Fix Motherboard Overheating – The PC case has several vents, heat sinks, and fans to decrease heating as much as possible. But even after so many precautions, your system can overheat. And it could be overwhelming.
Even more worrying is the motherboard overheating situation as the fans and heatsinks constantly cool it down.
There can be several reasons, from simple dust accumulation to faulty circuitry, for the excessive motherboard temperature rise. But you don’t have to worry about that. You can easily fix most of these problems and get your system back to normal.
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Why is my motherboard overheating?
It is quite normal for the processor to heat up. But when you get an alarm that your motherboards overheated, your head might itch.
It is very rare for a motherboard to overheat. But it’s not impossible. There are several causes for exceeding the normal temperature. Let’s look at some of them.
Dust accumulation
One of the most basic problems is the accumulation of dust on the motherboard. We simply clean the casing from the outside and forget that the inside could also be contaminated.
When dust accumulates on the board, it can clog the pores of the heat sink or prevent the fan from working properly . This can result in inefficient cooling and the motherboard could start to overheat.
Defective fan
Your computer has at least 2 fans to provide a cooling effect, even if it is basic . A fan is mounted on the processor to cool it. Another is located on the back of the case that reduces the temperature of the entire system as a whole.
If the fan on the back is not working properly, the motherboard may overheat. A faulty cable, incorrect or loose connection, or a damaged fan could be the reason.
Low or excessive number of fans
As we mentioned earlier, every system has at least two fans which may not be enough. If you are a heavy gamer or use power-hungry programs, these two fans will not be enough to cool your PC . You will need a case that can accommodate more fans and all the fans must work.
Likewise, if the number of fans is excessive and the airflow is not managed properly, it could also result in inadequate cooling. The cross breeze from each fan may interfere and your motherboard will not receive the required cooling effect.
Read Also: Does Motherboard Matter for Gaming in 2024?
Air-conditioned room
If you’re going somewhere with a warmer climate or have a relatively warm room, then you’re not the only one suffering. Fans, no matter how efficient, will only circulate hot air back to the motherboard.
Therefore, the internal components may overheat during use in such conditions, causing the motherboard to rise in temperature.
Overclocking your processor
If you love to tweak your system settings and have overclocked your PC to make it faster, then it may be the reason for your motherboard overheating problem.
Your system may not be designed to handle the extra effort required for overclocking. It can cause various parts to rise in temperature, causing the motherboard to overheat.
Faulty power supply unit
A faulty power supply or PSU can cause several problems in a system . It could overheat, damage connectors, and increase the temperature of the motherboard.
If the connectors are also not in good condition, then you might have shorted some parts. This will eventually result in not only overheating but also complete damage to the motherboard.
Compact housing
If you have chosen a smaller case to accommodate your computer hardware, it may also be the reason for the higher motherboard temperature.
A compact case cannot provide sufficient air circulation for a fan. You must have felt that a laptop is hotter than a desktop computer . It is due to its compactness.
If you have such a case, it can heat up the internal components and therefore the motherboard
Read Also: What to do with Old Computers?
Incorrect reading
If you received the alarm of higher motherboard temperature from the application on your PC, then it could be that the program has not worked properly. The program could have been corrupted by some error and display an incorrect reading.
Damaged heat sink or broken circuit
Sometimes the problem may be bigger than expected. The electronic circuitry inside the motherboard may have been damaged. Or, the heat sinks provided on the motherboard may be physically damaged.
If the thermal filler and paste in the sink are broken and insufficient, then the motherboard will overheat.
Now that we have known the cause of the problem, let’s move towards its detailed solutions.
How do I fix an overheated motherboard?
As you learned the causes, you must have realized that most of the problems can be easily fixed. Your computer just needs a little care from you and it can be as good as new.
Now let’s learn how to fix motherboard overheating issue without delay.
Clean your PC thoroughly
If you see dust accumulated inside your CPU case once you open it, now is the time to clean the system properly. You will find an effective way to clean the CPU case below.
- Disconnect all cables and external hardware like power supply, VGA, USB, etc. of the system.
- Take the casing to an open, clean place.
- Unscrew the nuts that hold the housing cover on both sides.
- Remove the fan, RAM, hard drive or SSD, video card, and all removable hardware.
- Use a blower to blow air through the case to keep it free of dust.
- Use a soft cleaning brush to remove any dirt stuck to the components.
- Clean the removed components carefully without causing any damage.
- Assemble the hardware and the entire system in an organized manner.
- If possible, bundle the cables and manage them properly using cable ties.
- If you think your system needs extra cleaning, you can find more ways to clean your PC.
I would not recommend doing this process yourself if you are a laptop user. You could cause more damage. You need to contact the nearest service point to clean a laptop.
Cleaning clears the pores and helps the heatsink and fan work properly and will prevent the motherboard from heating up.
If it doesn’t work, let’s move on to another solution.
Replace and add the optimal number of fans
Another cause of motherboard overheating that we mentioned earlier was the failure of the cooling fan.
If you found that your fan is not working as it should, you should repair or replace it immediately. You will see the process to do it below.
- Open your case cover.
- Run the computer.
- Observe if the fan is working properly.
