Why does my laptop get hot and what can I do about it? Read simple answers and solutions to the problem in this article! Quite often, computer users are faced with a situation where their laptop gets very hot, what to do in this case? In addition to the fact that the temperature of the laptop increases greatly and this causes great discomfort for users, the laptop itself can make a lot of noise, slow down and even turn off during operation. What to do in this case and how to fix the problem yourself? Maybe you just need to buy a cooling pad and the problem will be solved?
What and why does the laptop get hot? The main causes of overheating.
At the first sign of your laptop overheating, you should not open Yandex or Google and search for “The laptop is overheating, what should I do?” or “The laptop is getting very hot, what should I do?” Simple computer tips will allow you not only to eliminate overheating of your laptop, but also to make your computer work much faster and without failures.
All electronic components of a laptop consume a large amount of electricity. It is also known from a school physics course that part of the electricity is converted into heat. Of course, the more powerful the laptop's processor and video card, the hotter it will become. Modern laptops, made using innovative technologies, as well as using new heat-dissipating components, heat up much less and consume significantly less electricity compared to older models.
There are several types of laptops. Thus, budget laptops heat up significantly less and consume less electricity compared to universal models. At the same time, gaming laptops and ultra-powerful designer laptops with multiple graphics cards and the latest generation processor resemble noisy stoves, especially when playing heavy computer games.
Main causes of overheating:
1.
Dried thermal paste on the processor.
2.
Excessive dustiness of radiators and coolers.
3.
Excessive load on the processor from the software.
4.
Closed or sealed technological (ventilation) holes in the laptop case.
As for laptop manufacturers, it should be noted that “music books” of any model can heat up. It is worth highlighting separately only Apple laptops, and, perhaps, Sony and Asus, which, thanks to special heat dissipation technologies, heat up much less (with the exception of powerful gaming laptops of these brands). Gaming “music books” will heat up even with regular cleaning and the presence of a cooling pad for the laptop. If the user does not regularly clean and use the laptop in unfavorable operating conditions, the lifespan of such a device will not exceed 3 years.
Should a laptop get hot? Is there a threat to the device?
The main electronic components of a laptop that become very hot when the device is operating are: the video card, the laptop processor and the chipset. The laptop gets especially hot when processing large amounts of data. Most often, this happens when running resource-intensive graphics programs, playing the latest video games, or converting FullHD video. In a very short time, the temperature of the laptop can rise to maximum values. Further, after heating, the heat is transferred through a special heat pipe to the radiator, as well as to the cooler. These components “throw” heat outside the laptop.
When you buy a new laptop and there is no dust on the radiator, the device itself does not heat up much, since the system itself removes heat well from the surface of the internal components. However, over time, dust and lint accumulate on cooler radiators and other elements of the cooling system. They prevent the release of heat outside the laptop and because of this, the heating of the device can become critical until the emergency power off is triggered. This shutdown occurs at the highest possible temperatures, as the risk of complete failure of the laptop increases.
As for passive and active laptop stands, they reduce the temperature by 2 to 8 degrees, so the benefit of such devices is very doubtful. It is best to periodically clean and lubricate the cooler and cooling system of the laptop.
What temperature is normal for a laptop?
The temperature of a laptop processor directly depends on the degree of its load, that is, the more programs are running at a given time, the higher the temperature. Ideally, the processor temperature should not be higher than 105 degrees. At the same time, the optimal temperature of the "process" is 60 - 80 degrees.
In order to find out the temperature of the laptop, you can use two methods. Firstly, you can go in and see the temperature of the device in the BIOS, or you can find out about the temperature using special programs.
The easiest and fastest way to find out the temperature of the processor is to go into the BIOS.
To do this, while the computer starts to boot, you need to press the F2 or DEL key on the keyboard. After that, find the “PowerMonitor” menu in the BIOS settings. In this menu you can find both the processor temperature and the motherboard temperature, as well as other additional information. You can also find out about the temperature of the processor using third-party applications. For example, programs, Speccy, and other programs.
What to do if your laptop overheats too much? Eliminate overheating.
