Is your gaming laptop generating heat and you’re worried that something might go wrong? You’re not alone!
The thing is, gaming laptops will always generate heat. Why? They boast specialized GPUs and high-performance CPUs that generate heat while working.
So, the heat emanating from the laptop is normal. It needs to dissipate to avoid creating a condition for overheating, damaging the internal components.
Overheating is bad for a laptop. It can fry the motherboard and even make it difficult for any laptop to deliver optimal performance.
We’ll discuss gaming laptop temperatures in this post and share tips on lowering gaming PC temperature to avoid overheating. Read on to know more!
How Hot Should A Gaming Laptop Be?
Gaming laptop temperature varies from one laptop to another. Several factors play key roles in determining how hot your temperature will be while in use.
The factors in question include the cooling, processor, and ambient room temperature. Furthermore, the task you’re using the computer for will determine how hot it will be.
If you’re using your laptop computer for general purposes, expect a temperature range of 30 to 65 degrees centigrade (30 to 65 °C).
Now, here is the question. How hot will a laptop be when running games? Your laptop’s temperature will skyrocket if you’re running high-graphics games or doing other CPU-intensive tasks like video editing.
So, for heavy tasks like gaming, or video editing, expect the laptop’s temperature to be around 65 to 90 degrees centigrade (65-90 °C).
How Hot Can Your Laptop Get To Consider It Unsafe?
Your processor has a maximum temperature or limits it mustn’t exceed. Your laptop could develop a problem if the temperature exceeds the limit.
We’ll be sharing the temperature ranges for each processor soon. You can check your temperature limit from the list and compare it to your computer’s current temperature.
If your laptop’s temperature exceeds the optimal range, do everything possible to lower it considerably.
The maximum acceptable temperature for most processors is around 90 to 95 degrees centigrade (90 – 95 °C).
Signs That Your Gaming Laptop Is Overheating
Gaming laptops running high-quality graphics games will overheat. These laptops boast powerful GPUs and CPUs that generate heat while working. So it is normal for laptops to generate heat when gaming.
However, overheating isn’t a good thing. It can cause your laptop to develop a fault or even stop working.
Your gaming laptop will show signs that it is overheating. So pay close attention and take appropriate steps to ensure the laptop doesn’t continue to overheat.
So, what are the signs that your gaming laptop is overheating? Check them out below.
1: The laptop is extremely warm when touched:
Try this simple experiment. Put your hand over the laptop’s vent. Now place your hand underneath the laptop to feel how hot it is.
Normally, laptops get hot when you’re gaming. But it shouldn’t be extreme.
If the heat pouring out of the laptop’s vent is too much for your hand to bear, stop the machine from overheating as quickly as possible.
You can turn off the laptop and allow it to cool down naturally. Or, you can stop running the game or software, causing the overheating problem. It is that simple.
Note: Try to raise your laptop from the table a little bit. This way, you’ll be able to prevent heat buildup underneath the machine.
2: Fans speed is super high:
The cooling fan is an essential component of the laptop. Without the fan, your laptop will overheat, and have its lifespan truncated
There’s a relationship between the fan and the CPU. The fan is fixed to the CPU and helps ensure the system does not overheat or hit the maximum temperature when running heavy programs.
Now, here is something you need to understand. The fan is special to the CPU. In fact, there is a censor in the CPU that monitors the fan’s activities.
If the laptop’s temperature rises, the censor in the CPU will signal the fan to increase its speed to help lower the temperature.
So, if your laptop’s fan speed increases and becomes super high, your laptop has gotten extremely hot. And it would be best if you did something quickly to lower the temperature.
3: Laptop unexpectedly shuts down:
Most computers have software that shuts them down automatically when the components or CPU starts overheating.
When this unexpected shutdown happens while working on a document, the data you’re yet to save will be lost.
In any case, thank your stars that your laptop has software that shuts it down automatically when it starts overheating, preventing possible damage that would have occurred.
4: Your laptop is underperforming:
You know how fast your laptop gets tasks done on a normal day. Now it is slow, and you can tell something isn’t right.
A sign that your laptop is overheating is a drop in performance. Your laptop won’t be able to tackle tasks as quickly as it used to.
The CPU may automatically reduce its clock speed when it detects that the laptop or its components are getting too hot.
The clock speed determines the speed at which the CPU chews through tasks. So when it drops, expect your laptop to become slower. Organizing a simple task like closing a web browser or page could take time.
In the worst-case scenario, the laptop could crash.
How To Prevent Your Gaming Laptop From Getting Too Hot
It is dangerous to allow your laptop to get too hot. Your laptop could crash, or performance could drop, making the game uninteresting.
So, how can you ensure your laptop does not get too hot? Follow the steps below.
1: Keep the fans dust-free:
Dust buildup could be why your laptop’s cooling fan is no longer effective in its duties. So check and clean the fan.
You can clean the fan once a month. However, ensure the cleaning is something you can do without damaging the system.
You can watch videos or ask a professional to complete them.
Sometimes, it could be that the laptop’s fan is in bad shape. So check if the fan is working. If it isn’t, fix it.
2: End unwanted programs:
You don’t need to permit certain programs on your laptop to start running when you turn it on. Some of them would start running and updating themselves without your permission.
Allowing these programs to run while you’re gaming may give the CPU excess load, forcing the laptop to overheat.
So, close the programs and let the game run alone.
3: Viruses and malware:
Viruses and malware can make your laptop overheat. They can cause the CPU to work harder, causing the PC to overheat.
So keep your laptop virus and malware-free. You can use powerful security software to get the virus and malware out.
4: Bad GPU:
A faulty GPU can create room for a laptop to overheat. So, check your machine’s graphics card.
If the GPU is faulty, get a replacement. Note also that sometimes, updating the GPU’s drivers can get the component to start working well again.
Gaming Laptop Temperatures You Need To Know
Your laptop will certainly get hot when playing a video game. It is even worse when playing high-quality graphics or CPU-intensive games.
Most gamers have complained of hitting a temperature of 80 to 90 °C while playing powerful games like GTA V.
Unfortunately, 90°C is high. The laptop’s performance might even drop a bit at this temperature level.
So, ensure you lower your laptop’s temperature regardless of the game you’re playing. Ensure it does not go above 90°C.
Regarding gaming laptop temperatures, a lower temperature is always better. So, if you can lower your PC’s temperature extremely, you’ll reap the reward via excellent performance and gameplay. A longer lifespan is another benefit.
So, how can you reduce your laptop’s temperature? We have shared tips on ways you can prevent your laptop from overheating. But let’s add to it.
You can reduce your laptop’s temperature by using a cooling pad. Another way to do this is by undervolting the CPU.
The Conclusion
The gaming laptop temperatures differ from one brand to another. But the general temperature for a gaming laptop is between 65 to 90°C.
However, running a laptop at a lower temperature is always better. So don’t leave your laptop to run at 90°C. Ensure the temperature is less than 90°C.
You can see the tips on preventing a gaming laptop computer from overheating. Part of the reason these computers overheat or become hot is their fans.
There’s a possibility that the fan isn’t working properly anymore. Or it has been made ineffective by dust buildup.