What Is Making My Laptop Hot?
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 10:42 am
My laptop tends to get hot at the very front. The main air vents are towards the back, and the battery is at the back too. That all stays cool.
I assume the CPU and GPU are both in the front, but sometimes I feel heat with no apparent cause. I have a program to measure CPU temp, so I know when that temp goes up, but sometimes I’ll feel substantial heat while just surfing the web or doing homework.
What would be causing heat when I’m not working my CPU and GPU very hard?
(Also, when I plug my desktop speakers into the audio jack at the front, that tend to cause heat I find….why?)
Category: Audio Surf
January 26th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
It depends on the laptop. Usually at the front are the RAM Modules. These tend to get hot. Either that or it could be your WLAN (WiFi) module. It’s the same on my computer
It can almost NEVER be the GPU or CPU. Though these two components produce a significantly higher amount of heat, they are almost always located within close contact of the fan and heatsink else your computer would fry. The fan and heatsink module are rather large, so these tend to be placed toward the back where there is space to vent the air.
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Otherwise, Sounds normal to me. Right now, my computer is running at 53C CPU and 66C GPU. It’s been like this since I got it, and it’s the same with everyone else who has a laptop that I talk with.
Laptops tend to get warm after a bit of use, so it’s pretty normal. This is because they have poor air circulation in comparison to desktops. A laptop may have a fan, but the compact casing forces components to be closer together and impedes the flow of air. There is much more room in a desktop, and the fan can be more powerful.
Your computer should register around 55 Degrees Celsius during idle/normal use (could be higher or lower depending on season and surrounding temperature) and 75 Degrees Celsius during intensive use like gaming (should not get too much higher than this in any circumstance). If it’s way over this value (around 85-100) you will need to get your laptop checked. If your computer shuts down because it gets too hot, then that might be a sign. It automatically does this to prevent any heat damage.
To see if your laptop is seriously overheating, try using some free online diagnostic tools that monitor CPU temperature and such, like this one: < < http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php >>
Here are my practical suggestions about any temperature problems:
#1. Check that you are not blocking any of the fans/vents while you are using the laptop. This is a very simple but common mistake. I even put some thick cup coasters under my laptop (while on my desk) to make sure it has some extra ventilation.
#2. Dust out the fans/vents once in a while with one of those cans of AirDuster. The buildup of material blocks any cool air from getting into the laptop.
#3. Check whether the fan is running!
#4. Do not use the CPU as intensively – run less programs at one time.
#5. Buy a laptop cooling pad if you want to be sure to keep yourself and your laptop cool. Or be thrifty and run a fan nearby with a few books to prop the bottom of the laptop up.
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Do not use ice/water/any fluids to cool down your laptop unless you have a professional liquid-cooling system (which tend to be expensive and are a bit more elaborate than needed for everyday purposes). You might get water into the circuitry and fry it.
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If it’s a little warm, you need not worry. Of course, parts will wear down over time, but computer parts have a pretty high threshold for heat and use. Only if you run the parts at the brink all the time will you have a problem.
It might burn you, but the heat builds gradually. You’ll be able to tell when you feel uncomfortable that its not safe to leave it on your lap anymore. Other than that, there should be no serious effects. A laptop is not radioactive.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
How hot exactly like what temperature?
Most laptops are alot hotter than desktops because of the tiny cooling systems which is also why their life expectancy is much less.
January 27th, 2010 at 4:31 am
A: Your Hard Drive is located near the front, they get warm.
B: It is your RAM that is getting hot.
January 27th, 2010 at 6:56 am
There might be an electrical problem, or maybe you have too many programs running at the same time.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:42 am
probably using it
January 27th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
sounds pretty normal to me. you’ll always feel some kind of heat that it will generate when its not idling.
January 27th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Its simple. The laptop is a closed unit (Compact) it doesn’t matter how many vents it has the Battery, CPU, and GPU will always create Heat. The more you use it the worse it gets also the longer you use it. The fans reduce the Heat but they start to work overtime when you have it on after a while. Also when there isn’t enough air flow under the laptop it just has the heat bounce right off and back up. If you want to see what I mean leave the computer on and flat on a Table/Desk then in a couple of minutes move the laptop and feel the Table/Desk it will be Hot. Also the more you attach items such as Speakers and other peripherals its going to stress the laptop even more meaning it will stress the components which will make the laptop Hot. I recommend you purchase a Laptop Stand or a Laptop Cooler. The Stand will elevate the laptop allowing air to circulate underneath it and the cooler will pull the heat out and lower the Temperature drastically. Its never good to have a Hot laptop because the components will die sooner and will make you purchase a new laptop. If you have any other questions feel free to contact me.