What's happening to my laptop?

So my laptop seems to have been having issues with overheating recently. I've had it for about a year now and I've always just used the bottlecap method of cooling; put a cap under each corner of the laptop in order to prop it up and increase ventiliation. I had no problems until this week. Now suddenly the HDDs always feel hot and playing any game quickly makes the whole notebook very hot. I even had the computer crash about a week ago from what I'm guessing was overheating since while playing B&W2 the whole screen just suddenly went dark.

Anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing this and how to fix it?

Internal fans could be failing to work, possible problems with the battery causing over heating. Possible dust build up on the inside.

Internal fans could be failing to work, possible problems with the battery causing over heating. Possible dust build up on the inside.

Xyonblade

I haven't noticed any fans failing, but how could I check to make sure? And what sorts of battery problems would cause overheating? Also, this change was very sudden (like overnight) which doesn't seem like something that could be caused by gradual dust buildup.

The only way I'd know to check on the fans would be to open it up and boot it up to take a look. Laptop batteries are complicated elecro-chemical things. After a certain number of charge/decharge cycles things can change in their make up to make them hotter.

The only way I'd know to check on the fans would be to open it up and boot it up to take a look. Laptop batteries are complicated elecro-chemical things. After a certain number of charge/decharge cycles things can change in their make up to make them hotter.

Xyonblade

The battery is actually the coldest part of my laptop oddly enough. Feeling around, it seems like the vast majority of the heat is coming from the HDDs.

Laptops are just as susceptible to dust clogging up the heatsinks, exhaust, etc. Also, if this is a premium laptop (Alienware, Voodoo, Sager, etc) with topline processors, multiple HDDs, and graphics - better get used to it, these laptops squeeze high power and high heat parts into barely enough airflow. Might want to invest in a cooling pad?

Laptops are just as susceptible to dust clogging up the heatsinks, exhaust, etc. Also, if this is a premium laptop (Alienware, Voodoo, Sager, etc) with topline processors, multiple HDDs, and graphics - get used to it, these laptops squeeze high power and high heat parts into barely enough airflow. Might want to invest in a cooling pad?

chefkw

The main reason why I settled with bottlecaps was because I couldn't find a good cooling pad for a 17" laptop. I did manage to find a few that could fit one, but none of them had good reviews.