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Checking if my laptop gets too hot when it sits there by itself

Checking if my laptop gets too hot when it sits there by itself

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xXAutumnFoxXx
Member
60
09-10-2026, 09:50 PM
#1
I just upgraded my storage by swapping an old hard drive for a fast solid-state drive on my 2020 Legion 5 and copied all the files over. When I tested both drives with CrystalDiskMark, the original one was burning up at over 70 degrees Celsius right away after turning it off, even sitting there idle. But the new SSD stayed cool, around 40 to 45 degrees. When I took the battery out and opened the metal case to check the old drive's brand, nothing strange happened that could cause such heat. Even adding a new thermal pad and heatsink didn't help much. If I accidentally broke the hard drive, or if something is broken in the laptop itself after the swap, I tried moving it into an external box with another 970 Evo SSD. The old one was still hot to the touch inside that case too. Now I'm confused. Since I copied my OS file from the old drive to the new boot SSD, maybe the software is broken? Or did the laptop's M.2 slot or something else start acting up after the upgrade?
X
xXAutumnFoxXx
09-10-2026, 09:50 PM #1

I just upgraded my storage by swapping an old hard drive for a fast solid-state drive on my 2020 Legion 5 and copied all the files over. When I tested both drives with CrystalDiskMark, the original one was burning up at over 70 degrees Celsius right away after turning it off, even sitting there idle. But the new SSD stayed cool, around 40 to 45 degrees. When I took the battery out and opened the metal case to check the old drive's brand, nothing strange happened that could cause such heat. Even adding a new thermal pad and heatsink didn't help much. If I accidentally broke the hard drive, or if something is broken in the laptop itself after the swap, I tried moving it into an external box with another 970 Evo SSD. The old one was still hot to the touch inside that case too. Now I'm confused. Since I copied my OS file from the old drive to the new boot SSD, maybe the software is broken? Or did the laptop's M.2 slot or something else start acting up after the upgrade?

B
BunnyTeam1234
Member
64
09-10-2026, 11:40 PM
#2
The "metal plate" is just a piece of plastic on top of your M.2 NVMe drive to help it get cold. If you bought the right part, it will stick tight and move heat away from the drive. But if the part wasn't installed properly or bent, there won't be any good contact and no cooling will happen. When using an external box, the drive goes slower than it does inside your computer because there are no other things like CPUs or GPUs making noise. You could try putting a little thermal pad between them to stop heat buildup, or you might have to buy something called an M.2 heatsink that fits into your laptop.
B
BunnyTeam1234
09-10-2026, 11:40 PM #2

The "metal plate" is just a piece of plastic on top of your M.2 NVMe drive to help it get cold. If you bought the right part, it will stick tight and move heat away from the drive. But if the part wasn't installed properly or bent, there won't be any good contact and no cooling will happen. When using an external box, the drive goes slower than it does inside your computer because there are no other things like CPUs or GPUs making noise. You could try putting a little thermal pad between them to stop heat buildup, or you might have to buy something called an M.2 heatsink that fits into your laptop.