I have a Legion laptop with a 10th-generation i7, RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and a 240Hz OLED display. My previous laptop had an RTX 4060, a Ryzen 7 processor, and 16GB of RAM, but it sometimes felt smoother. After uninstalling the manufacturer's control software and switching to Legion Toolkit, things improved, but I'm still having performance problems in Minecraft and Apex Legends.
While gaming, the CPU reaches around 104°C and sometimes uses 60–125W or more, while the GPU is only using roughly 60–70W. HWiNFO also reports package thermal throttling. Is the CPU power draw too high, and what settings can I change to reduce temperatures without causing major performance loss?
3 Answers
Modern high-end mobile CPUs can run very hot, especially in a thin laptop. Minecraft can also heavily load one or two CPU cores, particularly when the frame rate is unlimited, so the processor may boost as hard as possible even when the GPU is not fully loaded.
Cap Minecraft and Apex to a sensible frame rate, such as 120 or 144 FPS, rather than letting them render hundreds of frames. This can noticeably reduce CPU heat with little practical difference on a 240Hz screen. You can also try disabling aggressive CPU boost or setting the maximum processor state to 99% as a test; this reduces peak clocks, though it may lower performance in CPU-heavy games.
The newer RTX 5070 and Ultra 9-class CPU are much more powerful than the older RTX 4060 and Ryzen system, so higher power consumption is expected. However, sustained temperatures near 104°C and thermal-throttling flags are not something to ignore. Make sure the laptop is plugged in, the correct GPU mode is selected, and the bottom vents are not blocked by a soft surface.
Start with power limits and frame-rate caps before changing advanced settings. If it still reaches the thermal limit at only about 45–55W CPU power with the fans running hard, check for dust buildup or a cooling-system problem rather than simply allowing more power.
The HWiNFO reading indicates that the CPU is thermal throttling, and the package power can spike extremely high when the processor boosts aggressively. In Legion Toolkit, try Balanced or Quiet mode instead of Performance, then set a sustained CPU limit around 45–55W and a short-term limit around 60W if those controls are available. A more consistent clock speed is usually better for gaming than repeatedly boosting, overheating, and throttling.
Also set a more aggressive fan curve, clean the vents, and use a stand that lifts the back of the laptop. If the machine is older or the temperatures remain around 100°C even at moderate power, the heatsink contact or thermal paste may need inspection.
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