I bought my laptop roughly two years ago, it's a powerful laptop, I can run most new games on a medium setting, but today unexpectedly while I was playing Fallout 3 my laptop shut itself down, which usually mean it's overheating, but my question is why? The only time it's ever done this before was after I was playing Mafia II for too long. Why is it suddenly doing this now? What can I do to stop it from overheating in the future?

When was the last time you dusted it?

Dust and dirt mainly. Cleaning it out can help. Though if you decide to use compressed air to clean it, try to angle it to blow the dust out of the laptop....not further in.

Ninja'd

Edit-Having taken several laptops completely apart to ensure all the dust is removed, if you go that route, make sure that you have several small containers to hold many different types of screws and document where they all go.

Do you have it properly ventilated, like on a table?

A while before my first overheating incident, so a few months. I had figured that was the problem, but as long as this forum exists so does my need to procrastinate.


It's on a desk, it can ventilate fine.

Edit: Is there any specific brand of Gas Duster you'd recommend?

I'd recommend anything you can use inverted, i.e. upside down, because you might need to use it upside down

Replace the thermal paste.