As CPUs get more and more powerful, they also generate more heat. Laptops these days are also getting slimmer and don’t always come with the best cooling solutions. Regardless of whether you’re using a laptop or PC, unless you’re cooling your CPU properly, you can face thermal throttling issues easily.
In this article, we’re talking about CPUs overheating and what you can do to fix the problem.
What is the CPU over temperature error?
When your CPU hits a temperature above the safe upper limit, your computer will automatically shut down to protect your motherboard, CPU and other components from physical damage. During these situations, you might see a CPU over-temperature error that indicates that your CPU is running at a dangerously high temperature.
If you see the error once in a while, it’s nothing to worry about. Your computer is just taking protective measures to protect itself. However, if the error keeps popping up frequently, it can indicate a problem with your cooling solution and there’s a chance that your CPU might get permanently damaged.
Also read: What is Undervolting a CPU or GPU? Pros and Cons
How to fix this error?
Here are a few solutions you can try out to fix the problem.
Stop overclocking
First up, if you’re overclocking your CPU, you need to set it back to its default clock speed right away. Sure overclocking can get you higher core speeds and better performance, but prolonged overclocking also generates more heat. If your cooling solution isn’t capable enough to handle the extra heat, you can start running into this error quite frequently and damage your hardware.
Check the heatsink and fans
Another thing you should do is inspect your heatsink and CPU cooling fan to ensure that they’re working as they should. If the CPU fan isn’t working as it should or the heatsink is incorrectly attached, it can cause your CPU to heat up even during normal operations.
Check to make sure that the heatsink is properly installed and that your CPU fan is working properly. Also, make sure that the CPU and other ventilation fans in your computer are running at full speed. Let your computer cool down for a bit before using it again, and you shouldn’t see the error again.
Also read: What is a 65 keyboard? Top 5 65 keyboards
Reapply thermal paste
Thermal paste is a thin layer of thermal compound between your CPU and the heatsink that helps transfer the heat away from your CPU to keep it cool. However, the thermal paste becomes less effective over time and requires changing.
If you haven’t changed the thermal paste on your computer for quite a while, now would be a good time to either reapply it yourself or get a professional to do it for you if you aren’t comfortable opening your PC.
Check your vents
Another thing that can restrict airflow in your computer is dust accumulation in the air intake. If the vents are blocked by dust or other debris, it can restrict airflow inside your PC case or laptop and cause it to overheat. Clean out the air vents with a can of compressed air and let your PC cool down before using it again. This should resolve the error.
Upgrade the cooling
Sometimes your cooling solution just isn’t up to the mark. In such cases, it’s best to upgrade your cooling solution to better handle the heat generated by your CPU. If you’re using fans inside your PC cabinet, upgrading to water cooling can be a great way of getting rid of CPU heat.
If you’re using a laptop, you don’t have a lot of options when it comes to upgrading cooling. However, using something like a laptop cooler or a cooling stand can help solve the problem to some degree.
Also read: How to check CPU, GPU and RAM usage in Windows 11?
