Laptop overheating and noisy: cleaning and thermal paste

The laptop roars like a plane, the bottom is hot, and games or work start lagging. In most cases there's one cause: the cooling system is clogged with dust and the thermal paste has dried out.

How laptop cooling works

The processor and graphics chip pass heat through thermal paste to copper heat pipes, and the fan blows air through a heatsink and out of the case. If the heatsink is clogged with dust and the paste has turned into a dry crust, heat can't escape, so the laptop overheats and throttles itself.

Signs it's time for a clean

the fan is loud all the time, even on simple tasks;
the case is hot around the keyboard or underneath;
games and heavy apps slow down after 10–20 minutes;
the laptop shuts down by itself under load;
almost no air comes out of the vents.

How often to clean

Once a year for a normal laptop.
Every 6–12 months for a gaming laptop or if you have pets.
Thermal paste is replaced with every full clean, or every 1–2 years.

What not to do

A vacuum cleaner or a can of compressed air through the vents: some dust comes out, but the main felt stays on the heatsink inside, and the fan over-spins and can be damaged.
A laptop stand helps, but doesn't fix a dirty heatsink.
Using it on soft surfaces like a blanket, bed or your lap blocks the intakes underneath.

What happens at the repair shop

The technician opens the laptop, removes the cooling system, cleans the heatsink and fan, removes the old paste, applies new thermal paste and replaces thermal pads if needed. After reassembly they check temperatures under load.

What else to do in the same visit

While the laptop is open, it's easy to fit an SSD instead of an old hard drive or add RAM. It noticeably speeds up even an old laptop. More: laptop upgrade.

More about the service: laptop cleaning and thermal paste. Send your laptop model on Telegram and we'll tell you the timing and price.

Laptop overheating and noisy: when it needs cleaning and new thermal paste