Does a cooling pad truly make a difference in gaming laptops?

If we are talking about difference then I would say “yes” But what difference occurs.

My personal opinion: Laptop Cooling Pads work but their own limitation.

• Cooling Pads may work. They are not liquid cooling systems and can’t drop laptop temp by 20°C on their own.
• It’s totally depends on you which type of cooling pad are you using.

If I am talking about my personal cooling which i have been using for last two years and it giving best performance. I use it when i play laptop games.A laptop cooling pad can help to reduce the operating temperature of a  gaming laptop. These pads are used when a laptop is not able to cool itself  sufficiently. It is intended to not only protect the laptop from  overheating but also to prevent the laptop user from suffering from  discomfort that is related to the use of a laptop. An active cooler will  move air around or a cooled liquid to remove laptop heat quickly.  Passive methods use materials that conduct heat and help to increase a  passive airflow around the laptop. 

I'm using the Ultra-Slim Laptop Cooling Pad. This cooling pad has a mesh surface and a fan that provide a chill  effect for your device. The 160 mm fan give a high performance output,  spinning at 1500 RPM. The ultra slim profile is heavy duty and perfect  for gaming laptops