Air flow direction

[powerton]

My newly bought 2nd hand laptop is getting hot.

It is blowing out air out of the bottom, is that normal for this model or are the fans running in the opposite direction? That happened to me before with another HP laptop. I always thought that the bottom is the intake.

Thanks

[resistencia · Accepted solution]

Hi @powerton 

It is expelled from the bottom, the same on my Zbook.

[Edward_James123]

Hi there,

It's not uncommon for laptops — especially second-hand ones — to run hot, but it's definitely worth checking a few things. Most HP laptops do intake cool air from the bottom and exhaust it out the sides or back, but in some models, part of the airflow can exit through vents on the bottom or side as well.

If your laptop is blowing air out of the bottom, it could be:

1. Normal, depending on the cooling design of that specific model.

2. A sign that the fans were reassembled incorrectly (especially if it was previously repaired or cleaned).

3. Or, the internal dust buildup or old thermal paste is causing the fans to work harder.

What you can do:

• Check the exact model number and look up a thermal design diagram online.

• Use a tool like HWMonitor or Core Temp to check CPU/GPU temperatures.

• If it’s constantly hot even under light use, it might be worth reapplying thermal paste or cleaning the internal cooling system.

Let me know your laptop model and I can look into the airflow design for you!

https://weeblyseospecialistservices.com/ 

[henryjulian0]

It's normal for many laptops to exhaust warm air from the bottom or side vents, depending on the design. However, consistent overheating could indicate dust buildup, old thermal paste, or high background processes. Consider cleaning the vents, checking temps with a monitoring tool, and repasting if needed.