Share via

Overheating Problem - closed lid - unplugged to power

Anonymous
2021-07-12T20:43:29+00:00

Hello,

I have a Surface 3 Laptop and I notice a strange overheating behavior when the laptop lid was closed. It has happened to me in the past but never so badly.

I finished my work and closed the lid as I usually do and put the laptop in my backpack.

3 hours later I opened the backpack to get the laptop and surprise! the fans were at full power and the laptop ... I needed a towel so I could take it out of the backpack, because it was very hot.

My question is, what would have happened the first time?

  • battery running out?
  • components melting?
  • irreparable hardware damage?
  • kboom?

I find it weird that I couldn't touch my laptop because it was too hot, it actually made a weird cracking noise when I opened the lid.

Other details:

Surface Laptop 3

Windows 10 (21H1, version 19043.1083)

The laptop had the lid closed (normally it should have been on standby) and tucked in the backpack, so it wasn't connected to anything.

Surface | Surface Laptop | Performance and maintenance

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

12 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2021-07-13T20:23:44+00:00

    Thanks for keeping us posted, A. Margescu.

    If this issue on your device happens while not connected to power, then it's potentially due to it's software and applications running in the background.

    If a Windows application or service uses lots of CPU resources for an extended period, the processor will get warm. That is expected and normal, regardless of what brand of computer you're using. You should use performance monitoring tools to determine what is causing the high CPU utilization. Also, the faster the processor, the warmer it can become. When an i7 processor is under high utilization, it will become warmer than an i5 processor, which in turn will become warmer than an i3. Devices can also be warm to the touch or fan run for variety of reasons like application is consuming CPU resources and CPU is throttling. You can view apps with heavy utilization on the Task Manager. You can adjust how you want your CPU to perform, by selecting the battery icon on the task bar and adjusting the power mode. Setting the power mode to Recommended throttles the CPU and helps keep it running cooler with less need of assisted cooling. In the meantime, make sure your device is updated and has the latest drivers and firmware. Follow the steps below to do so:

    Hope this helps.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2021-07-12T22:21:40+00:00

    Thanks for reaching Microsoft Community, A. Margescu. We're sorry to learn about this issue on your device.

    Surface devices adhere to all laws and guidelines related to temperature and thermal. You can refer to public information on adherence at Safety Information . See the sections called “Heat related concerns” and “Heat related concerns for wearable devices” and follow it's guidelines on how to prevent and handle the heating issue on your device.

    However, if you still feel the device too hot to the touch, you can always request a replacement. For further assistance, kindly contact Microsoft Surface Support to seek exchange options for your device. If you're located outside United States, see Global Support.

    If this answers your question, please let our Community know by marking this post as an answer. Otherwise, don't hesitate to respond to this thread if there’s anything else that needs to be addressed.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments