5 Suggestions to Solve the Gaming Laptop Overheating Problem

If you are here on this page, you must be looking around for solutions to gaming laptop overheating issues. Or you are keen to know if gaming laptops overheat. Right? Whatever the reasons, the main thing is that you want to know more about device overheating. 

The article gives you an in-depth understanding of what overheating is all about, why it occurs in laptops, and what steps you can implement to solve the laptop overheating problems by yourself.

So, let’s start from the basics.  

What Is Overheating in Laptops?

Overheating in gaming laptops is a state when the device is expelling too much heat, causing the device to shut down repeatedly. In severe cases, the laptop may damage beyond repair as excessive heat affects the functioning of the processor and other internal parts. You may require replacing the motherboard to bring your laptop back to life. 

Do Gaming Laptops Overheat?

The short and straight answer is – YES, they do. Overheating in gaming laptops usually occurs when you are playing a resource-heavy game for a longer duration, maybe a couple of hours. The game you are playing might be consuming higher resources than your laptop is capable of allocating smoothly. 

In simple words, overheating happens when you push your device to handle intensive tasks that are too challenging for the device to manage. 

Overheating Reasons & Solutions

To prevent your gaming laptop from overheating, it’s necessary to understand the reasons. Once you learn the reasons, implementing the right solution becomes easier. 

Inappropriate Placement of Laptop

Incorrect positioning of the laptop is the most common reason that results in overheating. Using your laptop while keeping it on a soft surface interrupts the air circulation, which results in producing a loud fan sound which is simply annoying. Besides, dust starts accumulating inside the laptop, which makes the situation even worse. 

Whether or not you are using the laptop for gaming, avoid keeping it on the bed, couch, blanket, or other soft surfaces. Make sure the laptop is properly placed on a wooden desk or a hard surface when you are using it. Buying a laptop stand is an alternate solution if you have the habit of playing games while sitting on a couch or bed. 

Manage Background Apps

One of the major reasons behind excessive device heat-up is multiple apps running in the background. Your system will perform sluggishly; take it as a symptom that the device is stressed out. Running multiple high-end programs altogether on the laptop can raise the processor’s temperature, leading to a state of overheating.

If you spend time optimizing your laptop, you will realize that the device is running unnecessary apps more than the required ones. Each app is consuming its share of resources, so disable all the apps that you do not need. This will help you free up system resources, and the processor can allocate them to gaming tasks as required. 

Reapply Thermal Paste

Thermal paste is a substance applied between the processor, graphics card cooler, and the heat spreader for improved heat dissipation. Also known as thermal grease or thermal compound, this substance loses its effectiveness, and you need to replace it. Sometimes, the thermal paste is poorly applied, which prevents proper heat dissipation. 

Reapplying the thermal paste will prevent overheating in your gaming laptop. Use liquid metal as an alternative to thermal paste for better results. If you are using liquid metal, apply it carefully and ensure that it won’t come in contact with internal hardware components. Use a cotton cloth to remove the paste immediately if it spills somewhere. 

Lower Your Graphics Settings

If you have set your laptop to higher graphics to get better FPS, it will put additional strain on the GPU. If you have an average laptop, running modern games can be challenging. As the resolution goes higher, the number of pixels also accelerates. With a mid-range laptop, you cannot run your games at ultra-high resolution.

Lowering your game’s resolution will not only improve the FPS but reduce the GPU’s job greatly. By adjusting the resolution and graphics settings, you compromise the display quality to an unnoticeable extent, but the game starts running smoothly. Reducing the graphics settings will help you fix the gaming laptop overheating problems. 

Underclock GPU & CPU

Overclocking is increasing the clock rate of hardware components to run the device at a higher speed than recommended by the manufacturer. With a lack of cooling mechanism, the laptop fails to dissipate extra heat that is produced due to overclocking, and your laptop will heat up excessively over time. 

You need to underclock or undervolt your CPU and GPU to reset the components to their original speed. Before you start the process, backup all your files to external storage media so that you can restore data to avoid data loss; also, read the detailed guide on how to undervolt your gaming laptop to initiate the process properly.