7 Common Causes of Laptop Overheating

Overheating is a major problem faced by almost all the computer users around the world. Most
notable is the frequent shutdown that comes along with overheating. 

When this happens the CPU will be automatically lowering its performance, this can result to a slow and a lagging computer. This can happen especially in ageing computers since their hardwares work less efficient compared to a brand new computer. When a overheating takes place it can cause serious damages to your internal components including the motherboard. Without your knowledge the internal components may be overheating and facing irreversible damages.

If no any further action are taken to cool it down it will lead to other safety issues. Therefore it is essential to know the reasons behind overheating so that you can avoid the consequences.

In this article, I will be illustrating the 7 Common Causes of Laptop Overheating. At the end of the guide you will get the clear information on what causes your laptop to overheat.

1. Faulty Cooling Fan

A Cooling fan is a component in a computer which makes sure that the system is cooler. Any kind of damages to the cooling fan may result in hardware failure especially the CPU. 

A CPU has two parts for cooling it down, one is the CPU fan and other is the Heat sink connected to it. While a heat sink may not be efficient in cooling the CPU, a CPU fan plays a major role. Any kind of damages to the cooling fan may result in increasing the temperature of the CPU which will also lead to the damages of other hardware components as well. 

In these events the computer may be shutting down frequently and displaying error messages to prevent damages. It is advisable not to turn on the machine until the entire cooling unit including the fan has been replaced.

2. Clogged Heat Sink

Other than the CPU fan, a Heat sink also plays a important role in cooling down the CPU. The surface area of the heat sink is made up of metal fins which draws away the heat of the processor. 

Overtime dust and other particles might have clogged the heat sink reducing its surface area. This will ultimately lower the cooling power of the heat sink making the CPU to overheat easily.

3. Dried Thermal Compound

A Thermal compound is a creamy paste that makes a bridge connection between the heat sink and the processor. Therefore the main role of the thermal compound is to fill the gap between the heat sink and the processor. 

While the thermal compound may be not efficient enough in transferring the heat as a metal does, the paste has the capability of transfer considerable amount of heat since it is an insulator. Overtime the paste can get dried out making Air pockets present in them. This will eventually lead to unfilled gaps as well as inefficient heat transfer.

4. Advanced Operating System

Apart from Hardware issues, Software issues may also cause your computer to overheat. When more pressure on the hardware is given, quicker the hardware gets heat up. One such cause is the incompatible advanced operating system. 

Many users are reported experiencing heat issues after the upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft Windows 10 does require a mid range advanced PC to run their resources. If your system does not qualify it will start using your CPU more than normal range which will definitely lead to excessive heating.

5. Blocked Air Vents

Air Vents present on the CPU casing and the laptop helps to exhaust excessive heat out of the computer. Generally this can be felt by the user as a hot air blowing when the computer is in use. Overtime dust and other particles might have clogged the air vents.

If you are laptop user unknowingly you might use your your laptop on soft surfaces such as the bed, pillow and the lap. In any of the ways if the air vents gets blocked it will cause hindrances to the heat removal process. This will make the excessive heat to built up inside the computer that leads to overheating.

6. Hot Environment

The Surrounding where the computer has been placed plays a vital role in internal temperature. A computer that has been placed on hot surroundings tends to heat more than the computer that has been placed on a A/C room. 

When the surrounding temperature is extremely high, internal components of your computer is getting heat up than normal. The cooling fan present on your computer has to do a harder job of exhaust this excess heat. The most obvious causes of hot environments are summer months and direct placement of computer under a sunlight.

7. Overcharging Laptop

If you are a laptop user your computer might be using a Lithium ion batteries for charging. Whether it can be any type of battery they have a finite charging cycle. The internal circuits present inside the battery will automatically prevents further charging beyond 100%. 

But in some cases overcharging may cause the chemical reactions happening inside the battery to breakup making them to release heat as a byproduct. This heat is often confused by the user as a heat generated by the laptop itself.