Lightweight bootable USB drive?

[AcheronHades]

My laptop is having performance problems (overheating), and my parents are having trouble committing to either fixing it or getting a new one, so I was wondering about the benefits of a lightweight Linux OS I can try to get a bit more life out of my laptop. 

I picked out a good replacement laptop and the parts, I just need to use the computer while they deliberate on the issue.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

If it's overheating, look up on youtube how to take that model (or a very similar one) apart. 

9 times out of 10 the problem is simply that hair and dust clogs up the cooling fins.  If you can take the laptop apart up to the point where you can clean out that dust, it should run fairly cool again.

[LogicalDrm]

Changing OS won't help in that. Basic OS operations are faster, but limitations remain. It will continue to heat up, and be slow, when you do things that use more CPU. Like watching YouTube. Speaking from experience with my previous laptop. Yes, it gained year or two more, but problems remained.

[Nettly_]

The OS won't exactly help with the overheating issue, do what I do with my Raspberry Pi and cool it with a fan... not joking.