Dell Precision 3551 Overheating

Our team believes the overheating can be due to one of these reasons: the dried up or degraded thermal paste, build up of dust and hair in the cooling implements, high GPU/CPU work loads, the Intel Dynamic Tuning is missing or out of date, or possible battery or electrical fault (safety issue).

This trouble shooting page may help you understand why the laptop is overheating and  what to do to fix it.

Thermal paste is a thick silver liquid that is used to help transfer heat away from components such as the CPU. Over time, this paste can dry up causing heat to be trapped on the chips.

Solution: 

• Carefully remove all elements surrounding the CPU including the cooling elements and identify if the thermal paste is dried up.
• If so, use a paper towel dampened with high-concentration isopropyl alcohol to wipe away all of the paste. Replace with about a pea sized amount of new paste and spread evenly across the CPU.

Any laptop has a cooling system that utilizes a fan, meaning any air intake for the cooling process may also include human hair, pet hair, dust, crumbs, etc. Due to these foreign objects, a fan may be hindered from performing its intended task.

Solution:

• Disassemble the bottom cover of the laptop with caution and check for any dust and/or hair build up.
• If any build up is spotted, gently remove the fan and heatsink and use some sort of soft brush to remove any dust/hair. Once this is done, place the fan and heatsink back as well as the bottom cover.

Running applications or multiple programs simultaneously can cause the CPU and GPU to generate excessive heat. High-performance tasks can increase the processor usage and overwhelm the laptop’s cooling system.

Solution:

• Close and unnecessary applications and background processes to reduce CPU and GPU usage.
• Use a task manager to identity resource programs and adjust power settings to reduce heat generation.

Missing or outdated Intel Dynamic turning drivers could prevent the laptop from properly managing the processor’s performance and temperature. Incorrect power management settings may cause the CPU to take more power and generate less heat.

Solution:

• Be sure to update your drivers regularly from the intel website.
• Use the dell website to see the ideal power management settings.

A faulty charger and/or power adapter can lead to the laptop generating excess heat and lead to future battery issues. Damage from a defective battery may generate excessive heat and be a safety risk.

Solution:

• Be sure to use official dell chargers as off brand ones will lead to overheating.
• If the battery seems swollen, puffy, or smoky follow the battery replacement guide.