How to Keep Your Windows 10/11 Laptop Cool While Gaming?

Overheating is one of the major issues users face when playing resource-intensive games.

Even though you may be using gaming laptops, you can experience this issue because of two main offenders: the CPU and GPU.

These hardware units work tirelessly to render graphics, which produces massive heat. So, if you don’t have an effective ventilation system, the heat builds up, which can cause your laptop to overheat.

If you don’t address this quickly, it can affect the laptop’s performance and may cause permanent damage. Here’s how to keep your laptop cool while gaming.

Causes of Windows 10/11 Laptop Overheating While Gaming

We’ve all been so carried away in the intense heat of gameplay that we forget how much we’re putting our computers through. Every gamer has been there and experienced the rude awakening of overheating. Sometimes it’s a sharp decline in performance, other times, it’s a blue screen of death.

But the high temperature problem can happen for several reasons. Here are the major ones causing your Windows gaming laptop getting too hot:

• Too many running applications

Your Windows 10/11 gaming laptop can suddenly heat up because of excessive load. Your laptop will become hot if it runs more applications than the processor or graphics card can handle. You can fix the excessive load problem by reducing the number of apps running in the background.

• Limited space for all components

Laptops are meant to be mobile; as a result, there’s little space for all the components compared to a desktop. All this hardware compression into a small surface area makes it easy for the device to get heated. This can happen especially when performing resource-intensive tasks like playing games, running code, or streaming your favorite television series. Even though your laptop’s internal fans will try to cool everything down, this may not be enough.

• The air vents are blocked

Your gaming laptop has air vents on the sides or bottom through which hot air escapes and cool air enters, helping to reduce internal temperature. The vents can become covered if you place the device on a soft or uneven surface like your lap, pillow, or bed. This can reduce or block airflow to the vents.

• The fans are obstructed

Gaming laptops generally rely on their fans for cooling. If these fans are obstructed in any way, shape, or form, the device’s ability to cool down will take a significant hit. Dust, dirt, hair, and grime are the main culprits of fan blockage.

• Thermal paste is no longer working

Thermal paste is a glue-like substance that manufacturers add to the central processing unit (CPU) to help it stay cool. If thermal paste isn’t properly applied, it can cause the system to overheat excessively. You may need the help of a certified professional to check this.

• The hardware is old

When things become old or overused, they get hot quickly while in use. An old battery, graphics processing unit (GPU), or random-access memory (RAM) may not be able to handle decent system operations like before and might need to be replaced.

Related: Upgrade GPU on Laptop: All You Need to Know

Is It Normal for a Gaming Laptop to Get Hot While Gaming?

Gaming laptops are tailor-made for game lovers, coders, and graphics professionals because they pack a lot of high-performance components in a portable chassis.

The CPU and graphics card produce heat, especially since they’re all crammed in a small space. Therefore, it’s normal for your gaming laptop to get hot during gameplay.

If you experience temperature spikes when you’re running around in modern and graphically demanding titles, you have nothing to worry about. Everything is fine if your PC’s specs can handle the game and you don’t see anything above 100°C. For larger laptops with more space, 85°C to 90°C is within the normal temperature range.

My old MSI laptop now hovers steady around 85 to 94°C, which is okay for its slim form factor.

However, if your Windows 10/11 computer just about meets the game’s minimum requirements, expect significant overheating.

This can, in turn, cause FPS drops and other performance-reducing issues.

In the next section, we’ll discuss how to keep your gaming laptop cool.

Further reading: Essential Rules: How to Stop Your Laptop from Overheating Now and Forever

How to Keep Laptop Cool While Gaming: Real-Time Fixes

The solutions in this article will explain how to cool your laptop down while gaming with methods that reduce heat in real time. I’ll also throw in tips on preventing issues that may cause overheating in the future.

First step before you start

It’s always a good idea to monitor your CPU and GPU temperature while gaming. The information displayed on your screen tells you when your computer is reaching unsafe heat levels. That way, you can allow the system to cool off and avert imminent dangers.

The image below shows MSI Afterburner’s on-screen display showing a laptop’s temperature levels and FPS while running Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Solution 1: Restart your PC

Restarting your laptop is the first thing you should do in such a situation. It can help resolve some temporary conflicts that are causing overheating.

