I have a gaming laptop that I mostly used as a desktop (bought used, was a good price) with external screen and devices attached. This past Sunday, I was wiping the dust off it and noticed that the trackpad felt oddly curved, then I also noticed that entire device body was slightly bloated as... which led to the discovery that the battery is swollen and that it needs to be replaced.

But I wouldn't have noticed it otherwise if I hadn't been cleaning my desk that day. It's placed on the far side of my desk on a laptop stand (although well ventilated) so I rarely pay attention to it, if at all. It might have gone on for much longer and eventually led to a disaster before I even caught on to the problem.

So, my question is: how does one track these potential hardware problems without having to manually inspect different parts of the device every now and then?

(While my device is a laptop with W10 OS, the question isn't limited to just that. Inputs for Mac and other related products are also welcomed.)

I purchased the Matebook X Pro for 1350 from Microsoft with the student discount.

Build: It is a very sturdy laptop and fits perfectly in a backpack.

Trackpad: It feels just like the MacBook Air.

Keyboard: Great typing. Switches are very similar to the MacBook Air but their noise is lower pitched.

Screen: The screen is great and I love the thin bezels.

Software: No bloat besides the driver manager.

Gaming: People underestimate the mx150. It runs pubg at a playable 40fps at mostly low and a few medium settings and fortnite at 60 FPS

with medium settings. I would never use it a a primary gaming machine, but it would be very useful for lan party’s.

Battery life: average

Dislikes: It can get very loud when gaming.

Overall, It feels like the spiritual successor to my MacBook Air in design and size. It has a fantastic display and build quality and it is priced competitively. If you are willing to pay a premium for build quality and portability then I would definitely get this laptop.

I have never done a Reddit review before so ask any questions that I left out.

Pics:

size comparison to MacBook Air https://i.imgur.com/xzcLiO0.jpg

side by side https://i.imgur.com/B4FiTlD.jpg

front view https://i.imgur.com/yDZCdqm.jpg

top view https://i.imgur.com/2n0JNSs.jpg