Causes of laptop overheating and 10 quickest ways to fix it

Laptops getting unusually hot is a fairly common condition that occurs during use. This not only affects the performance of the device but also indirectly reduces the life of the battery and components inside the device. So how to help the laptop cool down quickly in case of unusual heat? Let's learn more details with TipsMake in the following article.

Signs that your laptop or computer is hot

When the laptop gets hot , applications will work slower than usual due to reduced clock speed. In addition, the cooling fan system installed inside the device will also make unpleasant noises because they have to operate at almost full capacity to cool the device.

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How does a hot laptop affect the device?

In case laptops get hot , they will produce a large amount of heat, causing damage to the circuits inside the device and reducing CPU performance. Not only that, the heat produced also causes wear and tear on components and causes the device to lag, freeze or even turn off suddenly in just a short time.

There are several reasons why laptops get hot

Nowadays, there are many reasons why laptops get unusually hot . Here are the most common reasons:

1. CPU overload

Opening too many tabs, applications at the same time or playing graphics-heavy games for long periods of time can cause your device's CPU to overload . This causes the laptop to heat up and risk shutting down suddenly. 

Therefore, when using a laptop, users need to base on the configuration and working ability of the device to have an appropriate usage plan. Or you can also upgrade your device's RAM and hard drive to meet your needs for intense experience. 

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2. The radiator fan is broken and not working

This is also one of the common reasons why laptops get unusually hot , applications slow down or freeze. In fact, the cooling fan system is a device that plays an extremely important role for laptops or PCs.

Because they not only help the air circulate in the machine stably, but also help quickly cool down the 'overloaded' parts inside the laptop hardware.

Besides, during use, if you discover that the cooling fan makes strange or loud noises, it proves that the system is damaged and needs to be repaired.

3. Laptop is dirty and not cleaned regularly

The fact that the laptop is covered in dust and not cleaned thoroughly can also be one of the reasons why the performance of the device is reduced, leading to the laptop often becoming unusually hot. 

Not only that, long-term dust accumulation also makes the computer susceptible to blue screen errors and damages internal components, especially the cooling fan system. This causes the CPU to become hotter and at risk of burning out.

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4. The computer is infected with a virus

When a laptop's software or hardware is infected with a virus, it will cause the laptop to heat up, the device's temperature to increase, the device to slow down, and make loud noises, causing discomfort to the user. 

To overcome this situation, you can use anti-virus software to protect your device's operating system as well as prevent viruses from entering and corroding data on the device.

10 ways to quickly cool a hot laptop

To help your laptop cool down quickly in case of unusual heat, you can apply one of the following 10 laptop cooling measures:

1. Place your computer or laptop in a cool place

One of the 10 most popular and fastest ways to help cool down a hot laptop today is to place the laptop in a cool and well-ventilated place . As for computers or PCs, you can install a cooling fan or use a stand to help cool the device faster.

Besides, users should absolutely not place computers or laptops on objects such as pillows, blankets, mattresses, glass surfaces, etc. Because they will cause the ventilation holes to be clogged and the heat inside the machine cannot radiate to the outside.

Note : You can remove the computer cover for ventilation if there are no children in the family. However, doing this can easily cause dirt to stick to the machine if it is not cleaned thoroughly. This has a negative impact on the cooling and heat dissipation process inside the device.

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2. Regularly clean the overall equipment

After a long period of use, dust will accumulate on the keyboard, screen and heatsink, hindering the machine's ventilation process. To fix this problem, you should equip yourself with some basic knowledge about laptop cleaning so as not to affect the machine's operation.

For external parts such as keyboards or screens, you can completely clean them yourself at home using specialized equipment. However, for components inside the laptop that need to be disassembled for cleaning, the best way is for users to bring the device to a reputable laptop maintenance center for assistance in cleaning the device and applying thermal paste.

3. Apply thermal paste to the CPU

This method is often applied to old laptops that have been used for a long time and have poor heat dissipation or degrade over time. However, applying glue requires the person performing it to have good experience and expertise in laptops to avoid causing short circuits and damaging surrounding components.

Besides, before applying glue, you need to clean the CPU with alcohol and dry the device surface. Then take a sufficient amount of glue and apply it evenly on the CPU surface to increase the heat dissipation efficiency of the machine.