It’s often effective and could be all that’s required.

Follow these steps:

• Turn off the PC and unplug the charger.
• Remove the battery (if it’s not built-in).
• Give the computer some time to cool down.
• Press and hold the power button for about 20 seconds.
• Put back the battery and connect the charger.
• Turn on the PC.

Try playing your game and see if the overheating continues. If it does, then try the next solution.

Expert tip: Computer Keeps Restarting: How to Fix?

Solution 2: Use Task Manager to end tasks with high resource usage

Coupled with the resource-intensive nature of the game you are playing, certain background programs can hog the CPU and other system resources and thus add to the problem.

As a result, your computer begins to overheat. You can end these background tasks to reduce the system load and see if the overheating will abate.

Here’s how to keep a gaming laptop cool by shutting down demanding apps:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Task Manager. Alternatively, press the Windows key + X and select Task Manager.
• Under the Processes tab, check the apps and processes that use massive system resources. Right-click on each and select End task from the context menu.

Do you know which are the most demanding PC games of 2024?

Solution 3: Run the Power troubleshooter

Using the Windows Power troubleshooter is another way to control your laptop’s temperature during gameplay. The tool checks for power-related problems that may be causing your CPU or GPU to draw too much power.

Here’s how to run the utility on Windows 10:

• Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
• Select Update & Security once the Settings app opens. 
• Go to the left side of the page and select Troubleshoot.
• On the Troubleshoot page, select Additional troubleshooters.

• On the Additional troubleshooters page, you’ll see a list of troubleshooters.
• Scroll down to Power, select it, and click Run the troubleshooter.

The Power troubleshooter will scan for possible issues and automatically fix detected errors.

Solution 4: Change your power plan

With Windows 10/11, you can choose from several different power plans. The system uses the Balanced power plan by default, balancing battery life and performance.

The Best performance power plan on your laptop could cause the device to overheat.

Under load, the CPU temperature should ideally remain within safe levels when the balanced plan is activated. However, the Best performance could make it hotter.

To choose the plan, open the Settings app, select System > Power & battery, and choose Balanced next to Power mode.

Also read: Simple Guide: How to Restore Missing Power Plans Options on Windows

Solution 5: Undo overclocking

If you’ve overclocked your CPU, graphics card, or any other component on your PC, it’s most likely the cause of the overheating problem.

Since increasing the clock rate of your system components makes them perform more operations per second, it produces additional heat.

Therefore, you must change the clock settings to their default values to stop overheating.

But if the problem persists, consider setting the clock value below the default.

Although underclocking will cause reduced performance, it also lowers the energy consumed and, subsequently, the heat produced.

Solution 6: Update your device drivers

You need to make sure your drivers (especially the graphics card drivers) are compatible and up to date.

Here’s how to update your drivers manually:

• Type “Device Manager” in the search bar and click on it.
• Check the devices with a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark at the center. The sign means there’s a problem with the driver.
• Right-click on each one and select Update driver.
• Select Search automatically for drivers.

Windows will download the updated driver for the device, if there’s one, and install it. After the update, restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.

Solution 7: Change maximum CPU performance

You can prevent your CPU from reaching its maximum settings to reduce how much heat it generates. This method involves modifying your current performance plan through the Control Panel.

Here’s how to cool down your laptop while gaming using your advanced power settings:

• Type “Edit power plan” in the search bar and click to open.
• Click the Change advanced power settings link to launch the Power Options window.
• Navigate to Processor power management.
• Set a lower value for Maximum processor state (for instance, you can set it to 95 if it’s 100) and Minimum processor state.

Solution 8: Use your integrated graphics card

Gaming laptops have a dedicated and integrated graphics card. The dedicated graphics card is used when performing hardware-intensive tasks to ensure efficiency and balanced performance.

However, it uses more power and thus produces more heat. When the cooling system is insufficient or the room is not well-ventilated, your PC overheats while playing games.

As a workaround, consider using the integrated GPU instead.

Although the performance won’t be as good as with the dedicated GPU (meaning that you might not get the best gaming experience), it doesn’t use as much power and produces less heat.

You can set the integrated GPU as the default processor through the Control Panel of your dedicated graphics software (such as NVIDIA or AMD).

