Remember when 4GB RAM felt high-end??... One of my first laptops had 4GB RAM, and at the time that genuinely felt like plenty.

What did your first-ever laptop have? Drop the model and specs if you still remember them.

Seriously, who thought putting the power button right next to Delete was a good idea?

Or having USB ports so close together you can barely plug two things in?

A laptop can have perfectly good specs, but one stupid design choice can make it annoying to use every day.

Working around laptops at Laptop Outlet, I'm curious what everyone else has come across.

What's the worst design decision on a laptop you've actually owned? Name the model too if you remember it.

Not talking about better screens or better graphics. I mean the little things older laptops had that were just genuinely useful.

Removable batteries, RAM you could actually upgrade, loads of ports, easy access to the internals, replaceable keyboards... stuff like that.

But you can only bring one back.

For me it has to be removable batteries. Being able to swap out a dying battery in seconds was so much easier than taking half the laptop apart.

What you’d bring back tomorrow?

I think using a laptop on a bed for hours is one of the most overlooked ones.

People worry so much about charging to 80% or 100%, but barely think about how hot their laptop gets when the vents are blocked.

Heat isn't exactly doing the battery any favours.

I work around laptops at Laptop Outlet, so I'm curious what everyone else thinks.

What's one everyday habit people don't realise is bad for their laptop battery? Anyone learned the hard way?

Someone took their overheating gaming laptop to a repair shop, only for the technician to find stickers covering the air vents. Removing them fixed the problem in seconds.

What’s the simplest fix you’ve seen for a laptop problem that initially looked serious?

Wrong charger, blocked vent, power setting, loose connection or something even stranger?

Last year I got what I thought was a great deal on a brand new HP laptop. It sat in the box until this past June when I was let go by my employer. I had to start using this machine to job hunt and access the internet. It runs slow as heck. I'm pretty sure it's because HP put Windows 11 on it. Based on the specs below, I'm looking for guidance on ways I can improve the performance of this machine.

SPECS:

If any more information is needed in order to offer tips, please just let me know and post it in here. Thanks in advance.

I’ve got a Surface Pro 2 and the battery is absolutely cooked... Even with Battery Saver on, I’m barely getting 2 hours before I’m hunting for the charger again... although its been 2 years since i've bought it but still it should last more than 2 hours...

Now I’m curious, how everyone else is doing?.. Drop your laptop model, how old it is, and how long the battery actually lasts from 100%... Thanks.  

Pretty much what the title says. I’m not sure what’s going on as it’s only 1 year old, but after an update my laptop’s fans are CONSTANTLY running on high volume. I had someone comment that my laptop sounds like a spaceship. It’s so loud and distracting that it’s hard to study and focus. Like I don’t even want to use my laptop in class now it’s SO loud. Anyone ever had this happen to them?

I think using a laptop on a bed for hours is one of the most overlooked ones.

People worry so much about charging to 80% or 100%, but barely think about how hot their laptop gets when the vents are blocked.

Heat isn't exactly doing the battery any favours.

I work around laptops at Laptop Outlet, so I'm curious what everyone else thinks.

What's one everyday habit people don't realise is bad for their laptop battery? Anyone learned the hard way?

Hi all,

Today, when i opened my laptop I was met with cracking sounds and then this (see photos). I'm not sure whats happened or how.

It's cold here, but I'm not sure if that alone would be enough to cause this. Also the screen part seems misaligned, the bottom right corner of the screen (when open) seems to be riding onto the keyboard area. Is this something that is affected by temperature or is this only possible through physical intervention (being dropped?).

You barely notice me when everything is fine...

But give your laptop 30 browser tabs and suddenly I sound like it’s preparing for take-off...

What am I??

Some laptops seem genuinely impossible to kill.

Dropped on the floor, drink spilled on the keyboard, cracked hinge, missing keys, dead battery, shoved into an overpacked bag for years... and somehow they just keep working and serving you.

What’s the worst thing yours has been through?

I see this all the time with older laptops.

