Today, there are many great gaming laptops available in the market that allow gamers to play their favorite video games anytime and anywhere. Moreover, with laptops, users can now play the game in high definition along with many other gaming features. But, unfortunately, some users have reported the issue of laptops overheating while playing the game. Some others experience reduced performance because an overheating CPU lowers its clock speed to escape thermal stress.
Overheating of laptops is a serious problem and you should not take it for granted if it is happening frequently, especially while playing games for long periods of time. Overheating issues can lead to many other problems like laptop crashing, automatic shutdown, overheating while charging, quick battery draining, and more. Below we provide some best practices to solve laptop overheating while gaming.
Best Methods to Fix Laptop Overheating While Playing Games:
- Change your Laptop’s Charger
- Run the Power Troubleshooter
- Modify Your Power Settings
- Use Integrated Graphics
- Update Your Device Drivers
- Restart Your Laptop
1. Change your Laptop’s Charger:
Sometimes, it has been documented that the overheating issue while playing games is caused by the culprit charger. Many users have reported that their charger is faulty and after replacing their laptop charger – their laptop is working perfectly. Make sure to buy a charger from the same manufacturer when you are going to replace your laptop charger because a charger from the wrong company can cause you problems. Getting a branded charger might be a bit expensive, but it will be worth it.
2. Run the Power Troubleshooter:
Run the built-in power troubleshooter that automatically checks for power supply problems and tries to fix them. This is especially useful if an incorrect power configuration is causing the problem or causing battery drainage.
- Open the Settings app using Windows + I keyboard shortcut,
- Click Update and Security, and then click Troubleshoot.
- On the right side of the window, click on Power displayed under ‘Find and fix other problems.
- Now click the Run the Troubleshooter button.
- Wait for the scan to complete. This will resolve any issues identified.
3. Modify Your Power Settings:
Your current power settings may be causing your laptop to heat up while you are playing a game. You can try editing them and see if that helps.
- Open Control Panel.
- Search for and select Power Options,
- In the Power Options window that opens, click Change plan settings displayed next to your preferred power plan.
- Now, click on Change advanced power settings option
- Go to the Processor Power Management section and set a lower value for ‘Maximum Processor Status’and ‘Minimum Processor Status’.
- Click Apply > OK to save the changes.
4. Use Integrated Graphics:
Windows 10 laptops and other gaming devices have dedicated and integrated graphics built into them. So, if your laptop heats up while playing games, then there is a major possibility that the dedicated graphics is the problem. Dedicated graphics consume more power compared to integrated graphics, thus it generates more heat. So, if you are playing hardcore intensive games, this might cause your laptop to overheat.
To solve this problem, you should use integrated graphics as a temporary workaround. Because integrated graphics don’t consume the same power as dedicated graphics, they ultimately generate less heat. But, we cannot rule out the fact that integrated graphics do not offer the same level of performance as a dedicated graphics processor. So, to use these graphics, you have to compromise with your game’s graphics.
5. Update Your Device Drivers:
Again device drivers perform an essential part in device implementation. Especially if you run heavy graphics games, you need to make sure your drivers are compatible and up-to-date.
- Use the keyboard shortcut Windows + x and select Device Manager
- It will display all installed device driver lists,
- Then see, if any devices have a yellow triangle with a shout mark in the middle. The symbol indicates there is trouble with the driver.
- Right-click on each one, select ‘Update Driver Software…’ from the context menu, then select the option that says ‘Automatically search for updated driver software.’
6. Restart Your Laptop:
Restarting your laptop is usually one of the first ways to fix basic problems and it works. Restarting your laptop closes all running apps and background processes and cools down your device and is necessary to keep you from overheating.
Conclusion:
These are some of the methods by which you can stop overheating while playing games on your laptop. Overheating is a common occurrence in gaming laptops, but you can take preventative measures to prevent them from happening. This article provides some of the best preventative measures to keep your device running smoothly and in cold temperatures, increasing its overall lifespan.