Overheating components and frequent system failures are occurring.
Overheating components and frequent system failures are occurring.
I've encountered problems with certain games on my Lenovo Legion Y540 laptop (Intel i7--9750HF, Nvidia GeForce 1650, 16 GB RAM). Recently, I attempted to lower the CPU voltage to reduce temperatures, which dropped from 95-97°C to around 80-88°C. However, after two months of playing Apex Legends, my system would frequently crash or display blue screens with various errors. I'm unsure why this happens if I run games without voltage adjustments, as they consistently stay above 95°C.
Ensure the laptop has enough airflow by placing it off the table. My gaming laptop (2020 Asus ROG Strix G17, i7-10750H, GTX 1660Ti 6GB) reaches 95°C on the CPU during about 15 minutes of use. When lifted, the CPU stays around 85°C, rising to 95°C during heavy loads. I use an undervolt setting that stays stable at -65mV, but anything above that risks crashes. Some models use liquid metal cooling, which can degrade over time and cause hot spots. In my case, one core consistently hit 95°C while another stayed near 85°C. After redistributing the liquid, I improved cooling by 17 watts. Gaming laptops naturally generate heat, and avoiding a overheated setup is essential—you don’t want your device resting on your lap.
Typically around -70 mV ensures full stability for many 10750H CPUs. @Markiii owns a 9750HF. The 9th Gen mobile CPUs offer greater undervolting flexibility than the 10th Gen models. The 9750H generally perform well at -120 mV in cache conditions. I recommend beginning tests at -100 mV. The ThrottleStop TS Bench 960M works well for initial voltage adjustments. If the test shows even one error, halt immediately and raise the voltage. Should stability last a few days under regular use, progress to -110 mV then -120 mV. For best results, let your laptop run normally during undervolting sessions. Some users begin with overly aggressive settings and experience crashes before giving up.
If your system is crashing at -100 mV, consider increasing the voltage. Is the TS Bench showing any issues at that level? It's normal for CPUs to need higher voltages over time, which is why Intel begins with excess voltage. Are you intentionally overclocking the Nvidia GPU or adjusting its voltage? Restore the GPU to its default setting if needed.
Adjusting to -90mv shows minimal impact on CPU usage, though I’ll continue testing at -90. I didn’t overclock the GPU.
Tjmax refers to the maximum temperature a CPU can reach. Many laptops are designed to operate around 100°C under normal conditions.