Laptops are fragile, and any slight mishandling can cause damage to your device.
However, laptops can break for reasons beyond your control.
That’s why it’s essential to understand how to handle and manage your laptop at all times.
Here’s What You Need To Know About Laptop Fragility
Your ordinary consumer laptop is quite fragile, but some brands are more fragile than others. Some specialized laptops can withstand all these risks of damage.
Also, some laptop components are more fragile than others. Damage to these components can be expensive and may alter the performance of your device.
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Why Are Laptops So Fragile?
Many of the components that go into building laptops are lightweight and fragile. These components have to be that way, or else laptops would be needlessly bulky or otherwise inefficient.
Your laptop housing is made of plastic polymers and sometimes, aluminum. They may withstand some level of force, but they’ll still break if the force applied exceeds their threshold.
Laptop screens, for example, are the most fragile components of many laptops because they’re made of glass.
Other fragile components on your laptop are hinges. Although made of metal, they’re thin and flexible and may bend or snap in case they’re subjected to undue force.
Your hard drive, while valuable, is also vulnerable to damage. If any of its spinning platters bends or cracks, your drive will fail and never mount again.
Note, however, that not all laptops are fragile. There are plenty of rugged laptops designed to be resistant to extreme temperature, pressure and force. Some can withstand gunshots, explosions, shock and submersion.
Do HP Laptops Break Easily?
They do. First, many HP laptops use more fragile components in their construction than other laptop brands. Therefore, they’ll break easily if you handle them poorly. Although rare, some HP laptops come with manufacturer defects that contribute to their fragility.
Do Gaming Laptops Break Easily?
Some do while others don’t. It also depends on the laptop brand and how the owner handles it. However, because gamers usually push gaming laptops to their limits, manufacturers make them more durable than other laptops.
They’ll probably break due to rough handling and heat, but not much else.
Why Do Laptops Break So Easily When They Fall On The Ground?
Many laptops in the current market aren’t built to withstand hard falls. So, when your laptop falls to the ground, the impact of the fall will break many essential components.
There’s also an element of physics to this. If all the components stay together during a fall, your laptop may sustain more damage than it would if certain elements don’t come apart.
There’s an aspect of design to this. Break-resistant laptops are often thick and bulky with rugged designs. That’s why manufacturers only build these laptops for special purposes.
Consumers prefer lighter laptops with aesthetic design components that are often fragile.
What Parts Of A Laptop Computer Are More Likely To Be Damaged If It Falls To The Floor?
Screen
Your screen is the most vulnerable part of your laptop, because it’s made of glass or fragile plastic polymers.
Hinges
Although they’re made of metal, they’ll bend or break if a hard fall makes them extend beyond their default angles
Keyboard
A hard fall may cause singular keys to break off your laptop keyboard, leaving ugly holes. Your keyboard may also lose partial or total functionality.
Hard Drive
Unless your laptop uses a solid-state drive, your hard drive is vulnerable to damage with a fall to the floor. Your hard drive is probably the most valuable component of your laptop. Damage to any of its spinning plates may lead to data loss.
Fan
A fall to the floor may damage your fan blades. This form of damage paralyzes the cooling system of your laptop. Without a working fan, your laptop will overheat, leading to abrupt shutdowns and restarts while causing damage to other components.
I Keep Breaking Laptops. Is There A Durable Alternative For Me?
There are many durable alternatives you can look at. Dell, for example, has a rugged range of laptops you can look at. Another outstanding range of rugged laptops is the Panasonic Toughbook Series.
Many of these laptops are sturdy. They feature rigid metal alloy casings that can withstand hard falls and projectiles, including gunshots. They have shock absorbent cases with water, temperature and dust resistant capabilities.
Although these laptops are quite bulky, they do not sacrifice on performance. They feature premier CPUs and GPUs, as well as massive storage space. They also feature screens with HD resolution, and extensive connectivity options for all your needs.
Why Do Laptop Hinges Break?
There are several reasons your laptop hinges will break. Here are some common ones:
Poor Build Quality
Cheap is expensive, and this holds true especially with the quality of your laptop build. Economy laptops ordinarily use cheap materials, and cheap hinges don’t last long.
Poor Handling
If your laptop falls face down while open, your hinges will overextend then break. Opening and closing your laptop lid with excess force can also cause them to break.
Age
Hinges are mechanical parts that carry a fair amount of weight. With years of use, they wear out, rust, or loosen and this causes them to break.
What Causes My Laptop Fan To Break?
Here are some common causes for fan malfunctions:
Broken Fan Blades
Mechanical damage may cause the blades of your laptop fan to bend or break. Friction from the damage can cause your fan to produce an irritating noise or stop working altogether. Replacing your fan or using a cooling pad often solves this problem.
Dust
Accumulated dust within your fan may cause it to malfunction. It may become noisy or fail altogether. To solve this, open the back of your laptop and clean all the dust out of your fan with a cleaning solvent or compressed air.
Worn Out Fan Bearings
Once the bearings of your fan wear out, it will operate with a rattling or vibrating noise. Replacing your fan or a cooling pad solves this issue often.
Malware
Some computer malware may attack hardware functions, including your fan. Malware will make your fan run at high RPMs, even when your laptop isn’t running resource-intensive tasks.
Can Dropping Your Laptop Slow Down Its Performance?
Dropping your laptop may cause your laptop to perform slower than it used to. This may be due to damage to components or broken connections. Here are some causes and simple solutions:
Check your RAM
If any of your RAM modules came loose after the fall, reseat it in its slot. If the RAM stick broke, get a replacement.
Check your Hard Drive
After a fall, your hard drive may run at a slower speed than before. Back up your data immediately to another drive if you experience this.
Check the Fan, CPU and GPU
If your CPU and GPU is overheating, it may have sustained damage. Also, your system may throttle performance because of a broken or malfunctioning fan. Check it out for any mechanical damage.
Check all connections
Any unseated connector must reconnect to the motherboard. For example, if a fall unseats your network interface card, you must reseat it or else you won’t connect to any wireless network.
How Can I Prevent My Laptop From Breaking?
Get A Protective Cover Sleeve
Getting a sleeve with soft padding prevents the laptop surface from cracks and scratches. It will also help protect your screen from severe damage because of the impact of a fall.
Get An Anti-theft Laptop Bag
Anti-theft laptop bags have a unique design with special security features that protect your device from theft and damage from walking around with it.
They often feature hidden zippers and pockets, anti-theft locks and cut-resistant materials. They’re more expensive than standard laptop bags, but well worth the cost.
Center Your Laptops On Table Tops
To keep your laptop from falling, ensure that you center it on any tabletop you use. Also, ensure you keep it away from children, and store it safe on a flat and wide surface. Do not keep your laptop on a tall shelf.
Keep Away From Food And Drinks
To avoid damage from spillage, do not use your laptop while having a coffee or any other beverage. Avoid placing containers on the keyboard surface. Also, keep hot food items away from your laptop.
Other Useful Tips:
- Don’t put heavy items on top of your laptop
- Shut down your computer to protect your laptop from overheating. Also unplug all peripheral devices from your laptop.
- Don’t over pack your laptop bag
- Set down your laptop bag gently whenever you put it on a hard surface.
Final Thoughts
Proper handling habits will save you from plenty of these problems. Ensure you’re careful with your laptop and you won’t break it.
Sources:
https://helpdeskgeek.com/help-desk/6-solutions-to-your-laptop-fan-problem/
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/my-laptop-is-running-slow-after-i-dropped-it
https://www.thetravelblogs.com/how-to-protect-your-laptop-from-physical-damage/