Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager . Look for any yellow exclamation marks.
| Driver Type | Recommended Version | Why it affects heat | |-------------|--------------------|----------------------| | (INF) | 9.4.0.1027 | Enables proper power management (C-states, ASPM). | | Intel Management Engine (ME) | 8.1.40.1416 | Prevents background polling spikes. | | Realtek HD Audio | 2.82 | Faulty audio drivers can keep the HD Audio bus active. | | Realtek PCIe GbE LAN | 10.38 | A bad LAN driver causes high DPC latency. | | Intel HD Graphics (2nd/3rd Gen) | 15.28.24.4229 (Ivy Bridge) | Missing GPU driver forces CPU to render graphics = heat. |