If your laptop, processor or video card is overheating, you must do the following:
First of all, you need to look and make sure whether the coolers and vents are clogged with dust or debris. To do this, you should disassemble the laptop, carefully unscrew the screws and clean the dust and dirt that has accumulated on the cooler and cooling system of the laptop.
Next, you should replace the thermal paste. To prevent the computer processor from heating up, a layer of heat-conducting compound (thermal paste) is applied between the heatsink and the processor. Over time, thermal paste dries out and loses thermal conductivity. To replace thermal paste, you should disassemble the music book and clean the processor from the old thermal paste, then apply a thin layer of new thermal paste to the processor. This procedure is performed when cleaning the computer from dust.
Advice. If, despite cleaning and replacing the thermal paste, the cooler and radiator continue to heat up, then it is necessary to either replace the cooler with a more powerful one, or install another cooler for better heat removal from the computer. Of course, it is best to entrust the replacement of the cooling system, radiator and cooler to specialists from the service center, and not to do it yourself (unless you are an experienced IT specialist).
Laptop cooling
Keep in mind that the temperature of the processor is also influenced by where the laptop is located. Do not place it on a soft surface (bed, carpet, chair). Make sure that there is at least 5 cm of free space on the sides and back of the laptop. Do not cover your computer with stickers, especially in places where the cooler exhausts hot air. Do not use it in high temperature, dusty environment or high humidity. Some manufacturers are already starting to produce laptops with liquid cooling. Perhaps you should think about purchasing such a model. But the best option, undoubtedly, is to clean the radiator or cooler using a compressor or other source of compressed air, as well as re-lubricate the processor with thermal paste.
Overheating problem is one of the most common among laptop owners. Laptops from all manufacturers, from HP to Asus, get hot.
Symptoms of overheating - the laptop works fine for some time after turning it on, but then (if you run a heavy application or game) it either starts to slow down a lot (the processor power limiter turns on) or suddenly turns off.
In this case, before turning off, the laptop fan begins to hum furiously, and the laptop becomes noticeably hot to the touch.
The cause of overheating is a violation of the heat removal system from the laptop case. In this article, I will tell you in detail how the cooling system of laptops works, what temperature is normal, and what, in fact, to do if you can fry eggs on your laptop.
When the processor (computer brain) performs work, it generates heat. Simply put, it gets hot. The more complex tasks are assigned to it, the hotter it gets.
In order to somehow remove heat, a heatsink made of a heat-conducting material (copper, for example) is installed on the processor, and the place of their contact is lubricated with thermal paste (so that there are no air gaps). To cool the radiator itself, a fan is installed that blows on the radiator fins, cooling them.
The same can be said about the video card - their chips heat up even more hotly than processors when running modern games, and the cooling system is designed in a similar way.
In a laptop, the space inside the case is limited, so, as a rule, all heating elements are connected by one tube made of a metal that conducts heat well. This tube is welded at the end to a grille of many thin plates, onto which a small cooler blows, blowing hot air out of the case.
For clarity, I drew a picture for you:
The problem is that, sooner or later, the space between the cooler and the radiator grille becomes clogged with a thick layer of dust, animal hair, and tobacco tar (if you smoke on a laptop). This is what it all looks like in advanced cases:
Naturally, the cooler cannot “blow” through such a layer of “felt”. It turns out that hot air is driven inside the laptop body, instead of leaving it, ensuring proper heat dissipation.
The temperature is steadily rising, and when the threshold values are exceeded, the protection system is triggered and the laptop simply turns off to avoid death from overheating.
On some laptops, instead of shutting down, a limit on the maximum processor power is triggered; this reduces the temperature, but the laptop begins to slow down significantly.
Also, one of the reasons for laptop overheating is dried out thermal paste. But, still, basically, laptops heat up precisely because of the impenetrable layer of dust.
What is the normal temperature of a laptop and how to “measure” it?
In general, different processors and video cards have different operating temperatures. But, nevertheless, approximate frameworks can be outlined. When idle, the temperature of the laptop processor should be ~40-60 degrees; under load (running a game, watching a movie), it can rise to 75-85 degrees Celsius.
It is important to know that temperatures above 90 degrees are critical. When reaching ~100 degrees, the laptop usually turns off, “saving” itself from sudden death.
