When put under a lot of stress because of heavy data processing, a customized laptop computer can heat up pretty quickly. This has two disadvantages: It can make you physically uncomfortable, and it can cause the computer's fan to become noisy as it tries to cool down the processor and hard drives. 

This problem is not without a solution. To keep your notebook running smoothly, quietly and cool, follow these basic steps:

• Get rid of dust. Using an air canister or feather duster, clean out the vents, where dust may have collected over the weeks and months that you've been using it. This material could be trapping hot air in the case.

• Place it on a flat, hard surface. If you've been using your laptop on top of a blanket, pillow or other area, this may be creating a seal around the vents that is preventing air from passing through the motherboard. Putting it on a hard surface will create some space so that airflow improves.

• Purchase a stand with an extra fan built in. Some manufacturers have produced laptop stands that have extra cooling devices built in, making it possible to add another layer of protection against overheating.

It's a good idea to keep your laptop nice and cool, as this will prolong the life of the components and make your device last longer for you.

If you're using an older machine and think it may be time for an upgrade, make sure to check out the lineup of custom laptops at PortableOne, where we can build a notebook that will meet your computing needs.