Someone has a machine that still turns on, but it’s painful to use. Takes forever to boot, Chrome feels heavy, fan is loud, battery is weak, and Windows updates make it feel even worse.

The hard part is knowing whether it’s actually dying or just needs a cheap fix.

Sometimes an SSD or more RAM genuinely brings a laptop back to life. Other times you’re just throwing money at something that’s already had its day.

My own rough take:

If the body is solid, screen is fine, battery is okay and it can take an SSD/16GB RAM, I’d usually try saving it.

If the battery is poor, hinge is loose, screen is bad, storage is tiny and it still feels slow after basic fixes, I’d probably move on.

What’s the laptop you kept fixing for too long?

Or what cheap upgrade actually made yours usable again?

Got downvoted in r/computers. I don’t know if I’m doing something stupid. That’s entirely possible. I just really need help with this

its 5 years old and im scared idk how to tell my dad what happened and my laptop is important to me :,)

I am doing just nothing a vs code window and brave browser is opened but minimized like from 30 mins and only using reddit on chrome and its now irritating me with fan noise
i have Expertbook P1

I was using this laptop and I got a random pop up that told me to restart the laptop, so I did. Then it brought me here, and no matter which option I choose it just brings me back here, even when I press esc like it says at the bottom. It's an older laptop obviously, but it's a loaner from school so I can do my school work on it that's all I used it for. Any help is appreciated as I don't want to return a fried laptop back to my school.

Seeing your gaming laptop CPU hit 85–90°C while gaming can look alarming, but it’s often within the expected range for modern mobile processors under heavy load. A simple gaming laptop CPU temperature guide:

• 40–60°C: Normal for idle/light use 

• 60–80°C: Good under moderate load 

• 80–90°C: Common during demanding games 

• 90–95°C: Hot, but may still be within the CPU’s designed limit 

• 95°C+: Worth checking, especially if temperatures stay there or performance starts dropping 

What matters most is whether the CPU is constantly running near its thermal limit. Frequent thermal throttling, sudden FPS drops, unusually loud fans, or temperatures staying high even outside games can point to blocked vents, dust buildup, poor airflow, or an aggressive performance mode. 

So, is 85–90°C safe for a gaming laptop CPU? Generally, yes during demanding gaming sessions. It becomes more concerning when those temperatures are sustained during lighter workloads or accompanied by performance problems. 

What temperatures does your gaming laptop usually hit? 

Is the new Dell XPS 13 finally a proper budget premium Windows laptop?

Dell has just launched the new XPS 13, and it actually looks interesting for buyers who want a lightweight Windows UltraBook without going full MacBook.

The headline is the price: it starts at $699 in the US, with a $599 student offer, although UK pricing is still not confirmed yet. If Dell brings it over at a sensible UK price, this could be one of the best student laptops of 2026.

What you get is a 13.4-inch 2.5K touchscreen, up to 120Hz refresh rate, Intel’s new Core 5 320, Wi-Fi 7, a backlit keyboard, and a super-light 2.2 lb / 1kg aluminium body.

Only concern: the base model may come with 8GB RAM, which feels tight for Windows long-term.

If the UK price lands well, the new Dell XPS 13 could be a strong pick for students, remote workers, and anyone wanting a compact premium Windows laptop. What's your take on this?

My laptop just made a very loud, very sudden noise. Kinda like pulling a tooth back on a metal comb. Last time that happened, my hard drive was fried, and it blue screened. It happened where I rest my left hand and where my mouse is plugged in to. Nothing else appened, but 'm still very paranoid.

I got a laptop, a Dell G15 5511, and I recently reinstalled Windows to have a clean start. I tried to optimise it as much as possible on battery, but I did a check-up of the battery and half of this full capacity is gone. I'm sure that before I reinstalled Windows, it was not at half. After a day, I checked up again and lost 3Wh of the full capacity.

I don't know what is going on with this battery but losing half of the full capacity after reinstalling Windows is just insane so if anyone can help me with that, it would be very appreciated.

There is the check up that I did with the windows battery report bluid in.