How to resolve the problem of an overheating Laptop PC



How to resolve the problem of an overheating laptop

You really need to hear how loud some laptops could get during use; like those coal-powered locomotive trains. Some laptops even get so hot that they should be called “Desktops” (since that’s where you put them else they burn your laps). What’s particularly striking about laptops experiencing either of these two issues is that they were’t that bad when the laptops were brand new. Question is, What could have gone wrong? In this article, we’ll be looking at factors that could over-work a laptop PC / cause it to overheat, how to prevent them and also how to resolve such issues when they occur.

What could cause a Laptop PC to overheat?

The most common causes of overheating in laptops are:

  • Blocked Air vent: Dust and other particles blocking / clogging the air vent hinder airflow which is critical for cooling the laptop
  • Faulty Battery: If the battery is unable to charge properly, most of the power-pack connection time gets wasted on heat generation instead of actual battery charging
  • Improper ventilation: Placing the laptop PC on flat surfaces that don’t allow proper cooling of its base or allowing objects to block the air vent (especially when placed on a soft  mattress or  cushion which the laptop PC could sink into)
  • Extensive use: Using the PC for a long time without shutting down could also over-work its hardware components
  • Heavy use: Running too many battery intensive processes at a time can’t be ruled out
  • Dusty hardware: Dusty hardware components is another notorious cause of overheating

What are the signs of an overheating laptop?

  • Fan constantly running and making loud whirring noises
  • Computer struggling to perform basic tasks like opening a new browser window
  • Mysterious error messages popping up in random programs
  • Lines on your laptop screen (a sign your video card is overheating)
  • System freezing or the dreaded BSOD ( https://www.hovatek.com/blog/the-blue-screen-of-death-bsod/ )
  • The laptop abruptly shuts down on its own
  • The base gets warmer than normal during use

What could cause a laptop PC to make so much noise during use?

This abnormally loud noise originates from the cooling  fans. This is an indicator that:

  • The laptop PC might overheating
  • Dust or other particles might be clogging the air vent
  • The CPU is likely being over-worked
  • There might be some friction in the cooling fans

What could overheating result in if not quickly resolved?

Unattended to, overheating of a laptop PC could cause:

  • Blue screen of Death crashes: The PC could start crashing frequently into blue screens
  • Burnt out Mother Board: The Mother Board could get roasted (₦₦₦)
  • Hardware damage: The hard disk or other core hardware components could get damaged
  • Fire Accidents: An overheating laptop placed on a soft  mattress or flammable cushion could result in a fire accident

How do I resolve the problem of an overheating Laptop PC?

Some measures you could employ to address the issue of an overheating laptop PC include

  • Use the laptop in a cool environment
  • Consider using a heat sink. Use a steel flat bar as an external heat sink. It works because your computer has to heat up more mass before it overheats. This also means, that the larger the bar, the longer it will take for it to overheat. It will only work if your laptop has a metal case, and it feels hot.
  • Loosen up the laptop and blow off all dust clogging the cooling fans and on other hardware components
  • Ensure to change the battery once it starts acting weird / getting hot while charging (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-make-a-laptop-pcs-battery-last-longer/ )
  • Disable unneeded background / heavy processes and avoid running too many apps at a time (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-fix-a-slow-hanging-or-crashing-pc/ )
  • Avoid placing the laptop on flat surfaces / cushions which don’t facilitate cooling
  • Ensure to shutdown from time to time and not hibernate / sleep the laptop PC for too long

Hovatek….just a button away!



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