When it comes to gaming laptops, there’s nothing more frustrating when it starts overheating. Not only does it impact the performance, but it can also cause long-term damage. In this post, I will be diving deep into the topic to answer the question, do gaming laptops overheat?
I will also include common causes, warning signs, and offer some effective solutions to keep your laptop running at optimal temperatures. Whether you’re a serious gamer or just looking to prevent issues down the line, keep reading this post.
Do Gaming Laptops Overheat?
Gaming laptops can overheat due to high performance demands, lack of proper ventilation, and other factors such as poor maintenance. Overheating can impact performance and cause severe damage to a laptop. Proper cooling solutions, maintenance, and monitoring can help prevent this from happening.
With that said, after owning several gaming laptops, including the Razer Blade 15. Contrary to what a lot of users think, it handles heat really well. However, I tested it to answer a common question, do Razer laptop overheat? You may be surprised as it did not overheat while running the resource hungry AAA game, Call of Duty Warzone 2.
Here are the results below, using HWiNF0 software;
The Razer Blade 15 is an excellent laptop that features a vapor chamber cooling system which from the data I have seen, this cooling system seems to be the best cooling system structure. Compared to traditional thermal systems with copper heat pipes and multiple fans.
If you check out my article listing the best laptops with the best cooling systems, eight gaming laptops on the list feature the same two-phase vapor chamber cooling system.
Now let’s dive into the main causes of overheating.
What Are The Signs A Gaming Laptop is Overheating?
Signs of a gaming laptop overheating include reduced performance, system crashes or freezes, excessive fan noise, increased laptop temperature, random shutdowns, and graphical artifacts on the screen. It is why you must regularly monitor your laptop’s temperature to prevent potential damage.
Here are some of the signs that a gaming laptop may be overheating:
What Are the Main Causes of Overheating?
The causes of overheating in gaming laptops include poor ventilation, dust build-up, malfunctioning fans, intense resource usage, poor thermal paste application, and ambient temperature. Regular maintenance and ensuring proper airflow can help mitigate these issues.
As overheating can be exacerbated by dust build-up within the laptop chassis, such as on the vent inlets and fans. You could have the best gaming laptop in the world, but if something is blocking the ventilation, it can have disastrous consequences for the device.
Another factor that can contribute to overheating is the use of high-performance hardware. Gaming laptops with powerful processors and graphics cards will generate a lot of heat. This can put a huge strain on the cooling system, again, causing the temperature to rise.
Common Causes That Can Lead To Overheating
How to Prevent Overheating in Gaming Laptops?
To prevent overheating in gaming laptops, first, always keep the air vents clean. Dust and debris build-up can impede airflow and cause the internal temperature of the device to rise. Use a can of compressed air to blow out dust and debris from the air vents.
Another step is to use a cooling pad. A laptop cooling pad or laptop stand is an external device that sits under your laptop and provides additional airflow to effectively dissipate heat. This can help reduce the internal temperature of your laptop by as much as 10°C (50°F). Cooling pads also have legs that you can prop up to help elevate your gaming laptop further.
You can also use software to monitor the internal temperature and adjust or reduce the settings in the games you play. You can also use software such as MSI Afterburner to lower the clock speed of the GPU to reduce heat output. Here are some other things you can do.
9 Effective Steps to Stop Overheating
How to Solve Overheating?
If you feel your laptop is overheating, immediately turn off the device. Unplug all peripherals such as your gaming mouse, controller, and headset, and disconnect the laptop from the AC outlet. Allow the laptop to cool down to a safe temperature before investigating the cause.
Next, inspect the air vents and fans for dust and debris build-up. If needed, use a can of compressed air to clear the vents, and then turn the laptop on its side and blow air through the keyboard. You may also need to open up the laptop to clean the inside.
- Turn off the overheating laptop and unplug peripherals and AC outlet
- Allow the device to cool down to a safe temperature
- Inspect air vents and fans for dust and debris buildup
- Use compressed air to clear vents and blow air through the keyboard
- Open the laptop and clean the inside, grounding yourself first
- Update hardware drivers, especially GPU drivers, and Windows
- Install monitoring software like HWMonitor, Core Temp, or SpeedFan
- Use MSI Afterburner to lower clock speeds by undervolting
- Lower settings and reduce background programs in Windows if necessary
- Contact the manufacturer for service if the issue persists
But be extremely cautious, and ground any static electricity by touching a metal object with both hands before handling internal components. Next, ensure all hardware drivers, especially GPU drivers, are up to date, as outdated drivers can cause various issues. Also, check for Windows updates and then restart your gaming laptop.
After you have fixed your device, install software like HWMonitor or Core Temp to monitor your laptop’s temperature, focusing on GPU and CPU temperatures under load. SpeedFan can help you verify that the fans are functioning properly.
With MSI Afterburner, you can try lowering the clock speed of the GPU or processor by Undervolting, reducing heat output. If temperatures remain high, consider lowering settings and reducing background programs in Windows.
Helpful Content: There is also great article here showing you how to keep your gaming laptop cool the right way. The perfect post, if your laptop is too hot!
Conclusion
Overheating is a common problem among gaming laptops, especially older models. But it can be prevented and solved with a few simple steps. By keeping the air vents clean, using a cooling pad, and monitoring the temperature of your laptop are all effective ways to keep on top of overheating.
If this post has answered your query? please subscribe to my newsletter. I buy and test gaming laptops and other gaming laptop accessories so users like you know what’s best.
Thanks for Reading, Cya Next Time!
Leave a Reply