Safe CPU/GPU Temperature When Gaming on a Laptop

Last updated on November 30th, 2020 at 01:42 pm

It is no surprise that laptop gaming or heavy usage will definitely cause your laptop to run at high temperatures.

This is to be expected but like with everything, there is a danger zone.

There might be several reasons why your laptop enters the danger zone when gaming. Read on to find out on how to address the laptop if your laptop temperature isn’t normal. Here’s the safe cpu/gpu temperature when gaming on a laptop.

What is The Normal GPU/CPU Temperature Under Gaming?

Temperatures of 70-80 degrees whiles gaming are fine. Anything higher and you have every right to be worried. High temperatures during gaming can cause thermal throttling.

In some cases, it might cause your laptop to shut down as a way of protecting itself.

High temperatures over time can also cause damage to the CPU and GPU.

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Most CPU and GPUs have their maximum temperatures capped at 95 degrees celsuis.

That doesn’t mean you should allow your CPU or GPU to reach such temperatures.

Depending on the manufacturer, CPUs and GPUs have different normal and maximum temperatures.

Here Are Some Tables That You Can Use As A Guide.

Intel Processor Optimum Temperatures

Intel Processor	Average Temperature in Fahrenheit	Average Temperature in Celsius
Intel Pentium Pro	165.2°F – 186.8°F	74°C – 86°C
Intel Pentium II	147.2°F – 167°F	64°C – 75°C
Intel Pentium III	140°F – 185°F	60°C – 85°C
Intel Pentium 4	111°F – 149°F	44°C – 65°C
Intel Pentium Mobile	158°F – 185°F	70°C – 85°C
Intel Core 2 Duo	113°F – 131°F	45°C – 55°C
Intel Celeron	149°F – 185°F	65°C – 85°C
Intel Core i3	122°F – 140°F	100°C
Intel Core i5	122°F – 145.4°F	100°C
Intel Core i7	122°F – 150.8°F	100°C
Intel Core i9	122°F – 150.8°F	100°C

AMD Processor Optimum Temperatures

AMD Processor	Average Temperature in Fahrenheit	Average Temperature in Celsius
AMD A6	113°F – 134.6°F	45°C – 57°C
AMD A10	122°F – 140°F	50°C – 60°C
AMD Athlon	185°F – 203°F	85°C – 95°C
AMD Athlon 64	113°F – 140°F	45°C – 60°C
AMD Athlon 64 X2	113°F – 131°F	45°C – 55°C
AMD Athlon 64 Mobile	176°F – 194°F	80°C – 90°C
AMD Athlon FX	113°F – 140°F	45°C – 60°C
AMD Athlon II X4	122°F – 140°F	50°C – 60°C
AMD Athlon MP	185°F – 203°F	85°C – 95°C
AMD Athlon XP	176°F – 194°F	80°C – 90°C
AMD Duron	185°F – 203°F	85°C – 95°C
AMD K5	140°F – 158°F	60°C – 70°C
AMD K6	140°F – 158°F	60°C – 70°C
AMD K6 Mobile	167°F – 185°F	75°C – 85°C
AMD K7 Thunderbird	158°F – 203°F	70°C – 95°C
AMD Opteron	149°F – 159.8°F	65°C – 71°C
AMD Phenom II X6	113°F – 131°F	45°C – 55°C
AMD Phenom X3	122°F – 140°F	50°C – 60°C
AMD Phenom X4	122°F – 140°F	50°C – 60°C
AMD Sempron	185°F – 203°F	85°C – 95°C

