Efficient functioning of your motherboard is important as this hardware is the heart of your PC. But, some users reported that their motherboard overheats without any valid reason.
Generally, a motherboard doesn’t overheat. Only components attached to it will warm up when overclocked.
What you need to know is;
Can overheating damage the motherboard?
Yes. Overheating can damage a motherboard. Overheating bends the small pins of the motherboard leading to major harm. PC hardware is prone to generating heat when you perform heavy tasks such as graphics designing, overclocking, or playing intense games.
In this post, I will be showing you the ways to resolve desktop motherboards overheating. Additionally, I will show you how to lower the Motherboard Temperature and Keep It Cool always.
So, let’s get started.
Overheating Symptoms of Motherboard
If your motherboard, also known as the mainboard gets damaged then your PC is nothing but a box of trash. You won’t be able to perform any task.
As the motherboard maintains a constant flow of data among various components attached to it, the performance of your CPU, RAM, HDD, SSD, VGA cards, or even GPU can slow down due to an excess amount of heat on the motherboard. As a result, your system may face random shutdowns and reboot, burn other components, or even worse.
But how will you understand is Your Motherboard Overheating? Or not.
Here are some symptoms of an overheated motherboard:
- Random Shutdowns and Reboots.
- Loud System Fan Noise.
- Extreme Lag and Slowing PC.
- CPU throttling.
There may be other symptoms as well. But, these four are the major ones. If you are facing any of the four issues, you shouldn’t be careless. Take some precautionary steps to avoid these problems (More on that later) or, follow the section down below to fix overheating issues instantly.
What happens when a motherboard overheats?
In extreme cases, the CPU gets damaged when a motherboard overheats. The lifetime of the motherboard decreases and damages the components and devices attached to it. Overheating results in faster chemical reactions inside electronic components leading to corrosion.
A motherboard is very sensitive due to the small pins. The motherboard connector pins tend to act like inductors. It means that the connectors resist shifts in power drawn from the computer system.
However, the motherboard pins can bend due to high heat. A simple loose and improper connection may lead to a great loss.
You may ask:
How long does a motherboard usually last?
A motherboard usually lasts for 10-20 years if proper care is taken. However, if precautionary measures are not taken and the laptop motherboard overheats, the lifespan could be nearly 4-5 years or even months.
To fix an overheated motherboard instantly, shut down your PC, turn off the main connection and open up your PC case. De Dust your PC case and let the system cool for around 15 minutes.
How to Prevent Motherboard from Overheating
It is necessary to prevent the motherboard from heating. But before that, check the motherboard temperature from the BIOS menu. If you can’t check through the BIOS, check the temperature using a third-party tool.
Enough chit-chats.
Here are the ways to prevent an overheated motherboard:
1. Get motherboards with a good VRM
VRM stands for Voltage Regulator Module. Sometimes known as PPM (Processor Power Module). These modules provide stable voltage to the CPU converting +5V or, +12V to a much lower voltage required for the processor.
Whenever you face BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), sudden PC crash, random shutdowns, that’s a sign of a damaged VRM. You need to pay utmost attention in this case. So, a good VRM motherboard is needed if you want to prevent overheating a CPU.
I have an ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Motherboard which has a good VRM along with a core2 duo processor. This combination maintained a very good temperature for Motherboard (32-42 degrees celsius) and for the processor (40-49 degrees Celsius).
You may ask:
What is the normal temperature of the motherboard?
An ideal motherboard temperature ranges between 20 degrees to 80 degrees Celsius. When your system remains idle, the accepted temperature is 50 degrees Celsius. However, any temperature beyond 80 degrees is considered bad under maximum load.
2. Improve the cooling performance of PC case and CPU
It’s always great to add better or more fans for a proper cooling system. You can install better CPU coolers and heatsinks to the processor and motherboard.
Remember, you must install two fans in a computer cabinet. One will receive the air and the other one will remove the heat.
In the case of inlet fans, dust can accumulate into your fans, motherboard, and any hardware component. So, it will be wise if you clean your PC often.
