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How to Fix Alienware Overheating or Random Shut down Issues

Summary: Resolve overheating and random shutdown issues on your Alienware system. Know troubleshooting steps, including ventilation tips, BIOS updates, and keep your computer running smoothly.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.

Instructions

What you must know about overheating

The system can become warm to the touch during usage.

  • Using for longer than 10-15 minutes

  • Watching a DVD/Blu-ray

  • Streaming online video

  • Using Flash Content

  • Playing video games

  • Using near a heat source or in a hot environment

Symptoms experienced if the system is overheating:

  • Random shutdowns or reboots

  • The computer locks up or stops responding

  • Fans constantly run at high speed

  • Slow performance

  • The computer is too hot to touch

Troubleshooting overheating symptoms

You can try these troubleshooting steps to reduce the overheating on your system:

  • Make sure the system is in a well-ventilated area

  • Use laptops on flat surfaces to improve airflow. Hard table tops are recommended and avoid using any type of cloth or any other soft material under the laptop

  • For desktop systems, make sure there is enough clearance around the system to allow the air to flow. If the system is in an enclosure, try to move it to a more ventilated area for testing

  • Check that the air vents are clean and that there is nothing obstructing them. See General Maintenance For Maintaining Your Dell Computer for instructions on how to clean your system

  • Update your system BIOS to the latest available in the Dell Support Site

    Note: To learn more about updating the BIOS on a Dell computer, see the Dell knowledge base article Dell BIOS Updates
  • You can reset your BIOS settings to undo any changes that could be causing the system to overheat. See How to restore the BIOS (System Setup) defaults on a Dell Product

  • Disable NVIDIA G SYNC and run a stress test using SupportAssist. Click here to run the CPU stress test when you are ready.

  • Once completed (and if no errors were found),click here to run the video stress test.

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Additional Information

Affected Products

Alienware, Alienware
Article Properties
Article Number: 000179093
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 30 Oct 2024
Version:  10
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