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Short answer: No, most don’t. A good pad can lower temperatures, by 12°C on the CPU and 6°C on the GPU in one Notebookcheck test, but TechRadar’s test laptop finished a long encode in about the same time with or without one. Pads also add noise, and the coolest one TechRadar tested hit 71 dB. HP suggests considering one if your laptop stays above 80°C during long gaming sessions. Try a hard surface, clean vents and a frame rate cap first.
How we put this together: the measurements are from TechRadar and Notebookcheck, and the temperature guidance is HP’s, all linked below. It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. See how we choose products.
How much do cooling pads actually help?
TechRadar ran a 15-minute 3DMark stress test on an Acer Predator Helios 300 (RTX 3080) with each pad at maximum, using a thermal camera to measure how much the hottest point warmed up. Noise was measured at head height. For reference, the laptop alone warmed by 31.9°C.
| Cooling pad | Temperature rise (lower is better) | Pad noise at head height |
|---|---|---|
| No pad | 31.9°C | 42 dB (laptop alone) |
| Llano RGB | 8°C | 71 dB |
| Llano V10 | 12°C | 64.5 dB |
| Liangstar | 15.3°C | 45 dB |
| Klim Ultimate | 15.5°C | 36 dB |
| TECKNET | 17.9°C | 36 dB |
| Almiuzi F2 Plus | 18.4°C | 37.4 dB |
| Klim Wind | 19.5°C | 36.2 dB |
| Klim Mistral | 20.4°C | 52.6 dB |
| TopMate C12 | 22.8°C | 43.5 dB |
So pads clearly cool the laptop’s surface. The strongest are also loud: TechRadar compares 71 dB to a coffee grinder or freeway traffic. The Klim Ultimate and TECKNET stand out for good cooling at 36 dB.
Notebookcheck measured internal temperatures on an MSI GP65 (RTX 2070) running The Witcher 3 with a Havit pad. It’s an older test, but it’s one of the few that reports CPU and GPU temperatures:
| Measurement | Without pad | With pad |
|---|---|---|
| Average CPU | 92°C | 80°C |
| Average GPU | 76°C | 70°C |
| Keyboard surface hot spot | 44°C | 40°C |
| Fan noise | 53.9 dB(A) | 59.2 dB(A) |
Notebookcheck notes that the GP65 has more ventilation grilles than most laptops, and that results will vary on laptops with smaller openings underneath.
Cooler doesn’t always mean faster
Lower temperatures only raise performance if your laptop was slowing itself down to manage heat. TechRadar tested this with an hour-long video encode. On the Predator Helios 300, the estimated time was 115 minutes without a pad and 113 with the Klim Ultimate, and the encode rate didn’t change. A MacBook Air M5, which has no fan, gained more: 122 down to 114 minutes. TechRadar’s conclusion is that a performance laptop with large fans is already pretty good at keeping itself cool.
Notebookcheck’s test doesn’t report frame rates, and we found no good test that shows a pad raising frame rates on a current RTX 50 laptop. Don’t buy one expecting more fps.
When a cooling pad makes sense
HP suggests one could help if long sessions keep your laptop above 80°C, and that you may not need one if temperatures stay stable. To check, watch your CPU and GPU temperatures with HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner while you play. A pad is worth trying if:
- Your temperatures stay high and you see sudden frame drops or stuttering during long sessions.
- Your room is hot. TechRadar’s advice is that pads are still worth exploring for heavy work in warm weather.
- You often use the laptop on a surface that blocks air. A pad or stand lifts it, though a hard table is free.
- Your laptop gets uncomfortably hot to touch, and you use the built-in keyboard. The pad lowered Notebookcheck’s surface temperature by 4°C.
Try these free fixes first
- Use a hard, flat surface and keep the vents clear. Most gaming laptops pull air in from underneath, so a bed or your lap blocks it.
- Clean the vents with compressed air if the laptop is older.
- Cap your frame rate or lower your settings. HP lists both as ways to reduce heat, since the GPU does less work.
- Raise the back of the laptop with a ventilated stand. HP suggests this as an alternative, and it adds no noise.
- Consider a lower-power laptop next time. Our laptop GPU power database lists each model’s GPU wattage. Less power means less heat to remove.
If you do buy one
Check that its fans line up with your laptop’s air intakes, that it fits your screen size, and that you can live with the noise. From TechRadar’s results, these are good places to start.
TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad: a slim pad for 12 to 17 inch laptops, and tied for quietest in the test at 36 dB, with mid-pack cooling.
Check the TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad on Amazon →
Klim Ultimate: the best balance of cooling and noise in the test, at a 15.5°C rise and 36 dB.
See Klim Ultimate listings on Amazon →
Liangstar: third-best cooling (15.3°C), but louder at 45 dB.
See Liangstar cooling pad listings on Amazon →
Our verdict
Gaming laptops don’t need a cooling pad. Their built-in fans are designed to handle the heat, and the performance gain is often close to nothing. A pad can still lower temperatures by several degrees, which helps in hot rooms and during long sessions if your laptop stays above 80°C. Try the free fixes first, and if you buy one, pick a quiet model.
Frequently asked questions
Do gaming laptops need a cooling pad?
No. Most gaming laptops have large fans that handle their own heat. A pad can help if your laptop stays above 80°C in long sessions, which is HP’s suggested threshold, or if your room is hot.
Do cooling pads increase FPS?
Rarely, and we found no good test showing it on a current laptop. In TechRadar’s encode test, a gaming laptop finished in 113 minutes with a pad and 115 without, and the rate stayed the same.
How much do cooling pads lower temperatures?
It varies. Notebookcheck measured 12°C less on the CPU and 6°C less on the GPU with a Havit pad. TechRadar’s pads cut the rise at the hottest point from 31.9°C to between 8°C and 22.8°C.
Are cooling pads loud?
Some are. TechRadar measured 71 dB from the Llano RGB at head height, against 42 dB for the laptop alone. The Klim Ultimate and TECKNET measured 36 dB.
Is 90°C too hot for a gaming laptop?
It’s high, but common under load. HP suggests considering extra cooling if your laptop stays above 80°C for long sessions. Watch for frame drops or crashes, and clean the vents first.
