Overheating laptop, ramakins and SIMS

[ian_stanton]

Hi a friend of mine has got a problem with an overheating laptop. To keep it venitilated she props it up with ramekin dishes just so the air can get to the underside. However recently when playing the SIMS 2 the computer is crashing a lot.

She took it to PC world and they just gave her a RAM upgrade, which hasn't helped at all.

Is there anything someone can suggest for this laptop or is it a simple case of using it beyond it's capacity?
It seems to me that diagnosing the root of a problem like this can be a little bit of trial and error. There seem to be two problems, 1 it's getting too hot and 2 it doesn't seem to be able to handle the SIMS 2.

Putting more RAM could have helped (but it didn't really). Maybe a new graphics card would help. Can I change the card in a laptop though? Perhaps the processor isn't up to the job. The machine is quite new though so I don't think this is the case. I presume I can't really do anything about improving the cooling system, (I'm not really experienced in modifying laptop components) therefore I guess I need to aim to stop the machine getting too hot in the first place by changing some stuff.
Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[flanzig1]

Graphics are generally built on board for laptops, though some hi end units do have removable graphics cards but still limited to choices from the maker.
As for the overheating, make sure the fans are working or not set to a no-load setting or some other low speed setting. And forget about possible dust build up.

[blue60007]

What are the specs of the laptop?

[vanquished]

Thats odd, my laptop usually over heats never from game play but because i am an idiot and leave it on my bed. But she doesnt do that. Hmmm.....
This is a weird one, i will consult my other friend when it isnt midnight.
- Jack

[Stuey]

Way back when I used my laptop for everything, SimCity used to make it overheat and crash. I deduced that my computer was running stuff in the background, and it turned out that I had loads of spyware in the background. I cleaned out all the spyware and its overheating ceased.

Although I don't use my laptop too frequently any more, after a few months on the shelf I tried using it again. It overheated quickly. So I popped it open and cleaned the heatsink and replaced the dried out thermal pad with thermal grease. It hasn't overheated on me since, but I wouldn't recommend this process unless the laptop is out of warrenty. If it's a new system, unless it's loaded with spyware, it shouldn't be doing this. Try calling up customer service and see what they say.

[ian_stanton]

Originally Posted by Stuey83 Way back when I used my laptop for everything, SimCity used to make it overheat and crash. I deduced that my computer was running stuff in the background, and it turned out that I had loads of spyware in the background. I cleaned out all the spyware and its overheating ceased.

Thanks for your help