Common causes
Dust buildup, blocked vents, heavy background applications, fan faults, old thermal material and poor airflow are common causes. Heat can also expose other hardware problems.
Cooling & performance
Why is my laptop
overheating?
A warm laptop is normal under load. Constant high heat, very loud fans, throttling or shutdowns are different and should be investigated.
Safe first checks
Use the laptop on a hard flat surface, make sure vents are not blocked, close unnecessary heavy apps and check whether the fan noise or heat changed recently. Avoid opening a device if you are not comfortable working around delicate connectors or batteries.
When to stop using it
If the device smells burnt, the battery is swollen, the case is deforming, or it repeatedly shuts down from heat, stop using it and arrange inspection.