Naturally, we will not determine the temperature of the video card and processor “by touch”.
I described in detail how to find out the temperature of a laptop at rest and conduct a simple test under load.
What to do if the laptop gets very hot?
So, you measured the temperature of your laptop, and it turned out that under load it warms up by more than 90 degrees, and begins to slow down a lot, or even turns off. What to do, you ask? Nothing - throw it away and buy a new one. Joke. Everything is not as bad as it seems, and your laptop can still be saved.
All you need to do is carefully disassemble it, remove the motherboard, unscrew the cooling system, clean it from the dust plug and replace the thermal paste. Then carefully collect everything and check the temperature again with Aida.
If you have no experience in disassembling laptops, but you have sufficient accuracy and straight hands, you can try this with your own hands. Different laptop models are disassembled and cleaned differently.
Somewhere you have to unscrew every last screw to get to the cooling system, and some laptops can only be cleaned by removing the bottom cover.
I recently wrote a detailed step-by-step guide, . I recommend checking it out.
I also recommend watching my channel on YouTube , there I often post video instructions for disassembling different models of laptops, and step by step I describe the entire procedure for disassembling. All you have to do is repeat everything after me 😉
Don't forget that you will definitely need thermal paste to prevent an air gap between the processor and the cooling plate covering it. Buy it in advance at a computer store. I recommend Arctic Cooling MX4, but, in principle, any will do, including the Russian KPT8.
How long does it take to clean a laptop from dust and replace thermal paste?
The first time, careful disassembly, cleaning, and assembly may take you a considerable amount of time (3-4 hours). Having disassembled and assembled a dozen or two laptops, you will be able to manage it in an hour, and without any instructions.
If, after watching the manual on YouTube, you feel unsure of your abilities, or if you know that your hands are growing from the wrong place, it is better to contact the service. On average, the pleasure will cost about 1,500 rubles, and you will save yourself a fair amount of nerves and time (and, possibly, money for repairs after incorrect disassembly)!
But, since you are on the website and have read this article to the end, the difficulties of disassembling a laptop should not frighten you, but only provoke you) I believe that you will succeed! Go for it!
If you have any questions during disassembly, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments!
Also, for clarity, I advise you to watch a video from my YouTube channel, in which overheating problem arose on the model HP Pavilion G6:
Which laptop doesn't get hot? There is no such thing. Firstly, due to its compact size, air circulates worse in it (compared to computer system units). Secondly, laptops are usually not designed for games and other “heavy” programs. Of course, you can run them, but not for long - the processor, video card and other components heat up very quickly, and the cooler does not have time to cool them. Therefore, it is impossible to do without breaks.
Why does my laptop overheat?
The reasons for a laptop overheating are very commonplace. And half of them are the negligence of users who do not comply with operating rules.
For example, the first and most common reason is dust. The noise comes from the cooler: the more dusty it is, the louder the sound.
In addition, dust clogs the ventilation holes, which impairs the performance of the cooling system. As a result, the laptop heats up to 90 degrees and begins to glitch and slow down.
In some cases it turns off completely. This protects the laptop from overheating. When the temperature becomes critical (above 100 degrees), the processor or video card may burn out. This is why the laptop turns off due to overheating (to prevent damage). And in the next 30 minutes it may not turn on at all - until it cools down.
The laptop also heats up quickly if you work on soft surfaces. Once again, this problem is caused by the users. They watch movies on the bed and then wonder why the laptop gets so hot. The reason here is simple: soft surfaces block the holes and interfere with normal air circulation. Plus there is much more dust on sofas and beds than on the table - and it also gets inside the laptop.
If you play modern toys, the laptop video card will overheat. After all, when the game starts, it heats up to a high temperature (it’s the same on computers). But on laptops you have to take breaks, because one cooler cannot cope with cooling (system units usually have several fans installed).
If you run heavy programs (Photoshop, video editors), the laptop processor will overheat. Although it is also loaded during games. In this case, you also need to take breaks.
Of course, there are reasons that are beyond the control of users. These include cooler failure and thermal paste drying out. How to determine this? If the laptop heats up when idle (on the desktop) or turns off by itself, then most likely there are problems with the cooler or thermal paste.
