# I didn’t think I needed a laptop cooling pad because I’m not AAA-gaming – but I've discovered it's essential in these 3 situations

> You might not think you need a laptop cooling pad. Historically, I didn’t either. Having spent a lot of the last year testing them for TechRadar, I mostly associate them with gaming.

- **Source:** [TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/computing/peripherals-accessories/i-didnt-think-i-needed-a-laptop-cooling-pad-because-im-not-aaa-gaming-but-ive-discovered-its-essential-in-these-3-situations?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=689e8013bfe73d4521fd97de)
- **Published:** 2025-08-15
- **Category:** Computers & IT
- **Tags:** #steam-deck #macbook #laptops #gaming #cooling #didn #think #because
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/689e8013bfe73d4521fd97de

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at TechRadar (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._