The heat generation in an electronic device is completely fine, and that’s the nature of physics. But when the heat becomes overheated, then the problem will arise.
A computer is an electronic machine so you can expect heat dissipation from it while using it. Today I’m gonna walk you through how to find and fix an overheating computer with causes and symptoms.
What is computer overheating? When the computer temperature reaches 80°C (194F) or above, then the state is called overheating. By adding more CPU fans to the CPU case, the overheating problem will be solved. And fix the faulty ones as well.
Here 80°C is the maximum durable temperature. But it can vary +/- 5°C from PC to PC based on different factors like brand durability, dust, usage, etc.
How can I tell if my computer is overheating?
Before applying the fixes to your computer, you need to make sure whether you have the problem. So, you need to know how to find the overheating issue in a computer.
Check the temperature of the processor so you can take action accordingly.
Download the app Core Temp on your PC and install it. The app will let you know the temperature of your processor. If the processor temperature is 90°C or greater consider your computer is overheating.
Just like the above pic, you’ll find the tab on your screen when you run the core temp app. There you can find the maximum temperature of your computer.
Symptoms of an overheating computer
When a computer gets overheated, it will show the following symptoms.
- Unwanted shutdown – The computer can shut down automatically without your commands or instructions.
- Blue Screen of Death – Continuous Blue Screen of Death appears on your screen
- PC freeze randomly – Overheating can cause the freezing problem on your PC
- The app closes automatically – Work interruption will occur with the sudden app closes
- The monitor screen isn’t stable – Monitor displays the random lines on the screen
When your PC shows these symptoms, it means it is not getting cool enough. Here is the importance of CPU cooling. The first thing you need to do is shut down your PC and wait for some time around 15 minutes to cool down every component on your PC.
You can find more to fix your overheating computer in the coming section. Just swipe for it.
- Useful Read: Computer power consumption
What causes computers to overheat?
The internal resistance of a computer component can produce heat when the current is passing through it. So, almost all the components in a computer can have excess heat.
When compared to other components, the processor in a computer can produce more heat because of its architecture and working mechanism.
However, the processor, RAM, motherboard, hard disk, etc., can produce heat. The following is the list of causes for overheating computers along with the fixes.
👉Lack of proper cooling system –
If a computer doesn’t have proper cooling, then it is the first cause for most of the PC problems like Blue Screen Of Death, Blank Screen, PC freezing, etc.
Fix it: The optimal airflow is the first step that you need to check. Here is a guide to setting optimal airflow direction on your CPU case.
The CPU fans and Stock cooler have a particular lifespan (working period). So make sure they are working well. Replace the faulty ones with the new ones.
You need to install as many fans as your cabinet supports. Especially for gaming computers, I highly recommend it.
👉PC working under overclock mode
The overclocking computer becomes tired and emits overheating. We can talk about overclocking with one completely decent article.
However, you need to know the basic information about overclocking. And you can find it here.
Fix it:
👉Thermal paste needs to re-apply
The thermal paste needs to be fresh in between the processor and the stock cooler. If you have never touched the thermal paste for a long time, then it’s time to have a look at it.
The thermal paste is a simple thing, but it is powerful in controlling the CPU temperature.
Fix it:
If you want to change the thermal paste on your processor, the video guide will help you find out how to do it.
However, you need to have thermal paste in the process, and here is my recommendation. And find how often to replace the thermal paste on your PC.
👉Clean the dust on the fans and stock cooler
Dust is a silent killer of a computer. Dust can damage all the components in the computer.
Each gram of dust on the CPU fan will affect its rotation speed and result in the computer not getting enough cooling.
Fix it:
So, dismantle your desktop computer and clean the dust from all components for better performance.
👉Monitor the battery status of your laptop
The improper handling of laptops will cause battery failure. And a faulty battery can dissipate more heat in laptop computers.
You need to monitor your battery status to find whether the overheating problem is from the battery side. Here is a step-by-step guide to analyzing your laptop battery.
Fix it:
If the battery health is good, that’s ok. Otherwise, replace your faulty laptop battery with the new one.
👉Outdoor usage of the laptop will cause overheating
The laptop is specially designed for indoor and outdoor usage. But when you are using the laptop in outdoor conditions, don’t expose the laptop directly to the sun’s heat. If you do so, the laptop instantly gets overheated and has a chance of burnout.
And the sun’s heat can damage the laptop’s display contrast.
Fix it:
Protect your laptop from the sun’s heat by using a sunshade.
Hope the information on this page helps you to analyze and fix the overheating problems on your computer. If you want anything to share, comment.
