My Dell notebook is getting too hot, what should I do?
My Dell Inspiron 15 keeps making fan noise whenever I open the browser. I already cleaned the dust off the vents, but it's still doing it. Do you think I need to take it in for repair?
My Dell Inspiron 15 keeps making fan noise whenever I open the browser. I already cleaned the dust off the vents, but it's still doing it. Do you think I need to take it in for repair?
First, remove all the junk that builds up inside your notebook, because the dust isn't just on the screen - it clogs the heat sinks and then the fan works all the time trying to cool things down. You can use compressed air (that spray they sell at computer shops) and go over the air intake vents on your Inspiron 15, especially around the sides and back. Do this with the notebook powered off, okay? Most of the overheating cases people complain about are just dirt, and it fixes things pretty well.
Now, if after cleaning it keeps getting hot when you open the browser, the problem might be software. Open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and see which program is eating up processing power - sometimes it's malware, annoying browser extension, or even Windows Update running in the background. If Chrome or Edge is using 50%, 60% of the CPU, then you've got a problem to solve, like uninstalling a suspicious extension or doing a malware cleanup. Also try reducing the open tabs, because browsers these days use a lot of RAM.
If you've cleaned everything, closed heavy programs and the fan is still going crazy, then it could be something more serious like dried thermal paste (the stuff between the processor and the heat sink) or a fan that's broken. In that case it's really worth taking it to a technician, because taking apart a Dell is kind of annoying if you've never done it. But like, 8 out of 10 times it's just dirt, so don't get discouraged.
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