Alright, so I gotta ask:
Do any of y'all have cooling pads for your laptop and/or laptops? Are they effective at all in keeping air flowing to the laptop, and preventing the CPU from heating up excessively? I'm considering getting a new one for my laptop since the one I've had for six years now is broken and only works like once in a blue moon.
No.
And you should make sure that your laptop's own intakes and exhausts are clear. That does a lot more than any cooling pad. Some disassembly might be in order, but once you've made sure that the vents and fins are clear of anything, it should run a lot better.