An overheating laptop isn't just annoying — it's actively damaging your machine. Heat degrades components over time and can eventually kill the CPU or motherboard entirely. The good news is that it's almost always fixable, and usually cheap.
Why laptops overheat
The number one cause is dust. Your laptop sucks in air through vents to cool the processor. Over time, dust builds up on the fan blades and heat sink fins, blocking airflow. After 2–3 years of daily use, the cooling system can be completely clogged.
The second cause is dried-out thermal paste. Between the processor and the heat sink, there's a thin layer of thermal compound that helps transfer heat. After a few years, it dries out, cracks, and stops conducting heat effectively.
Signs your laptop is overheating
The fan runs constantly at high speed. The bottom of the laptop gets uncomfortably hot. The laptop shuts down randomly, especially during demanding tasks. Performance drops suddenly — the CPU slows itself down to reduce heat (called thermal throttling). You might also notice the laptop feels slower than it used to, even for basic tasks.
What you can do at home
Don't use your laptop on soft surfaces like beds, sofas, or cushions — they block the bottom vents. Use it on a hard, flat surface. A £10 laptop cooling stand with a built-in fan can help. Make sure the vents aren't blocked by anything. Keep the area around the laptop clear.
You can try blowing compressed air into the vents to dislodge dust, but this only helps with surface-level blockages. The real buildup is deep inside, around the fan and heat sink.
What we do
A full internal clean involves opening the laptop, removing the fan assembly, clearing all dust from the fan blades, heat sink fins, and vents, then applying fresh thermal paste to the CPU and GPU. We test temperatures before and after to make sure it's fixed.
This typically costs £45 for the clean, plus £35 if you want thermal paste replaced (recommended if the laptop is 2+ years old). The whole job takes about an hour and can drop temperatures by 20–30°C. Many customers tell us their laptop feels like new afterwards.
We recommend doing this once a year, or every 18 months for lighter use. Prevention is much cheaper than replacing a heat-damaged motherboard.
When it's more serious
If cleaning and repasting doesn't fix the overheating, the fan itself might be failing (bearings wear out) or there could be a deeper hardware issue. We'll diagnose that too — and we'll be honest if the repair cost doesn't make sense for the age of the machine.