I'm currently dealing with a Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16IRX9H that has an i9 14900HX CPU, and it's been running in the 97-99°C range and thermal throttling under Windows 11. Lenovo won't be able to help me for a few weeks, and they won't let me apply liquid metal to fix it without voiding the warranty. I'm really worried—how long can I safely operate my laptop at 99°C before it causes irreversible damage to the CPU? I've noticed these high temps creeping up since January.
4 Answers
I would recommend undervolting your CPU to reduce the temps before it gets too hot. If you haven't done it yet, give it a try—it could help mitigate the heat issues. Just remember to do it carefully!
Based on what I've read from Dell and other sources, running your CPU at 95°C is usually the maximum safe temperature, so at 97-99°C, you're definitely pushing it. However, CPUs have safety features like throttling and automatic shutdown to protect against overheating, so you might not be in immediate danger of damage. That said, high temps over time can degrade the CPU life, so keep an eye on your workloads—is it happening mostly when idle or during intense tasks?
Those temps aren't great, but I wouldn't panic just yet. Make sure your laptop’s ventilation is clear; dust buildup can really trap heat. Sometimes a good cleaning can help a lot. If you're up for it, you could take the bottom cover off and blow out any dust that might be stuck in there.
Your CPU isn't likely to fry instantly running at those temps. While you're looking at shortening its lifespan due to heat, as long as it’s thermal throttling, it should be okay temporarily. Just know that this isn’t a sustainable setup. You might want to think about checking its cooling stats once you have a chance.
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