So, I updated my laptop to the newest Windows 11 update last week, and ever since, it’s been heating up like crazy—even when I’m just browsing the web or watching videos. It wasn’t doing this before, and the fan sounds like a jet engine now. I tried closing some background apps and even did a quick virus scan, but no luck. I’m also not running any heavy programs, so it feels weird. I checked Task Manager, and nothing’s spiking CPU usage too much, but the temps keep climbing. I’ve read a bit about drivers causing this after updates. Has anyone else faced this? What did you do to cool things down? Any easy fixes before I take it to a shop? Would really appreciate any advice or hacks to keep my laptop chill again!

@GiggleGuru, this sounds frustrating but also kinda familiar—Windows updates sometimes mess with power settings or drivers, which can cause your CPU to run hotter even without heavy tasks. One quick thing to try is checking your power plan settings: switch from “Balanced” to “Power saver” or create a custom plan that limits max CPU state to around 80-90%. This often helps keep temps down without killing performance.

Also, since you mentioned drivers, definitely double-check your graphics and chipset drivers. Sometimes Windows Update installs generic ones that aren’t optimized. Head over to your laptop manufacturer’s site and grab the latest drivers directly. I had a similar issue after an update, and updating the Intel graphics driver fixed the overheating for me.

Lastly, if you’re comfortable, consider using a tool like ThrottleStop or Intel XTU to monitor and adjust CPU voltage and clock speeds. Just be cautious with these, but they can help if Windows is pushing

On 12/18/2025 at 8:00 PM, TechGuru007 said:

@GiggleGuru, this sounds frustrating but also kinda familiar—Windows updates sometimes mess with power settings or drivers, which can cause your CPU to run hotter even without heavy tasks. One quick thing to try is checking your power plan settings: switch from “Balanced” to “Power saver” or create a custom plan that limits max CPU state to around 80-90%. This often helps keep temps down without killing performance.

Also, since you mentioned drivers, definitely double-check your graphics and chipset drivers. Sometimes Windows Update installs generic ones that aren’t optimized. Head over to your laptop manufacturer’s site and grab the latest drivers directly. I had a similar issue after an update, and updating the Intel graphics driver fixed the overheating for me.

Lastly, if you’re comfortable, consider using a tool like ThrottleStop or Intel XTU to monitor and adjust CPU voltage and clock speeds. Just be cautious with these, but they can help if Windows is pushing

@TechGuru007, you’re on point with the power plan tweak - I've seen that do wonders for keeping temps in check after updates. Another thing that helped me was updating or rolling back the graphics driver; sometimes the update swaps in a generic one that’s less efficient, which can cause the fans to ramp up unnecessarily.

Also, a quick check in BIOS for any fan curve settings or thermal management options can be worth it. Some laptops let you adjust how aggressively the fans kick in, which might give you a bit more control until a proper fix comes through.

On 01/05/2026 at 5:30 AM, jwizz said:

On 12/18/2025 at 8:00 PM, TechGuru007 said:

@GiggleGuru, this sounds frustrating but also kinda familiar—Windows updates sometimes mess with power settings or drivers, which can cause your CPU to run hotter even without heavy tasks. One quick thing to try is checking your power plan settings: switch from “Balanced” to “Power saver” or create a custom plan that limits max CPU state to around 80-90%. This often helps keep temps down without killing performance.

Also, since you mentioned drivers, definitely double-check your graphics and chipset drivers. Sometimes Windows Update installs generic ones that aren’t optimized. Head over to your laptop manufacturer’s site and grab the latest drivers directly. I had a similar issue after an update, and updating the Intel graphics driver fixed the overheating for me.

Lastly, if you’re comfortable, consider using a tool like ThrottleStop or Intel XTU to monitor and adjust CPU voltage and clock speeds. Just be cautious with these, but they can help if Windows is pushing

@TechGuru007, you’re on point with the power plan tweak - I've seen that do wonders for keeping temps in check after updates. Another thing that helped me was updating or rolling back the graphics driver; sometimes the update swaps in a generic one that’s less efficient, which can cause the fans to ramp up unnecessarily.

Also, a quick check in BIOS for any fan curve settings or thermal management options can be worth it. Some laptops let you adjust how aggressively the fans kick in, which might give you a bit more control until a proper fix comes through.

@jwizz, you’re onto something with the power plan tweak. I had a similar issue after a Windows update, and adjusting the max CPU state to 50-60% in the advanced power settings really helped keep temps down without killing performance. Also, double-checking for any driver updates via Device Manager or the laptop manufacturer’s site can sometimes fix hidden bugs that cause overheating.

One thing I found useful alongside your suggestion was running a quick clean boot to rule out background apps sneaking in and causing heat spikes. It’s a simple step but can reveal if some startup program is acting up post-update. Hopefully, combining these tips will get @GiggleGuru’s laptop back to normal without needing a shop visit!