Laptop gets too hot while playing games, but stays cool during CPU and GPU stress tests
Laptop gets too hot while playing games, but stays cool during CPU and GPU stress tests
LissieBear
07-21-2022, 11:53 AM #1I own this Omen-16 with an R7-6800H and a 16GB RAM 1TB SSD. It's brand new, only a couple of weeks old. The CPU reaches around 95°C, while the GPU stays in the 65-74°C range during games – that’s quite intense for a CPU. I adjusted the power settings to cap the CPU speed at 3200MHz. In games, it never went above 80°C, and the GPU averaged 74°C. Power consumption dropped from 65W to 30W under full load, with a 15-20% drop in performance (from 13k to 10k cpu points). Not enough to cause a bottleneck. Even when running Prime95 and Furmark together, the CPU stayed below 85°C (30W draw) and the GPU under 80°C (130-135W). Recently, even with 20% load, the CPU hit 95°C, while the GPU remained around 74°C. The clockspeed stays fixed at 3.2GHz even when idle, unlike before when it changed more often. During stress tests, the CPU never exceeded 85°C. I’m puzzled about why this happens – the fans run max during games or tests, but the clockspeed doesn’t change much.
Xx_Elite102_xX
07-21-2022, 04:28 PM #2CPU hits its maximum rated temperature and might slow slightly, which is typical. In laptops, heat builds up gradually, and gaming usually causes more heat than stress tests. Stress tests and games don’t stress the CPU uniformly—multithread tests affect all cores equally, while games often overload a few cores more. Since AMD CPUs tend to run hotter in hotspots, they might end up with higher temperatures but lower power consumption.
MacManTyler
07-24-2022, 01:45 PM #3I see the CPU hitting TJ max and slowing down—reaching TJ max only at full speed. Even during long gaming sessions, it stays under 85°C after capping the clock to 3.2GHz. Recently, it spikes to 95°C within minutes of games, but never goes above 85°C even with an hour of stress testing. If some cores get more heat, temperatures drop quickly. Could the thermal paste have dried out, or is there a power problem? I recall setting the laptop to high performance in Windows Power Settings and it idled at 90°C.
Cartercarnage
07-31-2022, 12:04 AM #4The simple method to identify issues is to look for changes since then. First, verify if anything is obstructing your laptop’s airflow—dust tends to accumulate, especially when the fan runs at full speed. With pets around, the problem is likely more severe. Using compressed air might help, and disassembly could be needed for serious cases. Also, review any software updates; a game might alter settings or a faulty Windows update could be involved. It’s hard to pinpoint without careful inspection. Lastly, your thermal paste or pads might be faulty, though I wouldn’t expect that to be the main issue. This machine seems nearly new, so if this is true, bring it in for warranty verification—it doesn’t sound normal.
I personally observed the situation – there’s no dust accumulation, which might be due to windows interacting with it. There’s no faulty thermal paste either, since a defective one would likely fail stress tests. The problem seems limited to certain games; I plan to experiment with hardware acceleration settings and others. Thanks!
