Overheating: Symptoms and Quick Fixes

A room full of gaming PCs generates heat. If your rig starts acting up, check temps.

Symptoms

• Sudden FPS drops (throttling).
• Random shutdowns or reboots.
• Fans spinning at 100% constantly.
• Artifacts on screen (GPU overheating).

Check your temps

• Modern CPUs throttle at 90-100°C.
• GPUs throttle at 83-90°C depending on model.

Tools:

• Windows 11: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) > Performance > GPU to see GPU temperature.
• Software: Download HWiNFO64 or HWMonitor from the local file server.
• Linux: Use the sensors command.

Quick fixes

1. Airflow: Make sure your case fans aren’t blocked by bags, walls, or other PCs. Give it breathing room.
2. Dust: If your filters are clogged, clean them. Ask staff for compressed air (we might have some).
3. Open the side panel: It’s ugly, but it works in a pinch.
4. Check fan curves: Use MSI Afterburner or BIOS to ramp up fans earlier.

Still stuck?

1. Check Known Issues first – if it’s listed, we already know.
2. Post in #support on Discord with this info:
   • Seat number (e.g. Row 4, Seat 12)
   • What’s broken, one sentence
   • What you already tried
   • Screenshot or error message
3. If no reply in 15 minutes, come to the organizer desk.