Any recommendations for a laptop cooling pad? Will be using a laptop as a desktop for the forseeable future.
Computer usage: Random spurts of gaming, lots of watching videos.

 

Is a cooling pad actually necessary? Does your laptop regularly overheat? If so, it might be more useful to open it up and clean out the dust.

 

You only need a cooling pad if you want to use a laptop on your lap. Powerful laptops are usually meant to run hot. It's unavoidable.

If the laptop is on your desk and its fan vents are kept well clear of obstructions, then there should be no need for a cooling pad. That's how I use my laptop.

 

I had terrible luck with my laptop cooling, so nowadaays no matter what laptop I use I have a coling pad under it, just because.

The best quality/price ratio I found is Cooler Master plus they were the only ones with cooling pads for 17,3+ laptops.

 

Laptops are generally okay to use on a desktop without a cooling pad. I find that cooling pads are usually necessary when using a laptop on a blanket/lap/bedsheet etc. If you're worried about the fan on your laptop, try propping it up on a hardcover book so that there's air underneath the laptop. It'll help with the cooling just as much as a standard cooling pad.