BleepingComputer.com: Burnout

So, I'm running a Gateway P-6860 FX http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/gateway-p-...?tag=mncol;rnav And it was running fallout 3 just fine... I needed to use a laptop cooler or it might crash the game back to windows after a while when it got hot... I've got a belkin laptop cooler which has been working fine. http://www.everythingusb.com/belkin_laptop..._pad_13845.html .

Now I've installed the new DLC for it, and it causes my computer to get so hot in 10 minutes or less, that it not only crashes, but shuts my computer down. it feels pretty cool except at one particular vent, where it is hot... but not that hot IMHO....

What are some ways I can fix this, or at the least diagnose what is wrong with it. Its no longer under warranty, so anything I do has to be not stupidly expensive...

Is there a utility that will tell me what the temp of my CPU is.... and why would it start getting so hot now? It doesn't do this with any other games I've tried, but I haven't ran anything as intense as FO3 on it in a while.


Ok... and now I'm trying to play Civ IV and it gets hot and crashes to a black screen, with no options but to hard reset the computer. It doesn't allow me to do anything else... tired Alt-tab, Ctrl Alt Del, Esc, Windows key, etc....

Welcome to bleepingcomputer!

Have you cleaned out the vents in the laptop, or opened it up and cleaned it out?