I left my laptop on overnight on high peformance

So I have an HP 14-af118au laptop that I've been using for about two - three (maybe? I forgot kek) years. Since I have been living in my own room (and college), I have been constantly falling asleep while leaving my laptop on, leaving it on overnight for 5-8 hours or so.

I have been doing this for quite a while and I'm worried I might be asking too much of it.

Here are the things I've done to my laptop: 1. I left my laptop on overnight in high peformance, no automatic sleep mode, while charging (Quite a few times) 2. I left my laptop on overnight in high peformance, but with sleep mode and charging 3. I left my laptop on overnight, but didn't charge it, so it lost its battery and shut down by itself (most common so far)

I have an external fan and my room has AC. But I have a timer to turn it off at 2 AM and I usually tend to my laptop at 6 AM or so. I'm worried because my laptop have been emiting faint metallic smell (perhaps burning?) and I would really like to keep it alive for more years to come.

Is it okay for me to treat my laptop like this? And is the smell something I need to pay attention to? It's faint, but I sometimes smell it.

Xlennon

Posted 2018-12-10T03:42:42.420

Reputation: 1

4What is your question? – Appleoddity – 2018-12-10T03:48:16.393

Ah shoot. I forgot to clarify. I was wondering if it's ok to keep my laptop running like this, and if the smell is something to be wary of. – Xlennon – 2018-12-10T04:45:25.200

The fact that it is on high performance mode doesn't matter. That just allows your hardware to use more power when it is under a heavy load. When you're falling asleep, is the laptop on your bed, or on a hard surface? If it's on your bed, the reduced air flow and the laptop not being able to cool properly may be causing the metallic, hot burning smell. I would suggest changing the setting, so when the lid is closed, the laptop will enter sleep mode. – DrZoo – 2018-12-10T04:59:03.350

3A well made laptop should be able to run for years without ever being turned off. – Keltari – 2018-12-10T05:00:45.900

I have never placed my laptop on beds. It just randonly started to waft a faint scent that can be smelled periodically. I ran temperature check with two softwares and they say my laptop is running just fine below 50 C idle. Running apps, it could go up to 60 or 70-ish though. – Xlennon – 2018-12-10T15:17:18.087

1I wonder what it is you're smelling. There's NO WAY a laptop can emit heat to vaporize anything metallic for you to smell. Burnt electronics do not smell like burnt metal. Are you sure it isn't some construction work outside? Welding and such? I can't imagine the laptop burning metal without being on fire. – Nelson – 2018-12-11T05:24:44.387

Answers

Is your laptop hot?

The "High Performance Mode" is only a setting. It doesn't mean it's actually running at maximum, but only it could run at maximum.

If your laptop is cool as if it is off, and no fans are running, then it wasn't actually doing anything, even though it was in "high performance mode".

Running it overnight isn't bad for the laptop at all. The worst is running it when the vents are covered. This is very easily done with beds. Do NOT stick a laptop on a bed/blanket/sofa and block the air vents. Even if it is just on and not doing anything, blocking all the vents will quickly heat it up.

Also, don't leave it on and stick it in a backpack... that's actually pretty bad too.

Nelson

Posted 2018-12-10T03:42:42.420

Reputation: 1 199

Nope. Always have open spaces on the sides of the laptop, and I use an external fan as well. I think peak temperature was like 80 C when my laptop starts making noises and normally it would be around 40 - 50 C. – Xlennon – 2018-12-10T15:17:59.833

-2

Your heat sink may be the problem. If the heat sink is covered somehow, maybe by an insulating surface, then the heat can possibly be kept inside. The hardware can overheat and some wires can burn from the heat, therefore causing the smell. Hardware in your computer can also be fried. Keep it in an open area with air circulation, and maybe if you can, keep a fan in front of it. If possible, shut down the computer or take it off high performance (although that's not really a problem). Shutting down the computer would take out any possibility to the computer being fried.

Varun Narravula

Posted 2018-12-10T03:42:42.420

Reputation: 396

Are you referring to where the hot air comes out? The odd thing is that my laptop never shut down by itself due to overheating, and peaked around 80 degrees Celcius when it's really working hard. But usually it's less than that. The smell is faint and can only be smelled periodically, but it's definitely there even though the temperature is normal. – Xlennon – 2018-12-10T15:21:18.907

Yes, that's what the heat sink is. Your computer may not shut down due to overheating depending on the OS. And in my experience, overheating laptops can go over 80 degrees Celsius. And if it is periodic then possibly the CPU can be frying your hardware. That's a super bad sign, and check what's overworking your PC at times. Periodicity is a sign of a repeating problematic situation. – Varun Narravula – 2018-12-11T00:31:57.503