How Often Should You Service Your Laptop? A Local Tech’s Honest Answer

“How often should I service my laptop?” I get asked this all the time, especially when someone brings one in that’s already overheating, slow, or sounding like a jet engine. The honest answer is: it depends on how you use it, where you use it, and whether you want to keep it running like new or just wait for it to break.

Here’s a no-nonsense breakdown.

1. If you work from home or use it daily
Laptops used every day, especially for work, should be serviced once a year. That means internal dust removal, thermal paste or pad refresh, and checking for any signs of fan wear or component issues.

One of my recent customers in Wickford had a three-year-old HP EliteBook. Still in decent shape, but the thermal pad had dried out, and the fan was packed with dust. Cleaned it up, reapplied the pad, and the fan noise dropped by half. It now runs cooler and faster.

2. If it sits on a bed, carpet or soft surface
Dust builds up much faster in these cases. Vents get blocked, airflow suffers, and the machine works harder to stay cool. You’ll hear the fans spinning up more often, or the whole system will start to throttle performance.

For laptops used like this, servicing every 6 to 12 months is smart. It’s also a good idea to raise it up with a stand or tray if you can.

3. If it’s a gaming or performance laptop
These generate more heat and push their components harder, so they need more frequent attention. Every 6 months is ideal if you want to maintain top performance and avoid long-term damage.

High-performance laptops are often poorly cooled from the factory too. I’ve opened up gaming models with design flaws that practically invite overheating. In those cases, repasting and cleaning can make a huge difference.

4. Warning signs it needs a service now

• Fan noise is louder than usual

• It gets hot even with light use

• Slower boot-up or lag during simple tasks

• Random shutdowns or blue screens

• You’ve never had it cleaned and it’s more than a year old

If you’re seeing any of these, get it looked at sooner rather than later. Prevention is cheaper than repair.

Final word
Servicing isn’t just about fixing problems, it’s about preventing them. A quick internal clean and thermal refresh every year can add years to your laptop’s life. Whether it’s a workhorse laptop or a gaming rig, I’m happy to take a look and get it sorted. We offer this service. Click here to find out more!