Laptop problems Options

[gothictheysay]

So lately my Dell laptop (XPS 1530) which is going to be two years old in September has been yelling at me about how I'm going to need a new battery soon. I am skeptical and poor, so I have just been using it plugged in (like I do most of the time anyway). The battery does seem to last a little less longer than usual when it's unplugged. I don't know when I will/need to get a new battery - it's been telling me that "it charges normally but is reaching the end of its usable life" for about a month.

The other thing is my laptop has always been kinda hot. However, lately it is getting hotter faster, and reaching some scary temperatures. It's made some scary whirring noises which I assume are fans going into hyperdrive, and then I shut it off. This has only happened a few times but it is pretty disturbing.

So my question is, do you think the battery problem could be making the heat issue worse? I was considering getting a laptop cooler (borrowed one for a bit from someone and it worked wonders) and I think that might be substantially cheaper than a new battery, so that is a more feasible purchase at this point in time. However if the battery thing is making it worse, then hopefully after I get a new battery my computer would cool down a bit. I should probably get a laptop cooler regardless, but I do not know when I'm going to have to replace my battery.

[gothictheysay]

Thanks Leo I will do both of those things and they should help. I'm sure I'll be able to keep using my lovely lappy for a while!