Computer Overheating

[Alyssa3]

Hello,

My gaming laptop has been overheating constantly and always shuts down randomly because of this. The task manager shows that it only uses 10 percent CPU, but the fan sounds like it’s working harder than it should. This only seems to happen on my main account and not on my admin account. Is there any way to fix this?

[David H. Lipman]

Use compressed air and "blow out" the the cooling fins as well as all orifices along the notebook.

Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_duster

 

Edited October 31, 2018 by David H. Lipman
Edited for content, clarity, spelling and grammar

[Alyssa3]

I did this last night but my computer is still running hot...

[David H. Lipman]

What is the make and model of the laptop ?

Are you using it on a flat, hard, surface or on a cloth ?

 

[Alyssa3]

My laptop is an MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro 15.6’’ and Im using it on a hard flat surface.

[David H. Lipman]

Since you have indicated that the laptop is on a flat surface and the system has been cleaned of dust obstructions using compressed air, there there are a couple  of possibilities...

• The first is that there may be a BIOS (  laptop firmware ) update that may improve the ability of the system to use the fan to cool the system.
• The second is that there is an obstruction or a fan problem that is physically inhibiting the fan from cooling the system.

When the system is warm and is in-use, do you feel warm air flowing from the systems cooling fins or can you physically see the fan moving or hear it ?

If the fan does work, when it is "on" does the notebook vibrate ?  It is possible that a cooling fan blade has broken off diminishing its cooling capability.

 

Edited October 31, 2018 by David H. Lipman
Edited for content, clarity, spelling and grammar

[Alyssa3]

I can definitely hear the fan moving when my system gets warm. My notebook vibrates very slightly when the fan is in use, but I can only feel it when I touch the notebook.

[David H. Lipman]

Most laptop fans are very well balanced and you don't feel a vibration from them.  Many laptop cooling fans can have 12 or more fan blades and the loss of one can cause it to become eccentric when spinning and thus cause it to have a slight vibration when running.

I suggest bringing the laptop in for maintenance.

[Alyssa3]

How do I check for a BIOS update?

[Firefox]

 

1 hour ago, Alyssa3 said:

My laptop is an MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro 15.6’’ and Im using it on a hard flat surface.

How do I check for a BIOS update?

You can find drivers for your MSI on the manufacture's page and enter your exact model number there to get download that are for your specific model.

https://us.msi.com/support#support_download

[David H. Lipman]

Specifically...

https://www.msi.com/Laptop/support/GS63VR-6RF-Stealth-Pro.html#down-firmware

It shows...

Version:  16K2EMS1.109

Release Date: 2017-03-20

 

A way to find out what BIOS is on  your laptop is to run;   DXDIAG.EXE

I ran it on my Laptop and it shows the results in the red outlined box (  below graphic ).  It shows I have installed ver: A20 ( version A20 ) which matches what is on the Dell web site for my laptop's latest BIOS.

 

When you run;  DXDIAG.EXE you are looking at something other than 16K2EMS1.109  to require an update.

 

 

 

NOTE:  Update comes as a ZIP file.  We won't discuss it until we actually know it is needed.  Frankly, I am not sure that this would be a solution for you.

 

Edited October 31, 2018 by David H. Lipman
Edited for content, clarity, spelling and grammar

[exile360]

It could also be that the thermal compound that connects the heatsink to the CPU has gotten old/dry and needs replacing.  If that is the issue, unless you're very comfortable building/disassembling computers (particularly laptops in this case), I'd highly recommend taking it to a PC repair technician or someone who is used to performing such tasks and ask them to take a look at it or getting it serviced by MSI if it is still under warranty.

You also might need to actually disassemble the laptop to fully remove the dust etc. that has accumulated in the fans, blowing them out from the inside out rather than from the outside in (you need to see the space between the fins and the light passing through them to know they're actually clear, which you cannot do while the laptop is fully assembled).

There's also the possibility that the thermal compound needs replacing; a definite possibility given the system's age (it's a 6th gen Core i-7 based system, so it's likely at least as old as 2016 if not a bit older containing an Intel i7-6700HQ 2.6Ghz CPU and an NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB dedicated GPU with a 1920x1080 resolution screen).  The CPU is the most likely culprit, especially since NVIDIA deliberately binned the parts for Pascal based (10 series, like your GTX 1060) mobile graphics cards to ensure lower TDP/heat/power requirements while maintaining desktop GPU performance levels (I have the same graphics card in my own laptop and it definitely runs cooler than my CPU and runs faster than a stock desktop GTX 1060 out of the box thanks to NVIDIA's policy for the Pascal laptop parts).

If the system is heavily overclocked that could also account for it.  It is a gaming system after all, and many such systems come from the factory overclocked out of the box so checking the MSI software included for controlling the clock speeds of the CPU and GPU wouldn't be a bad idea as well as checking the settings in the system's BIOS as others mentioned above to see if it is heavily overclocked and maybe dial it back a bit or even undervolt it (undervolting can allow for maintaining the same high clock speeds while using less voltage resulting in less heat during operation, though how much and whether you are able to undervolt depends on the quality of the chip you got in your laptop which is a direct result of what is referred to as the "silicon lottery" which basically means the quality of the die in your CPU based on where it was in relation to the center of the wafer when it was printed/created; sounds weird, I know, but basically not every CPU is created equal, even ones with the exact same model number/branding/part number etc. and some run a bit cooler and more power efficient than others, providing more overhead for overclocking and undervolting while others are less flexible).

If all of that is way over your head, don't worry about it.  You can contact MSI Support and seek their assistance with the heat issue as well and they will be able to assist you step by step in what you need to do or they'll offer to fix it for you, assuming it is still under warranty, or you have the option of taking it to a reputable PC repair technician as I mentioned.