- If it doesn’t work, try unplugging and reconnecting the cable connected to the power source. It is mainly a Molex type cable connected directly to the power supply for the case fan.
- Remove the fan by unscrewing the nuts on the back if reconnection does not work.
- Find or measure the size of the fan and get a new one of the same size.
- Connect the power cable to the Molex connector on the power supply.
- Insert another cable that regulates the speed to a port on the motherboard labeled chassis fan 1.
- Check fan operation.
When connecting the fan, you should also consider your computer usage. If you are a heavy user, you should purchase a case that can accommodate more fans.
Also, you should also not overshoot the fan so that the air from all the fans gets churned up and doesn’t work at all. You should position the fans so that some fans draw air into the system from one end and the rest exhaust air from the other end.
This will create an excellent cooling effect and help your motherboard cool down. Check if the issue has been resolved.
Keep room temperature and use an open area
As we talked about the effect of ambient temperature, you should not use hot rooms to operate your system. Likewise, your computer requires adequate ventilation to operate without heating more than the limit . If the room is hot, the CPU fans will circulate the same hot air and it will make no difference.
If you can’t get more fans, it’s best to open both case covers for proper ventilation.
Therefore, you can resolve the issue by following the instructions below.
- If you can adjust the temperature in your room, reduce the temperature that is right for both you and your system.
- If possible, use a cooler room. You can also use fans while working on the computer.
- Place your PC in an open area in the room. Do not place it under the compact cabinet or desk.
- Be sure to blow off the dust at regular intervals.
This will provide a cooler air supply and will eventually cool down your motherboard.
We also recommend using a larger case with enough space and more room for fans instead of a compact one.
If you use a laptop, you should use a hard surface to place its bottom so that airflow can occur properly. You should not use soft surfaces such as a bed to operate the PC.
Check if the problem has disappeared. If not, let’s move on to another solution.
Stop or reduce system overclocking
Overclocking demands a large amount of power from the system. You need to be sure that your PC can handle the overclocking requirement. If the system is not capable of overclocking, you must revert the settings to normal.
Let’s follow the way to set your default settings.
- Power on your system.
- Press F2, F12, Esc , Del or the recommended key repeatedly to open BIOS setup.
- Look for the Load Defaults option and the key associated with it.
- Press the key and select OK.
- Find a Save and Exit key and press it.
- Your BIOS settings will be changed to default.
Inspect if disabling the overclocking function prevents the motherboard from overheating.
Change power supply and damaged hardware
A faulty power supply can do more harm than good. If you experienced a sudden reboot or shutdown on your system along with overheating, you may have a faulty power supply.
You should consider changing the power supply and replacing it with a good one. Additionally, you should also replace damaged hardware if it is replaceable.
Follow the steps to change your power supply.
- Remove all connections to your system.
- Disconnect the power supply connectors from the motherboard and hardware.
- Unscrew the pins from the back of the power supply.
- Remove the power supply from inside.
- Get a new one and insert it from inside the case.
- Tighten the screws.
- Attach the connectors back to the motherboard accordingly.
- Disassemble damaged hardware.
Check if the problem is still there.
Change thermal paste
Have you seen the back of your processor ? If you are a desktop user, you may have found white paste under the processor or even other hardware. This paste is called thermal paste that regulates the temperature of the hardware.
Your system will be accompanied by said paste from the first moment. However, it will start to disappear and your processor or hardware will start to heat up.
Therefore, you should change the thermal paste if a heating problem occurs. You just need to turn off the power, disassemble the hardware and apply the paste.
To apply thermal paste to your processor, follow the procedure below.
- Open the case cover of your CPU.
- Unscrew the CPU fan placed on top of the motherboard.
- Remove the fan cable connected to the motherboard.
- Take out the fan and unlock the metal bar that holds the processor in place.
- Take out the processor and clean up the remaining paste.
- Apply the new thermal paste carefully.
- Reassemble the hardware into place and screw the fan back on.
Run your computer for a while and see if the problem is resolved.
Update your BIOS settings
Sometimes the BIOS may be buggy in the version you are using and may be causing the board to malfunction. Your motherboard manufacturers provide updates to fix such errors and the next update might resolve them for you.
You should opt for a BIOS update in this situation. But, remember, updating the BIOS is very risky and can damage your PC permanently.
However, you don’t have to worry. You can find several safer ways to update the BIOS in this comprehensive guide.
After completing the update, make sure the issue is resolved.
Use a cooler
If the motherboard still gets hotter than the threshold, you can always use a cooler or cooling pad for a laptop user.
Get the best cooling pad available in your vicinity and place it under your laptop while you work.
Check temperature measurement app
Are you sure your motherboard is really overheating ? If you are on a desktop computer, you can simply touch the motherboard after receiving the alarm.
However, on a laptop, it is quite difficult to tell if the board is actually overheating. It may be hot in the normal amount and the temperature measurement application in your system may have given a false alarm.
You should consider seeing if the app is working properly or not. Troubleshoot the app or simply disable and re-enable it . You can also uninstall and reinstall the app if your system allows.
Finally, see if the app shows a similar higher temperature or not.
If nothing works, you probably have broken heatsinks or faulty circuits or you received a damaged product from the seller. If this is the case, you need to visit the nearest service center to fix the issue