Thermal paste is applied to the processor and video card. And it is absolutely necessary! With thermal paste, the temperature of the components is 30-40 degrees, and without it - 60-80 and higher. And this is in idle mode!
Another reason is high air temperature. This usually happens in the summer: during the hot season, everyone's laptops get hot. And even without any particular reason. But if in winter you sit near a radiator or heating device, then don’t be surprised why the laptop heats up and makes noise. In this case, it must be placed away from the heat source.
The above reasons are typical for all models: Asus, Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, HP Pavilion. Even powerful gaming laptops from MSI with a good cooling system are not immune to overheating. Especially if you play for a long time.
How can you tell if your laptop is overheating?
- Loud cooler noise. Due to the high temperature inside the case, the system increases the number of fan revolutions. And you start to hear it. The laptop also makes a lot of noise if the cooler is clogged with dust. This is acceptable while playing or working in a program. But if the laptop makes noise immediately after turning it on, then there are obvious problems with the cooling system.
- Heating of the case. You can easily understand this from the keyboard. If the buttons are warm, this is normal. But if they are too hot to touch, turn off the laptop and let it cool. And then look for the reason for such a high temperature.
- Unstable work. The laptop slows down, works slowly, and sometimes freezes. This also signals possible problems with the cooling system (although this may not only be the case, but also the hard drive).
- There are defects on the display. If strange stripes, squares, or ripples appear on the screen, this clearly indicates problems with the video card (possibly not only overheating, but also breakdown).
- Malfunction of USB ports. The South Bridge is responsible for their work. If it gets too hot, some USB ports may not work.
- Shutting down or rebooting for no reason. This protects the laptop from overheating.
What to do with such a laptop?
For example, if the laptop gets very hot and makes noise, then the problem is most likely dust. Do you remember the last time you cleaned it? If it’s been a long time, it makes sense to take it to a service center or clean it yourself (if you know how). It is recommended to remove dust at least once a year.
If your laptop gets hot while gaming, there are several solutions:
- take breaks every 2-3 hours (depending on how quickly the laptop heats up);
- play only on a discrete video card, and the rest of the time use the built-in one - it generates less heat (and the first one will cool down at this time);
- Place the laptop on a flat surface and away from the battery and other heat sources.
Another reason is insufficient productivity. Modern toys put a lot of stress on weak laptops, causing them to constantly overheat. And there are 2 options: either play old games or buy a new model. Or try to reduce the load by setting the minimum settings in the game.
If the laptop heats up when idle, you need to check the functionality of the cooler. And if it breaks, repair or replace it.
If the laptop heats up to 90 degrees, be sure to check the thermal paste on the video card or processor. If it is dry, you need to contact a service center or apply it yourself. If after replacing the thermal paste the laptop still heats up, then there are 2 options: either it was applied incorrectly, or this was not the cause of the overheating.
In this case, you also need to check the thermal paste and the functionality of the cooler.
If the laptop overheats and turns off while playing, then the problem is most likely with the video card. Either there are some defects or the thermal paste has dried out. Although your laptop may simply be too weak for the game you are running. That's why it goes out.
- place it only on flat surfaces (table or stand) and forget about sofas, armchairs and beds;
- periodically take the laptop to a service center to clean it from dust (at least once a year);
- install a new cooling system (if the old one does not cope with its task);
- Use a laptop cooling pad.
The last option is the most effective. It allows you to reduce overheating even in summer, plus with the stand you can work on your favorite sofa.
Remember that overheating of components is no joke. They can burn out, which will require expensive repairs. Or even buying new parts. Therefore, if your laptop gets very hot, you need to fix it as soon as possible.
Very often, a laptop turns off on its own when working on it when the video card or processor overheats. Such behavior of a laptop is quite dangerous, as it can lead to absolutely undesirable consequences, as a result of which repairing a laptop can cost a significant amount of money for its owner. Therefore, it is important to know why the laptop overheats and turns off, and how to fix this problem.
Why does my laptop get hot?
The cooling system of laptops and netbooks is quite complex, like any portable device. If its elements become clogged with dust, animal hair or other particles, the laptop will begin to overheat. At the same time, protection will be activated to prevent the parts from melting, as a result of which the laptop will turn off.