NVIDIA Maximum Optimum Temperatures

NVIDIA	Maximum Temperature in Fahrenheit	Maximum Temperature in Celsius
Titan V	195.8°F	91°C
Titan Xp	201.2°F	94°C
Titan X (Pascal, 2016)	201.2°F	94°C
RTX 2080, 2070 and 2060	201.2°F	94°C
GTX 1080 Ti	195.8°F	91°C
GTX 1080, GTX 1070 Ti, and GTX 1070	201.2°F	94°C
GTX Titan X (Maxwell, 2015)	201.2°F	94°C
GTX 980 Ti	195.8°F	91°C
GTX 1060 6GB and GTX 1060 3GB	201.2°F	94°C
GTX 980	208.4°F	98°C
GTX 970	208.4°F	98°C
GTX 780 Ti and GTX 780	203°F	95°C
GTX 770	208.4°F	98°C
GTX 590	206.6°F	97°C
GTX 1050 Ti and both GTX 1050 (3GB and 2GB)	206.6°F	97 °C
GTX 960	208.4°F	98°C
GTX 670	206.6°F	97°C
GTX 580	206.6°F	97°C
GTX 950	203°F	95°C
GTX 760, GTX 660, and GTX 660 Ti	206.6°F	97°C
GTX 480 and GTX 570	206.6°F	97°C
GTX 750 Ti	203°F	95°C
GTX 560 Ti	210.2°F	99°C
GTX 560 Ti (448 Cores	206.6°F	97°C
Limited Edition)
GTX 470	221°F	105°C
GTX 750	203°F	95°C
GTX 650 Ti	221°F	105°C
GT 1030	206.6°F	97°C
GTX 560	210.2°F	99°C
GTX 460	219.2°F	104°C
GT 740 and GT 740 (DDR5)	208.4°F	98°C
GT 650	208.4°F	98°C
GTX 550 Ti	212°F	100°C
GT 640	208.4°F	98°C
GT 640 (DDR5)	203°F	95°C
GT 730 (DDR3, 128-bit), GT 730  (DDR3, 64-bit), and GT 730 (DDR5)	208.4°F	98°C

AMD Maximum Optimum Temperatures

AMD	Maximum Temperature in Fahrenheit	Maximum Temperature under load in Celsius
RX Vega 64	185°F	85°C
RX Vega 56	167°F	75°C
R9 Fury X	149°F	65°C
RX 580	156.2°F	69°C
RX 480 (4GB and 8GB)	176°F	80°C
R9 Fury	172.4°F	78°C
R9 Fury Nano	163.4°F	73°C
RX 570	165.2°F	74°C
R9 390	150.8°F	66°C
R9 290X	201.2°F	94°C
RX 470	167°F	75°C
R9 380X	159.8°F	71°C
R9 290	201.2°F	94°C
HD 7970	165.2°F	74°C
RX 560 4GB	143.6°F	62°C
R9 380	158°F	70°C
R9 280X (XFX)	158°F	70°C
HD 7950	147.2°F	64°C
HD 5970	185°F	85°C
R7 370	156.2°F	69°C
R9 270X	183.2°F	84°C
HD 7870	163.4°F	73°C
RX 460	147.2°F	64°C
HD 7850	149°F	65°C
HD 6970	176°F	80°C
R7 260X	167°F	75°C
HD 6950	172.4°F	78°C
HD 5870	192.2°F	89°C
HD 7790	156.2°F	69°C
HD 6870	158°F	70°C
HD 5850	168.8°F	76°C
Vega 11 (R5 2400G integrated)	134.6°F	57°C
R7 260	152.6°F	67°C
HD 7770	159.8°F	71°C
HD 6850	179.6°F	82°C
R7 250X	158°F	70°C
HD 7750	154.4°F	68°C
Vega 8 (R3 2200G integrated)	129.2°F	54°C
R7 250	149°F	65°C
HD 5770	190.4°F	88°C
HD 6570	179.6°F	82°C
HD 5670	167°F	75°C
R7 240	185°F	85°C

What causes High Temperatures during Gaming?

Here are a few potential causes of high temperatures during gaming.

Overclocking your CPU/GPU

Overclocking your CPU/GPU is basically making it run faster than it is supposed to it.

An overclock CPU/GPU consumes more power consumed and heat produced. If you have overclocked your laptop.

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And you do not have a great cooling system in your laptop or a cooling accessory, your laptop will run at very high temperatures during gameplay.

Dust

Dust in the laptop or desktop can cause high temperatures in your laptop. Dust blocks the vents of the laptop preventing cool air from getting into it.

Bad Cooling System

If your laptop or desktop doesn’t have a good or great cooling it will struggle to get rid of the heat being produced when under heavy usage. This will eventually result in high temperatures. You might also have a faulty fan which is not doing its job well.

