Any · Maintenance

Fix a PC that overheats and fans like a jet engine

Loud fans usually mean dust, not a failing fan. A clean-out often fixes half of all 'my PC is slow' tickets.

Before you start

Low risk. This change is reversible — you can return to the previous state without professional help or data loss.

Never use a vacuum cleaner. The nozzle generates static as air rushes past it, and static is what kills components — compressed air or an anti-static blower only.
Keep the can upright and work in short bursts. Tilt it and you spray freezing liquid propellant straight onto the board.
A laptop is not this job. The heatsink sits behind the fan and reaching it means most of a disassembly — if blowing through the vents doesn't help, that's a workshop afternoon, not a Sunday one.
Still hot after a thorough clean on a machine over about five years old? The thermal paste has dried out. That's the actual fix, and no amount of further dusting substitutes for it.
Don't open the power supply. Its capacitors hold a dangerous charge long after the plug comes out — clean it through the grille from outside and leave the case sealed.

Power off and unplug. Open the case side panel
Blow dust out with compressed air in short bursts (PSU first, then fans, then heatsink fins)
Hold fan blades still while blowing — spinning them backfired can damage the motor
Reseat RAM and check for loose cables on the way back in
Reassemble, boot, and check temps in HWiNFO64

Fans are quieter under normal use and HWiNFO64 shows lower CPU/GPU temperatures than before cleaning.

Temps and fan noise are unchanged after a clean-out — the cause is likely thermal paste, a failing fan, or blocked airflow elsewhere.

Next stop: the related fixes below, or start a guided diagnosis.