A good PC case with better airflow management is necessary when you want a proper cooling system. PC cases protect your hardware components and along with that play a major role in influencing airflow in your system.
I do have a Lian Li Lancool 2 Mesh RGB PC case installed a couple of years ago just because my previous case didn’t have a great airflow cabinet. I recommend you buy a mid-tower pc case if you want proper ventilation and a cool system.
3. Check if the Fans are Working
Open up your PC case and ensure that the fans are working. Like I said earlier, you need at least two fans on your PC to keep your system cool. One is the inlet air fan and the other is the outlet to throw the hot air. If any of the fans stopped working, buy a new one immediately without delay.
Also, ensure that the power supply fan is working accurately. You need to replace the power supply if the PSU fan is not working.
4. Underclock your CPU and RAM
PC Enthusiasts love overclocking. Overclocking allows your PC to work at higher clock speeds than usual. As a result, you can perform extensive heavy tasks faster and in an efficient way.
Although overclocking has many advantages, it is one of the main causes of CPU temperature overheat.
Keep in mind that:
Not all motherboards support Overclocking. The same case goes for RAM.
5. Double-Check Liquid Cooling
Liquid cooling systems are much more efficient in terms of cooling compared to air cooling. But the risk of a fluid leak is also to be kept in mind. Heat liquefies the water cooling tubes and may result in a leak of coolant.
If you are using a liquid cooling system, check if the water-cooling pump is working properly or not. Also, turn your device off immediately after you finish working and touch the tubes to check if they are piping hot or moderately hot. You will get an idea of whether your system is overheating or not.
6. Upgrade Your Components
I am specifically talking about the HDD and the GPU here. HDD’s need to rotate and thus it consumes more power and generates more heat than an SSD. Also, a newer GPU produces less heat than an old graphics card.
7. Use a good PSU
Cheap PSUs are the culprits of an overheated computer. Low-quality power supplies fail to provide efficient power to the system.
If you think your PC can run on a low power wattage then consider exchanging a PSU. Because High watt PSU generates more heat and also consumes more power.
8. Tune Up Heat Sinks
The CPU, the heatsink is attached to the motherboard and if the motherboard overheats, the chances of an overheated CPU are maximum.
Reinstall the stock cooler and the CPU. Check if the heatsink is seated correctly. Also, make sure that the thermal paste is good enough. You may need to re-apply the thermal paste if it’s old. Gently place back the heatsink properly.
Usually, those who build a custom PC don’t apply enough thermal paste and thus after years of using the PC, it gets tremendously hot and burns the motherboard.
Why is the motherboard overheating and shutting down?
The two main reasons for an overheated motherboard are overclocking your processor without proper cooling provision. And, the other reason is keeping your processor working for more than 5 hours straight.
Sometimes, your motherboard is overheating and shutting down the PC due to bad airflow, a bad power supply, and accumulated dust on your motherboard. Ensure that the CPU Cooler you are using is free from dust and working properly.
Always remember that accumulated dust can cause a major problem to any of your hardware. So cleaning is necessary on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that:
Keeping your Processor running for six hours is not good because the processor provides a part of it to the VGA unit. As a result, it increases the load of the motherboard. However, the whole system depends on a good power supply unit. Ensure that your power supply is working properly.
Now, Let’s learn some physics, shall we?
When the temperature rises above the threshold, your hardware components suffer loss in electrical conductivity.
Every computer part heats up when used for more than five to six hours non-stop. For heat dissipation, a good heatsink is required. So, clean the heatsink on a monthly basis. I am talking particularly about the CPU heatsink and graphics card heatsink. In the case of laptops, clean the ventilation outlets often.
In short:
Can overheating cause an unexpected shutdown?
Yes, overheating of the motherboard for both laptop and desktop may result in an unexpected shutdown.
Final Words
PC Overheating is obviously a danger when it comes to overclocking CPU, GPU, or RAM. Overclocking results in the production of extensive heat and thus it can damage your system completely.
You can try to water cool your PC. But, I would recommend you to go for air-cooling as it is budget-friendly and also efficient if you are a light user.
Throttle back the overclocking if it started to show high CPU temperature in BIOS.
