Earlier quoted context omitted.
On a laptop specifically, the fans can at least blow the heat away while a fanless machine just distributes the heat though the laptop body, so you have to rest your hands on a heated keyboard. Having fans doesn't always make for a cooler body (looking at my early 2013 Macbook Pro, even with fans on full blast, the aluminum body gets quite hot) but it can definitely be reduced with intentional design. During the wint…
> looking at my early 2013 Macbook Pro, even with fans on full blast, the aluminum body gets quite hot I have the exact same laptop. Opening it and thoroughly cleaning huge amounts of dust that gathered inside over the years changed it into a different machine.
I picked it up on eBay recently and had to add an SSD, so I did a bit of cleaning on it then. Most normal usage is not bad, it makes for a great "document typing machine" and it still powerful enough for everyday use, and best of all - the previous owner had the battery replaced in 2021 so it only has about 350 cycles on the battery. If I do anything intensive with it though, it needs to be on a desk rather than my lap lol