Is your gaming PC too hot? If it is, you may wonder how warm it should get since extreme high temperatures might signal something is wrong. Here is a guide to help you understand how warm your gaming PC should get and what you can do to keep it cool or at its optimum working temperature.
A PC should be set at around 70 degrees while gaming. Usually, that is the average amount of temperature that is very safe to use. On the other hand, the normal CPU temperature while gaming is between 142° F and 164° F (61° C and 73° C).
10 Ways to Prevent Your Gaming PC from Overheating
1. Ensure the Fans Are Working
Fans play a very crucial role in cooling down the PC. For instance, there is always the need to check and ensure that the fan works in good condition. This can be confirmed by listening to if there is a whirring sound in motion, if you can feel the fan’s vibration, and by checking if there is movement. If the fans are not working, they need to be replaced.
2. Avoid Programs that Consume a Lot of Power
You must avoid running programs that consume a lot of power on your PC. Usually, when the programs run, there is a lot of power being used. This, in turn, makes your computer heat up more than required. Hence, to avoid overheating, it would be best to avoid running such programs.
3. Turn Off Your PC
One of the easiest ways to prevent your PC from overheating is by turning it off. Usually, this method is among the easiest and most efficient. The advantage of turning it off is that the PC will rest, and upon booting, there will be a cold start, which would have cooled it down.
4. Keep Software Updated
Updating software doesn’t only increase speed and efficiency but also has a very great impact on reducing overheating. Usually, old operating systems and some drivers might be unable to reduce heating. Therefore, there is always a need for updates to be done when the need arises.
5. Give Your PC Some Breathing Room
Giving your system an allowance for free air circulation is very crucial. Usually, the PC needs a place where the air can circulate properly. For you to achieve this, it is essential that you put your PC away from obstacles at least 3 inches away. This will help the system perform better, thus reducing overheating.
6. Clean Your Fans
As you know, fans play a major role in ensuring that your PC is not overheating. Many times, there are high chances that dust particles enter the fan system. Therefore, thorough cleaning is recommended to make the fans work better. With that, there will be higher chances of reducing the overheating of your gaming PC.
7. Upgrade the Fans
When the fans are still new, they are more likely to perform well. However, their efficiency begins to reduce after some time, making them unable to achieve the desired tasks appropriately.
To prevent your gaming PC from overheating, you can always consider upgrading or replacing the fans to improve its performance.
8. Get Water Cooling Kits
When gaming, you will notice that it will emit a lot of heat. At this point, the fans might not be able to perform that much better. For instance, it would be best if you installed a water-cooling kit. This kit is very safe to use, and it is highly recommended. So, to prevent that much temperature, one remedy is to do that technical installation.
9. Close Unnecessary Tabs
Multi-tasking your PC is one of the things that can make it overheat. Multitasking can be done by opening many tabs and letting them run in the background. This makes your PC get drained and thus speeds up overheating. Therefore, if you want to prevent this, it would be best if the unused tabs were closed.
10. Re-Apply Thermal Paste
Thermal paste is usually used to coat different components of the system. However, it plays a great role in preventing temperatures from exceeding the desired levels. As time goes by, the paste fades off. To make it perform as it used to, it is recommended that you re-apply the paste again.
Warmth of Your Gaming PC Based on Temperature
1. 40 Degrees
Is 40C good for the CPU? Yes. That is a very good temperature for your CPU. Usually, 38 is the lowest. However, temperatures ranging from 40 to 50 aren’t bad after all.
2. 80 Degrees
Is 80 degrees while gaming hot? Yes. Temperatures should not exceed 176°F (80°C) since there will be a risk of overheating. Therefore, any temperature exceeding 80 degrees is too hot and not recommended.
3. 85 Degrees
Is 85 degrees hot for the CPU? Yes. As mentioned, any temperatures exceeding 80 degrees are considered super-hot. Therefore, it would be best if you regulated the temperatures.
4. 90 Degrees
Is 90 degrees normal for the CPU? Yes. Ninety degrees is normal. Usually, a CPU can handle up to 100 degrees.
The given temperatures also answer the question: what is a bad temperature for a PC?
How Hot is Too Hot for the CPU?
Seventy-five degrees Celsius (167 degrees Fahrenheit) is the temperature that your processor should not exceed.
What GPU Temp is Too High?
95 degrees Celsius is a dangerously high GPU temperature and may cause thermal throttling.
The average GPU temperature while gaming is 149 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Typically, that is the optimum temperature range. A good CPU temperature should range between 40 and 65 degrees Celsius.
Between 82 and 88 degrees is the normal temperature for a laptop while gaming.
How Can I Tell If My PC Is Overheating?
You can tell that your PC is overheating if:
1. The system responds slowly.
2. The fan noise is excessive.
3. There is CPU throttling.
4. The system boots up but shuts down automatically.
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