Symptoms of an overheating computer can include excessive fan noise, slowdowns and crashes, random shutdowns and restarts, seeing a “blue screen of death,” and physical components becoming hot to the touch. Some of these symptoms may be caused by other factors, so it’s important to look for a combination to indicate the computer is overheating.
Excessive Fan Noise: Computer fans are designed to keep the system cool; however, if a fan becomes malfunctioning or is working too hard, it can start to make high-pitched whirring or buzzing noises. If a fan is running longer than usual or fans become noisy, this could be a sign that the computer’s temperature has risen beyond what is normal and that the fan is trying to reduce the heat levels back to normal.
Slowdowns and Crashes: An overheated system can slow down and even crash due to the strain the heat puts on the system. This is most likely to occur when the computer is left on for extended periods of time and will result in sluggish performance and freeze-ups.
Random Shutdown and Restarts: A laptop or desktop computer may randomly restart or shut down due to extremely high temperatures. CPUs and GPUs can only operate within certain temperatures, so if the components get too hot, the computer will shut down in order to prevent damage.
Blue Screen of Death: The blue screen of death (BSOD) usually appears when an error related to the operating system has occurred. High temperatures can cause errors within the CPU, which can trigger a BSOD.
Physical Components Become Hot to the Touch: An overheating system may cause parts of the computer to get very hot, particularly the vents, exhaust ports and any external fans. If these areas are too hot to touch, it’s an indication that the computer is not cooling down properly and should be shut off until it can cool down.
It’s important to note that some computers may produce more heat than others. In some cases, this can be caused by poor ventilation or the use of poorly selected components. If the computer is running at higher temperatures than normal, it’s best to check the cooling system and ensure that all fans are functioning properly and that the thermal paste and other components are up to date.