Laptop Operating Temperatures: What's Safe, What's Not, and What to Do

Laptops take a bunch of high-performance computer hardware and cram it into a tiny space. This, of course, can cause some heat problems if a laptop's cooling is not running at 100%. In this article we'll take a look a close look at laptop operating temperatures.

Introduction

Laptops cram the power of a desktop computer into a chassis that is roughly a quarter of the size of your typical desktop computer. This, of course, is what makes a laptop portable. But cramming so much hardware into a small space has some disadvantages, and laptop operating temperatures is one of them.

Generally speaking, a laptop has a much harder time shedding excessive heat than a desktop, and is much more sensitive to environmental factors. For example, it isn’t very likely that you’ll end up roasting your desktop computer because it was sitting on a blanket, but you just might do that if you try to use your laptop in your lap on a cold winter’s day.

Many users wonder just how hot their laptop can get before it becomes dangerous and also how they can monitor the temperature of their computer. This guide will provide easy-to-understand advice about laptop operating temperatures.

How High Can Laptop Operating Temperatures Go?

Laptops consist of numerous components that are sensitive to heat. The most sensitive components are the processor, the GPU and the motherboard (particularly the northbridge and/or southbridge).

The maximum operating temperature of these components can vary significantly, but those maximums are not something that we want to have to deal with anyway, as exceeding them will almost certainly result in component failure. Long-term reliability issues and data corruption can take place at far lower temperatures.

For processors, a temperature of higher than 70 degrees Celsius (158 F) is worrisome. A temperature of over 80 degrees Celsius (176 F) is a sign that you should immediately stop using the laptop. These rules can be extend to motherboard components (however, many laptops don’t have sensors that track motherboard temperature).

GPUs can often tolerate higher temperatures, sometimes near 100 degrees Celsius (212 F). It would be preferable for the temperature to never reach much beyond the mid-80s, but high-end gaming laptops are almost guaranteed to report very high GPU temperatures during normal operation.

What Causes High Laptop Temperatures?

Improper usage is probably the most common cause of high laptop operating temperatures. Because laptops are small there is less space inside them and on their exteriors for fans and vents. Many laptops have only one major fan vent, often located on the left or right side. Accidently blocking this vent can cause problems. High laptop operating temperatures can also be caused by using a laptop on a surface that is an insulator. The “lap” in laptop implies that it should have no problem sitting on your laptop, but that isn’t always the case. A blanket-covered lap is terrible for a laptop’s health.

Design flaws can also cause laptop operating temperatures to rise. If you’re using a laptop on a simple wood, metal or plastic desk with the vent free of obstruction and you still see high temperatures it may be because something is wrong inside the laptop. Try searching support forums for your laptop to see if other users have the same problem. Also call customer service to see if they’ll fix the problem under warranty (they should).