Follow these steps if you use an NVIDIA card:

• Right-click your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel from the context menu.

• Click Manage 3D settings in the left pane.
• Now, go to the right side of the window and select your integrated graphics card under Preferred graphics processor.

You can also go through the Settings app to specify the graphics card to run an app’s graphics rendering:

• Right-click your desktop and click Display settings. 
• Scroll down and select Graphics under Related settings.

• Now, click the app (you can use the search bar or Browse button to summon the program) and select Options.

• Choose the graphics card.

However, if you don’t wish to go along with this workaround, consider getting an external cooler (such as a cooling pad) and use your laptop in an air-conditioned or well-ventilated room.

Related: Windows PC Guide: How to Set GPU as Primary for Apps and Games?

Solution 9: Limit your FPS

More frames per second means a more enjoyable gaming experience. However, it could also be why your laptop is overheating, as the game tasks your hardware resources.

Try setting your FPS to a lower value. For instance, if it’s 100, you can set it to 60. Doing so will reduce the strain on your graphics card and the heat produced.

Here’s how to limit your FPS:

• Launch your game and go to the settings area. If you’ve started gaming, you can press Esc or the pause button and select Settings or Options.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

• Switch to the display or graphics settings tab, depending on the game you’re running.
• Scroll through the options and set a limit next to the FPS limit entry.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

• Apply your changes and return to the game. In some cases, you may have to restart the game for changes to take effect.

Solution 10: Use lower graphics settings

Just like FPS, your game’s graphics settings can take a toll on your CPU and cause it to produce more heat than it should. This issue happens when your computer falls within the range of the game’s minimum requirements instead of the recommended specifications. Most games run at medium settings at default, but it’s possible that you may be running the highest settings and cranking up your thermals.

Go to the game’s settings interface and choose the medium settings. You can press the Esc button on your keyboard or tap the pause option on your controller, and then click Settings or Options.

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

If your computer’s specs are close to the game’s recommended system requirements, you can try out High settings (but not Ultimate or Ultra-high).

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

If your computer still struggles with those settings, reduce it further by choosing the Low or Medium option.

In most cases, you can have custom settings where you set individual graphics settings like shadows, anti-aliasing, and environmental details to reduce the burden on your CPU and GPU.

Solution 11: Change your fan speeds

Your fans will cool your computer more effectively when they spin faster. It is also possible that the overheating issue is due to relatively slower fans. Thankfully, you can use fan control software to speed up your fans. Most gaming laptops come with built-in programs that help gamers monitor and control fan speeds. This way, they can keep their computers quieter or cooler.

Solution 12: Replace your charger

If your laptop begins to overheat when you plug in the charger while playing games, it could be that the charger is faulty.

To check if this is the case, try using a different one and see if the issue will continue. Also, ensure your charger is the right one for your laptop.

If it doesn’t have the correct specs (wattage, output voltage, and so on), it’ll cause overheating and may damage your laptop.

Solution 13: Check your laptop condition

If you want to address your laptop’s overheating issues, there are several things you should look into:

• While playing games (or any other time, as long as your computer is turned on and running), ensure the room is well-ventilated. It’s preferable to play your games in an air-conditioned room. This will keep your PC from heating up.
• Make sure that the laptop is kept on a clean, flat surface. If you’ve placed it on a soft surface like your bed, sofa, or pillow, the airflow gets hindered, and the temperature rises due to inadequate cooling. The fans also collect dust and dirt and aggravate the heating problem.
• Your laptop is bound to collect dust over time. Therefore, if you notice that it overheats too often, you need to clean out the dust accumulated in the fans and vents.
• You should also consider using external cooling fans to boost your airflow and reduce heat generation.
• You may need to visit the official repair center to get your laptop checked by an expert and avoid voiding your warranty. The expert could also help you determine whether you need to replace your cooling unit or replenish your CPU’s thermal paste.

How to Cool Down Your Laptop While Gaming: Maintain Optimal Performance

These simple but effective solutions can help keep your gaming laptop at safe temperature levels even when playing demanding titles.

Remember to allow your laptop to cool off once in a while when it starts getting too hot. You should also stay away from high graphics settings that can fry your CPU.

Head to the comments section to share your laptop gaming experience and how you keep the heat down.

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