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4. Do not charge the battery while using it

Normally, most users have the habit of charging and using the device at the same time. This action not only makes the battery susceptible to wear and tear, but also indirectly leads to the laptop overheating and reducing the device's lifespan. In addition, after the battery is fully charged or you do not need to use it, you should unplug the battery charger to protect battery life and limit the device overheating.

5. Use a heatsink

One of the 10 effective ways to cool a laptop is to use a laptop heatsink. A heatsink is a device used to help regulate airflow and help remove heat from the laptop faster and overcome the problem of laptop overheating. Thanks to that, your laptop will always be cool and overall performance will also remain stable throughout use.

6. Use the Power Options feature

If the laptop's temperature gets too hot, you can use the Power Options feature to quickly reduce the laptop's temperature through the following steps:

1. Step 1 : Click the Start button in the bottom left corner of the screen or the Windows button on the keyboard.

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1. Step 2 : Type 'Control panel'  and press Enter .
2. Step 3 : Click on System and Security and select Power Options .

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1. Step 4 : Finally, just click High performance to complete the process of activating the Power Options feature .

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Note : For gaming laptops, you can open the ARMOURY CRATE section and select Turbo or Performance to activate the cooling fan system during gaming.

7. Turn off background software using Task Manager

Task Manager is a feature available on the Windows operating system to help users manage applications on the system.

Method 1

1. Step 1 : Right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager to open this software.

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1. Step 2 : The screen will display the Task Manager window. Now you search in the Processes section, if you see any process running on the WMI Provider Host (WmiPrvSE.exe) , click stop it.

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1. Step 3 : Click the Services tab and select Open Services to trace the origin of the WmiPrvSE.exe file .

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1. Step 4 : In Services, find the file named Windows Management Instrumentation then right-click and select STOP to stop the service.

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Method 2

Ways you should know to cool Latpop are to turn off the software running in the background on your computer, go to the Task Manager folder and select Startup . If you see any software that is unnecessary or at a High level, just right-click and select Disable to turn off that software.

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8. Turn off the laptop when not in use

When not using your laptop, you should turn it off (shut down) instead of leaving it in Sleep state . Because doing this can cause the laptop to heat up later. On the other hand, during use, you should also limit opening too many unnecessary tabs or applications to avoid CPU overload, leading to slow device performance and increased heat.

9. Check the fan system with Speedfan software

One of the 10 best ways to cool your laptop is to use CPU testing software. Speedfan is a software used to check the temperature of the CPU along with other components in the computer. Not only that, users can also use this software to monitor and change the computer's fan speed to help the system cool down quickly if it detects abnormal heating.

10. Take the device to a reputable repair center

If you have done all the above laptop cooling methods but still do not work, the best way is to take your computer to a reputable computer repair center for timely support. In addition, if your laptop is still within the warranty period, you should bring it to the nearest warranty center for repair.

Frequently asked questions when laptop gets hot?

In addition to the measures to help cool your laptop quickly, readers can refer to some additional questions related to abnormally hot laptops below:

Is it normal for a laptop to get hot all the time?

According to technology experts, if a laptop is often abnormally hot, it can cause the device to quickly break down and operate unstable. Over time, the internal components burn out and the hard drive suddenly stops, putting all of the user's data at risk of being lost and unrecoverable.

Is it okay to use a laptop while charging?

For older models that use Ni-Cad battery technology on laptops, charging and using it at the same time is a taboo. Because it not only reduces battery life but also causes the battery to easily wear out and run out quickly.

However, for new models using Li-ion or LiPo battery technology, this technology will help the device automatically disconnect the charging power source if it detects that the device is 100% fully charged. 

Therefore, users can completely charge and use the device without fear that the battery will be depleted like before. However, users also need to be aware that unstable power sources can damage the chip, mainboard or hard drive. and cause the laptop temperature to heat up.
In addition, the habit of regularly removing the battery also makes the contact position between the circuit dirty and susceptible to electric shock. 

Epilogue

Above are 10 ways to help fix laptop overheating quickly and simply. Hopefully, through the sharing from the article, you will have more useful information so you don't have to fall into this unwanted situation again. Good luck.

Lesley Montoya

Update 10 October 2023