The cooling system in a laptop consists of several parts. This includes the cooler, radiator and heat pipe. The laptop case is a sealed box. Through special holes on the bottom of the device, the cooler takes in cool air, which passes through the plates located in the radiator, thereby cooling it even more. However, along with the air, polluting particles also enter the cooler. They settle on the blades and fins of the laptop radiator. Thus, the system begins to pass less and less air flow.
As a result, the hp laptop overheats and turns off. The same thing happens with laptops from other manufacturers. In addition, a similar problem occurs when the ambient temperature is quite high. The main load in this case goes to the processor and video card. They are the first to fail when the laptop begins to constantly overheat and shut down because of this. By the way, the cost of both parts is quite high, so as a result, it is quite possible that it will be easier to purchase a new laptop than to send it in for repair.
Solutions to the problem
In fact, this problem is quite easy to fix on your own. To begin with, it must be said that you can prevent such a situation by periodically cleaning your laptop. This is done using a vacuum cleaner with a blowing function or a hairdryer. Attention: if the laptop is under warranty, then it is not recommended to disassemble it yourself; it is better to immediately take it to a service center. Well, read on how to clean the cooler yourself.
You should carefully monitor the temperature of the laptop and, in particular, the processor and video card. You can find out how to check the temperature of a video card. The permissible limits of this characteristic may vary for different models. They usually vary between 50-80 degrees. You can find out how much a laptop overheats using special programs, for example, HWMonitor or Everest.
If your laptop quickly overheats and shuts down, the problem may be much more serious than just a cooler clogged with dust. For example, wires may break off. It often happens that the crystal is damaged due to the thermal conductor being torn off from the laptop processor shell. It is difficult for a beginner to solve such a problem on his own, so most likely he will need to take the laptop to a workshop.
Cleaning your laptop
If you still think that you just need to clean the cooling system of your laptop, then you can do it yourself. To begin with, it should be noted that all manipulations are carried out only after the computer is disconnected from all power sources. You will also need to remove the battery from the laptop.
In addition, you should immediately prepare instructions for the laptop. It is from it that you can gain knowledge of exactly how to disassemble the device, since this process may vary in different models. It is important that you do not forget later where you unscrewed which bolt, and do not lose small details.
After the laptop is disassembled, inspect its insides. There is one important rule for beginners: under no circumstances should you touch the motherboard. If you still notice a layer of dust on it, you should blow it off with a can of compressed gas or carefully walk over it with a vacuum cleaner. To clean the motherboard, you do not need to use rags or cotton swabs to avoid damaging anything.
The main places that require cleaning are the fan and radiator. Moreover, the first one is easier to disconnect for better cleaning. In addition to the blades, you should remove dust from the space that is next to them. You can also immediately replace the thermal paste on the chips. In order to clean the radiator, you will need to use a hairdryer or vacuum cleaner to blow off the dust. In some cases, you can use a thin brush. It is advisable to lubricate the parts with machine oil or silicone grease.
After the manipulations are completed, the laptop parts are assembled in the reverse order. When installing them in place, do not use force. In this way, you can damage the fragile parts of the laptop computer, which will lead to quite serious damage to the laptop.
If you notice that your laptop turns off on its own, especially when this happens when watching videos or when starting games, you should immediately think about correcting this situation. You can turn to professionals or try to solve the problem yourself. In the latter case, you will most likely need to clean the laptop's cooling system. In principle, it is not difficult to do it if you have a screwdriver and a vacuum cleaner on hand. But, most likely, this will only be a temporary solution to the problem, since after a while the laptop cooler may clog again.
Pay attention to the operating conditions of your laptop. It is not recommended to work with the laptop on your knees or on uneven surfaces, as in such cases the operation of the device’s cooling system will be hampered. Do not use the laptop in rooms with high humidity, dust, or high temperature.
It is advisable to purchase a special stand in computer stores, which will additionally cool the laptop. Find out how to choose a suitable laptop stand from this article. By following these basic rules, as well as cleaning your laptop from dust at least once every six months, you can save yourself not only from major problems with your technical device, but also from material costs for repairs or the purchase of new spare parts.
