Unlike MacBooks, Windows laptops typically don't sustain their performance in the long run despite packing powerful hardware. Laptop users often run into overheating issues, system slowdowns, battery degradation, and more after a couple of years. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make sure your laptop maintains its performance years down the line.

Before I got a MacBook Air, I owned an Alienware 17 R3 (2016 model), which was one of the most powerful gaming laptops at the time. I enjoyed its performance for the first few months; it could handle any game I threw at it without issues. However, over time, I experienced thermal throttling, battery drain, and other problems, forcing me to look into maintenance options to restore its performance. From my experience, here are some maintenance tips I'd highly recommend to sustain your laptop's performance for years.

7 Undervolt your CPU

Make sure your CPU runs as cool as possible

In most cases, the default voltage settings for your laptop's processor aren't the most optimal. While higher voltage does allow the CPU to clock higher speeds, it comes at the cost of increased heat generation. A CPU that frequently runs at high temperatures isn't good for its lifespan, and you'll run into thermal throttling issues sooner rather than later. On top of that, a CPU that runs hot will cause the fans to ramp up often, which can not only be disturbing but also shorten their lifespan.

To avoid this, you can slightly lower the voltage of your CPU by using a tool like Intel Extreme Tuning Utility or AMD Ryzen Master (depending on the CPU). Ideally, a minor undervolt to your CPU shouldn't affect its performance, but by lowering your voltage too much, you'll run into system stability issues. Undervolting requires some trial and error to find the right voltage settings for your CPU, but the temperature reduction you get will be worth all that effort.

6 Undervolt your GPU

Avoid GPU overheating issues

You should also consider underclocking the GPU if you frequently run graphically demanding tasks on your laptop, like gaming or video editing. Since laptop components are tightly packed, an overheating GPU will also affect the temperature of the hardware next to it, like your CPU. And when your GPU runs hot, you'll experience FPS drops, game crashes, and freezes, which can be a nightmare to deal with.

An easy way to avoid this is by undervolting your GPU with a tool like MSI Afterburner. Lower the voltage in steps of 25mV and test your settings by running a game to see if the GPU is stable. If the game crashes or you experience a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error, increase the voltage again and re-test. Once you've successfully undervolted your CPU and GPU, you can rest assured that your laptop runs as coolly as possible in the long run.

5 Keep your laptop clean

Make sure dust and debris don't affect the airflow

As you use your laptop, dust and debris can accumulate in the air vents and other internal components, like the fans, heatsinks, etc. This dust accumulation can block the airflow and reduce your fan speed, increasing the temperature of your components, like the CPU and GPU. Therefore, it's essential to clean your laptop regularly.

You can use compressed air to blow out dust from the air vents or use a toothbrush to remove other debris. I suggest doing this every week since it's easy and doesn't take more than five minutes. However, if you want to take cleaning a step further, you can remove your laptop's back panel and blow out the dust inside it. Use a can of compressed air along with a toothbrush or cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to remove dust from the fans and heatsink. You don't need to do this nearly as often as cleaning the vents; twice a year is more than sufficient.

4 Replace the thermal paste

The stock thermal paste won't cut it after a couple of years

The thermal paste that's pre-applied on your CPU and GPU out of the factory is mediocre at best. From my experience of owning the Alienware 17 R3, it dries up after a year or two of daily use. A dry thermal paste isn't going to optimally transfer the heat from the CPU or GPU to the heatsink. So, you'll eventually need to replace it with a higher-quality thermal paste like Arctic MX-6 or Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut.

However, doing this requires some expertise, as I wouldn't recommend prying open your laptop if you haven't before, especially if it's still under warranty. That's why I recommend doing it after two years. I highly suggest replacing the thermal paste of your CPU and GPU with the help of an expert technician to avoid damaging other internal components of your laptop. Once you replace the thermal paste, you should see your CPU and GPU temperatures drop significantly during demanding workloads like gaming and rendering.

3 Use a cooling pad

It keeps your laptop cool during intensive tasks

If you haven't noticed a pattern by now, keeping your laptop running as cool as possible at all times is crucial for preserving its long-term performance. And a cooling pad goes the extra mile. For instance, when you're gaming, both your CPU and GPU will inevitably run hot because of how demanding it is on the hardware. Keeping your laptop directly on your desk, or worse, your bed, may choke the airflow and impact the temperatures.

Placing a cooling pad beneath your laptop will help dissipate the heat, especially if it has air vents at the bottom. This is how I managed to play PUBG and Battlefield 1 for hours daily on my Alienware 17 R3 without running into overheating issues. I recommend buying a powerful cooling pad with multiple fans to keep your laptop's internal temperature in check. Yes, it will cost you upwards of $30, but it's well worth the investment if you wish to maintain your laptop's performance.

2 Battery maintenance

Preserving your laptop's battery is key

Your laptop's battery is typically the one component that degrades the fastest. However, with some routine maintenance tips, you can preserve its lifespan. For starters, you shouldn't leave it plugged in overnight for charging. Although modern laptops have safeguards for overcharging, it's better to play it safe and minimize the chances of wear and tear. I also wouldn't recommend completely draining the battery to 0%. Try to keep it between 20 and 80% as much as possible.

Additionally, I recommend minimizing your laptop's power consumption by lowering the display brightness, closing unwanted apps and background processes, and enabling the Battery saver mode in Windows 11–unless you're gaming. Besides that, it's worth turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you don't need them, unplugging unnecessary external USB devices, disabling RGB lighting, etc., to reduce energy consumption further. Nevertheless, you should be prepared to replace your laptop's battery a few years down the line.

1 Limit startup apps

Your laptop should feel snappy once you boot it up

Over time, as you install more software on your laptop, you will notice an increase in the number of applications that launch on startup. These apps can take a while to load; during this period, your laptop won't feel as snappy as you expect it to be. For instance, I used to play Valorant quite often on my Windows PC. But I haven't touched it for months. However, every time I boot up my PC, it automatically launches the Riot Client and Vanguard anti-cheat, which is unnecessary when I don't play the game anymore.

Likewise, you may have some startup apps on your system that you no longer need. Take your time to go through them and cut down on this list. Therefore, I highly recommend going through the list of startup apps. On Windows 11, you can disable startup apps from the Settings app or using Task Manager. If you have a MacBook, you can search for Login items in the System Settings app to find Mac apps that launch automatically on startup.

A snappy laptop is a healthy laptop

As long as you follow these maintenance tips, you won't have to worry about performance degradation for years. Most of the time, it boils down to the temperatures of crucial components in your laptop, like the CPU and GPU. That's why I highly recommend using PC monitoring tools like MSI Afterburner and HWiNFO to monitor your hardware now and then. You can use it to monitor your CPU and GPU temperature, fan speed, clock speed, RAM usage, and more.

By now, you've learned everything you can do if you ever encounter thermal throttling or overheating issues on your laptop. While these tips are mainly for laptop users, you can also incorporate them to preserve your expensive gaming or rendering rigs. All in all, keeping your computer's internal components running cool is crucial for ensuring its long-term performance and health.