When testing for heat levels on new notebooks, we use a laser thermometer to measure the key touch points (chassis bottom, keyboard, and touchpad) on a notebook after it has been playing a streaming video for 15 minutes in high-performance mode. We consider temperatures higher than 95 degrees Fahrenheit to be uncomfortable, and those higher than 100 degrees are cause for concern. Based on our recent testing, here are some of the hottest and coolest notebooks we’ve seen.

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Hot: HP Envy 15

Even when it was performing low-intensity tasks (such as downloading a Firefox installation file), the Envy 15’s metal chassis reached high temperatures. While surfing the web, we measured the palm rest at wrist-roasting 103 degrees Fahrenheit, the touchpad at 100 degrees, and the keyboard at a more reasonable 95 degrees. Air bellowing out of its vents reached 110 degrees.

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