Many laptop users quite often experience overheating of their PCs. The internal cooler of the laptop begins to hum strongly, the computer freezes or suddenly reboots, sometimes the user even encounters the Blue Screen of Death. Constant overheating can ultimately damage the laptop, so you need to be very attentive to such processes and promptly identify and eliminate the causes of overheating. In this article I will tell you what to do if the laptop overheats and turns off, what causes this problem, and what actions will help us reduce overheating or even minimize it.
As you know, overheating of a laptop occurs due to trivial physical processes - the operation of electrical components is associated with the release of heat, and the greater the load on these components, the more heat is generated. To combat the heat generated, there is an internal laptop cooling system, aimed primarily at reducing the heating of the central processor.
If the cooling system no longer copes with cooling the insides of the PC (wear of the system, insufficient quality level of its development, drying out of thermal paste, etc.), then overheating of individual system components reaches a critical level, which causes the computer to turn off, freeze, reduce performance, or even possibly lead to its failure.
Reasons for laptop overheating and shutting down
- Clogging of the insides of the computer (in particular the cooling system) with dust. An important element of the internal cooling system is the cooler, thanks to which heated air from the laptop gets outside. The hole through which the heated air comes out (usually the radiator honeycomb) can be clogged with lumps of dust (dust felt), as a result of which the efficiency of the cooling system decreases;
- The laptop is regularly placed on various soft (fluffy) surfaces, due to which the ventilation hole of the laptop is completely (or partially) closed. As a result, the laptop does not ventilate; warm air remains inside, which causes the PC to overheat;
- Malfunction of individual electronic components of the computer. For example, some microcircuits may stop functioning normally, which, in particular, leads to their overheating;
- Malignant activity of virus programs. Some malignant software can heavily load the central processor, causing it to heat up;
- Incorrect cooling system settings in the BIOS can also cause your PC to overheat.
What to do if your laptop gets very hot and makes noise?
So, the laptop overheats and turns off, what should you do? The entire range of solutions can be divided into two main subsections: hardware solutions and software solutions.
Hardware solutions for PC overheating
If your laptop gets very hot and turns off, then in the vast majority of cases this is due to a number of hardware reasons that I described above. To correct the situation, you need to do the following:
- Clean the laptop (in particular the cooling system) from dust. Since clogging the system with dust is the most common cause of laptop overheating, it is necessary to remove the battery, bottom cover, cooler and clean the PC from dust (paying special attention to the radiator honeycombs). A good option may be to clean the radiator honeycomb from the outside using a vacuum cleaner, which will help get rid of accumulated dust felt.
It is also recommended to clean the motherboard itself from dust, but if you do not have enough qualifications to properly disassemble the laptop (access to the motherboard is somewhat difficult here), then I advise you to seek help from the nearest service center.
Software solutions for high CPU temperature
The cause of laptop overheating may also have a software basis. In such a situation, the answer to the question “how to get rid of overheating of a laptop” can be the following actions:
- Check your system for viruses. Such programs as Dr.Web CureIt!, Trojan Remover, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and a number of other analogues will help;
- Instead of “High performance”, you should consider changing the power plan to “Balanced”, which will reduce the load on the processor;
- Remove unnecessary programs (especially those that are loaded through startup), this will help unload the system;
- Check your BIOS settings. It should not set restrictions on cooler speed, and the PC shutdown temperature threshold should not be too low (for example, 60 °C).
Also, if your laptop is overheating, we can recommend a few more tips:
- Do not keep the laptop in direct sunlight (for example, on a windowsill), as this will only cause it to overheat;
- Likewise, do not keep your laptop near radiators;
- Place the laptop on a hard surface (it is best to use a cooling pad), make sure that nothing blocks the ventilation hole of the laptop;
- Turn off your computer when you are not using it (especially when you are not at home).
Video
If your laptop overheats and turns off, then, first of all, you should determine the cause of the problem, and only then perform a set of actions to fix it. The most common cause of overheating is the laptop being clogged with dust, so it is necessary to remove the bottom cover of the laptop and clean the PC from dust (paying special attention to the cooling system). This will normalize the operation of your computer, making it fast, stable and reliable again.
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