Lenovo Legion 5 CPU Overheating - Only When Plugged In

  • 3
    Replies
  • 80
    views
  • anilg1310's Avatar
    Level 2
    Hello everyone,
    My Lenovo Legion 5's CPU is overheating drastically and unnecessarily. I've tried almost every software tweak possible—from ThrottleStop to custom Windows configurations and advanced performance power plans—but the issue persists. I made a YouTube video showcasing and explaining the entire situation (the video is mine): [YOUTUBE VİDEO LİNKİNİ BURAYA YAPIŞTIR]
    The laptop literally just got back from official warranty service. I sent it in for this exact overheating issue, and they replaced the following parts with brand-new components shipped from abroad: Motherboard + CPU + GPU + Keyboard + Upper Case.
    Post-warranty, my GPU is running incredibly cool and performing flawlessly, which I'm thrilled about. However, I can't say the same for the CPU. The temperatures are exactly the same as they were before I sent it to service. If you watch the video, you'll see exactly what I mean.
    Some extra context and clues from the video:

    • Terrible Wall Power / Grid: I am currently staying in a student apartment, and the electrical wiring here is awful. For context, a hair dryer or straightener that normally takes 20 seconds to heat up takes about 80 seconds in this house. Could a bad/unstable electrical system or dirty power cause the CPU to misbehave like this when plugged in?
    • Battery vs. AC Performance: I suspect the power grid because when I run the laptop on battery power (even under the Performance profile), both the CPU and GPU stay safely below 85°C and run perfectly fine. The extreme overheating only triggers when the charger is plugged into the wall.
    • Diagnostics: In the video, I show the HWiNFO64 sensors, real-time values, and the troubleshooting steps I've already attempted.
    If anyone has experienced a similar issue or has any insights on whether a faulty home power grid (or a faulty power brick) could cause localized CPU overheating, I would deeply appreciate your help.
    Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to read and help. Stay safe, and wishing an early Happy Eid to those celebrating! <3
    https://youtu.be/qC2Tt0IeKR4
  • 3 Replies

  • joonas2001's Avatar
    Level 3
    The laptop being serviced could very well be the cause. From factory, Lenovo uses PTM sheets for the CPU and GPU instead of thermal paste, PTM cools better and lasts longer, but service technicians tend to use common thermal paste instead, so temperatures take a hit and there is a risk of pump-out. This can be fixed by replacing the paste with PTM sheets. The reason why overheating occurs only plugged in simply that on battery, reduced power modes are used. I also suggest reverting the ThrottleStop, power plan changes or anything else like that by doing a clean Windows install in order to test default behavior, there should be no major thermal throttling with Lenovo's own performance profiles. Hopefully it's just a bad thermal paste application which can be easily fixed and the laptop isn't broken!
  • BlueKnight's Avatar
    Level 4
    @anilg1310
    From what you described, I don’t think the wall power is directly causing only the CPU to overheat. The more likely reason is that when the charger is connected, the laptop allows the CPU to use much more power, while battery mode limits performance and keeps temperatures lower. Lenovo even notes that Performance Mode allows higher temperatures and normally requires AC power.
    I would still test the laptop at another house or building and, if possible, with another compatible original Lenovo charger. In HWiNFO, compare the CPU package power, clock speed and thermal-throttling status on battery and while plugged in. If the CPU reaches around 100°C while using a surprisingly low amount of power, I would suspect poor heatsink contact, thermal paste or another cooling issue. Intel processors will reduce their speed automatically when they reach their temperature limit.
    Since the laptop has already been serviced for the same issue, I would record the results from a different electrical location and send them back to Lenovo. That would help prove whether the apartment’s power is involved or whether the repair failed to solve the CPU cooling problem.