Laptops pack a lot of heat into a very small space, so some warmth is normal. But if the fans are roaring while you're just browsing, the keyboard is uncomfortable to touch, or it shuts itself off without warning, the cooling system isn't keeping up — and heat is one of the main things that shortens a laptop's life.
The good news is that overheating is usually caused by something simple, and most of the fixes are cheap or free.
When it's actually dangerous
If the case is bulging, the trackpad has started to lift or click on its own, or the laptop no longer sits flat, the battery is likely swelling. Stop using it, don't charge it, keep it off soft surfaces and away from anything flammable, and bring it in. The same goes for any burning smell. Swollen lithium batteries are a genuine fire risk — this is not one to push through.
What's normal, and what isn't
Modern laptop processors are designed to run hot. Around 35–55°C at idle is typical, and 80–90°C during heavy work like gaming or video exports is within spec for most chips. Near 95–100°C the processor protects itself by slowing down (“thermal throttling”), and if that isn't enough, the laptop shuts off.
So the number alone doesn't tell the whole story. The warning signs are:
- Fans running loudly while doing light tasks like email or browsing.
- Performance dropping sharply after a few minutes of use, then recovering when it cools.
- Sudden shutdowns, especially under load.
- Hot air barely coming out of the vents even though the fan is loud — a classic sign of dust blocking the heatsink.
Fixes to try, in order
Give it a hard, flat surface
Most laptops pull air in from vents on the bottom. Beds, couches, blankets and laps block them completely. Use it on a desk or table, or a cheap laptop stand that lifts the back edge — it lets more air in and is often worth several degrees on its own. In an Australian summer, the room temperature matters too: a laptop in a 35°C room has far less headroom than one in an air-conditioned office.
Check what's actually using the processor
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and sort by CPU. When you're not doing anything, total usage should usually sit low. If something is constantly using a big chunk — a stuck update, a runaway browser tab, or software you don't recognise — that's heat being generated for nothing. Close it, restart, and if an unknown program keeps coming back, run a full scan in Windows Security.
Measure the temperatures
Free tools like HWiNFO or Core Temp show your processor temperature in real time. Check it at idle and again after ten minutes of normal use. Idle temperatures well above the 35–55°C range, or regular jumps to the high 90s doing light work, confirm the cooling system needs attention.
Blow the dust out of the vents
Shut the laptop down fully and unplug it. Use short bursts of compressed air into the intake and exhaust vents. If you can see the fan through the vent, gently hold it still with a toothpick — letting compressed air spin a fan far faster than it was designed to can damage it.
This clears loose dust, but it can't reach the layer packed into the heatsink fins, which is where most of the blockage builds up.
Check power settings and updates
In Windows, go to Settings → System → Power & battery and try a more balanced power mode instead of “Best performance”. Many laptops also have a manufacturer app (Lenovo Vantage, MyASUS, Dell Optimizer, HP Command Center and so on) with fan or thermal profiles — a “quiet” or “balanced” profile can make a real difference. While you're there, install BIOS and firmware updates from the manufacturer: they sometimes include fixes for fan control.
A cooling pad — helpful, not a cure
A cooling pad with fans can lower temperatures a few degrees, especially on gaming laptops. It's a reasonable extra, but if the heatsink is clogged or the thermal paste has dried out, it's treating the symptom, not the cause.
When it needs a bench clean
If it's still running hot after all of the above, the problem is inside. Over a few years, dust mats into a felt-like layer across the heatsink fins, and the thermal paste between the processor and the heatsink dries out and stops transferring heat. Neither can be fixed through the vents.
The fix is to open the laptop, take the cooling assembly out, clean the fins and fan properly, and replace the old paste. It's very effective — but laptops are fiddly to open, with hidden screws, fragile ribbon cables and clips that break easily, which is why we recommend leaving it to the bench rather than a YouTube video. Our internal clean is listed from $80.00 and a thermal paste refresh from $50.00; we'll confirm the exact price for your model before we start.
We'll also check the fan itself: a fan that rattles, grinds or doesn't spin up is worn and is better replaced than cleaned.
Still running hot?
Bring it in for a proper internal clean and repaste — quoted up front for your exact model.
Mount Evelyn bench · drop-off or pickup across the Yarra Ranges · 0494 434 956