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Laptop Placement

A laptop placed on a pillow or bed is going to have a higher temperature compared to when to it put on a hard and flat surface. The pillow might block the vents of the laptop preventing cool air from getting into it or hot air from escaping.

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Manufacturers

Manufacturers can also be the reason why your laptop is overheating. If the laptop is not properly manufactured you might experience some overheating. Also, some manufacturers purposely block vents of a laptop for some weird reason.

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An example is the Acer Predator Helios 300 (the black and red model) which is popularly known to have high temperatures when gaming. Another example is the AMD A-series chips which were also known to have high temperatures when being used.

Room Temperature

The higher the room temperature the higher the temperature of your laptop.

How To Reduce High temperatures during Gaming

Here are some few ways you can solve your high-temperature problem

Undervolting

Undervolting is reducing the amount of power consumption in a laptop. By decreasing the amount of power consumed by the CPU or GPU you will be able to reduce the amount of heat produced.

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Effectively reducing the risk of your laptop running at high temperatures. If you decide to go down this route make sure you check expert guides.

Thermal Pasting

Thermal pasting is a great way to deal with high temperatures. Thermal pastes are used as an interface between heat sinks and heat sources by eliminating air gaps or spaces.

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Therefore maximizing heat transfer. Better heat transfer allows heat to be conducted away very quickly.

Cleaning Your Laptop or Desktop

Cleaning your laptop once in a while will great rid of dust blocking the air vents. Allowing cool air to get into the laptop.

Get a Cooling Pad/Chill Mat

A cooling pad/chill mart can help in reducing high temperatures.

Get Your Manufacturer To Replace Or Fix It.

If your warranty covers it or hasn’t expired get your manufacturer to give you a replaceable or fix the problem.

By far this is the best problem if your manufacturer provides top-notch service.

How To Monitor CPU/GPU Temperatures during Gaming

There are several software utilities you can measure your CPU/GPU temperature. Some are free others you need to pay.

Here are the free software utilities you can use to monitor your CPU/GPU during gameplay.

Intel Extreme Tuning Utility

Apart from monitoring your laptop’s system, you can use it to overclock and stress a system.

It is novice-friendly and can also be used by experienced gamers and enthusiasts. It is not compatible with all Intel CPUs make sure to check before downloading it.

MSI AfterBurner

A quite popular software. The MSI Afterburner is a completely free software that you use to monitor your system including temperatures.

The MSI Afterburner also allows you to overclock your GPU and it is compatible with all graphics card brands.

You can download it here.

Ryzen Master

The Ryzen master is used to overclock Ryzen processors from AMD. It allows you to tailor performance to how you want it by creating up to four custom user-profiles.

It also monitors your per-clock rates and temperature (average and peak).

You can download it here.

Nvidia Control Panel

The Nvidia control panel is already included when your laptop has an Nvidia dedicated graphics card.

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You can monitor your temperatures, voltage and adjust create custom profiles to maximize system stability and performance.

What Temperature Should my CPU and GPU be?

The highest temperatures your CPU and GPU should ever reach is 90 degrees Celsius. Anything higher and you are setting your laptop or desktop up for problems and throttling.

What Temperature Should Laptop CPU Run at?

At most 90 degrees Celsius. Applying a good amount of thermal paste and undervolting is enough to let the laptop CPU run at appreciable temperatures.

What Is A Good Temperature For GPU Whiles Gaming?

60 – 90 degrees Celsius is a good temperature for GPU whiles gaming. Anything higher and you might experience crashes, GPU throttling, etc.

Negative Effects Of High Temperatures When Gaming

Crashes

High temperatures can cause your laptop or PC to crash unexpectedly. Blue screen of death or a random shutdown is an example if your laptop or PC gets too hot.

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Reduced Lifespan of Laptop or Desktop

Components running at high temperatures have the tendency to wear out faster. If temperatures are always very high during gaming. You are subjecting it to a high amount of stress that slowly destroys it in this case heat.

Final Thoughts

You should never let your PC or laptop run at high temperatures. Because of the damage it will sustain and reduction in lifespan. Moreover, you will experience performance drops and crashes.

Always make sure your laptop is running cool if you want to keep it for a long time. That’s it on the optimum cpu/gpu temperature when gaming.