When summer rolls around, we think about keeping ourselves cool. But your computer is quietly struggling with the heat too, and where it sits in your home makes a big difference.

Computers need to breathe

Every computer has vents, and those vents need clear air around them. When you push a laptop flush against the wall, stick a desktop under a desk with no airflow, or set a laptop on a thick blanket or couch cushion, you're blocking the airflow the machine needs to cool itself down.

It does not take long for heat to build up. And once a computer gets too hot, it slows itself down on purpose to protect its parts. That's often why your machine feels sluggish on a hot afternoon even when you haven't changed anything else.

Watch out for these common mistakes:

• Placing your laptop directly on a bed, couch, or carpet
• Setting a desktop tower inside a cabinet with the doors closed
• Sitting near a sunny window where direct sunlight hits the computer
• Stacking things on top of or right next to the computer

A few easy fixes:

Use a hard, flat surface for laptops. A lap desk, a tray, or just a regular table works well. If your desktop is in a tight space, try moving it so there is at least a few inches of clearance on all sides. Wooden desktops can become hot after a time, and that heat is reflected right back onto your machine. Consider a laptop stand or pad if your laptop is heating up regularly.

Keep the area around your computer tidy. Dust bunnies love to pack themselves into vents, and a dusty vent is a hot computer. A can of compressed air a couple of times a year does wonders.

If you notice your computer fan running louder than usual, or the bottom of your laptop getting uncomfortably hot, those are signals something is wrong. It may just be placement, or it may be time to get it looked at.

If your computer has been running hot and sluggish, I can take a look remotely and help figure out what's going on. Book a remote support session and we'll get it sorted out.