the marketing term is pointless with the current hardware. Despite its high-end CPU and GPU combination, even a desktop struggles to hit a constant 360 frames per second. Therefore, laptops generally cannot push 360 FPS regardless of how much you tweak the settings.

The 360Hz screen quality provides a high refresh rate, but they cannot deliver an accurate color gamut. Even 120hz, 165hz, or 240hz give a better color gamut, and you can get their refresh rates at high resolution.

   

Mechanical Keyboards

 

To be clear, a standalone mechanical keyboard for a desktop PC is incredible, but the problem is the current state of >mechanical keyboards on laptops.  The execution of a mechanical keyboard on a laptop is usually terrible. I don’t think it is necessary because it adds cost to the product.

Most mechanical keyboards have a clicky clack sound that can be very annoying, especially typing in a classroom setting or shared workspace. You should note that these keys need a lot of force to actuate. Overall, it doesn’t benefit your gaming compared to a standard setup.

   

Speaker

 

A lot of manufacturers focus on the audio of the laptop for marketing. Most claim that their laptop is tuned by Dolby Atmos. This sounds great, but it does not add much to the gaming experience. Most of them use the same crappy speakers that are usually located at the bottom of the chassis. Making sound bounce off the surface resulting in minimal bass response and lower fidelity.

A few laptops come with front-facing drivers that sound excellent. But if you want to upgrade your audio experience from your existing laptop, you will still have to rely on an external setup.

   

Exhaust Vents

 

Exhaust vents that point directly to your mouse hand should be avoided. Using laptop touchpads for productive tasks might not affect you, but gamers may have a problem because you need a dedicated mouse.

It would be best to look for designs where heat dissipation is directed towards the back with less contact. Some laptop designs come with this kind of setup, but they mostly have I/O located at the back. If you have an external hard drive or USB drive plugged in, it will get super-hot.

   

GPU

 

Never assume that a high-end GPU is a high-end GPU. It is up to the laptop manufacturers to set the power limit based on cooler design, power delivery and chassis temperature that they are willing to put up with.

A low wattage high-end card can be beaten by a less expensive one sucking back more power.  For instance, an RTX 3080 that features 80W will perform a lot slower than an RTX 3070 featuring 140W. This is because higher power levels enable the chips to run at higher frequencies, resulting in better performance. You should check the spec sheet to know the power level of the GPU you are about to buy.

 

No particular laptop will tick every need, but it is essential to consider what to avoid and look out for. When buying a laptop, do extensive research about the battery life and performance quality before paying.  And keep in mind, that the functions of a laptop are way better than the way the laptop looks.

I hope this list of things to avoid when buying a new laptop will help save you from buyer’s remorse.

 

Safety Tips on How To Maintain Your Laptop

Have you ever looked at your laptop, and you thought that it deserved better treatment? Are you not sure of how to extend and enhance your laptop's life? Well, stick around, and I’ll give you some tips on how to treat your laptop in the best way possible.

Our laptops have essentially become an extension of ourselves, and the tragedy of them giving up on you hurts. However, a laptop can’t last forever but there are several things you can do to prolong the life span of your computer and save quite a sum in the process.

 

Tips on how to maintain your laptop

 

Pay attention to your battery:

 

Batteries wear out no matter what you do, but you can postpone it as long as possible. According to "wired” keeping your laptop plugged in can kill your battery faster. This is because the nature of the lithium-polymer battery cell is that each cell is charged to a voltage level and the higher the charge percentage, the higher the voltage level. The higher the voltage level, the more stress the battery is put under. The ideal way to charge your battery is to charge it to 80% then unplug till it falls to 40%. Doing this consistently can prolong the life of your battery as much as four times.

You should also avoid putting your battery on direct heat. Batteries will degrade faster when exposed to extreme heat, so you should your laptop adequately ventilated by keeping the ventilation fans clear, keeping it off your lap, and keeping it on hard flat surfaces.

Lastly when the battery approaches its life cycle make sure to recycle it safely to avoid any harm to the environment.

 

Shutdown every once in a while:

 

Keeping your laptop in sleep mode is very convenient, but this puts stress on your laptop, and in the long run, you will see that it wasn’t a good idea. While your laptop is asleep, it still consumes power, and as mentioned above, it’s bad for your battery to stay plugged in continuously. Hibernation is a better option because it uses less power and it’s easier to resume your work, but shutting down is really the best option.

Operating systems like Windows will start lagging when it hasn’t been rebooted in a while. Shutting down also allows components in your system rest, this helps them last longer.

 

Clean your laptop:

 

Cleaning your laptop may seem like the simplest thing in the world, but most people don’t. When you want to clean your laptop, turn it off and unplug its power supply before you begin.

You should start with the screen, it is very fragile so you should be very careful when you’re cleaning it. You should use monitor swipes or electronically approved cleaning solutions with very soft and clean cloth preferably microfiber cloth. If you’re using anti-static sprays you should spray it on the towel and not directly on the screen.

You should also clean your keyboard by using the upholstery attachment on a regular vacuum, or you could just use a cleaning toothbrush to brush out dust and dirt from in-between the keys. You can also use compressed air, but like the toothbrush, it can end up pushing the dirt further under the keys. Use isopropyl to clean the keyboard surface by using cloth or cotton wool. Make sure moisture doesn’t get into the gaps between the keys or any other openings.