Alienware M14x overheating when playing big games

I have a big problem when playing big games like Battlefield 3 on my Alienware M14x. After 20 minutes or so, the computer starts to overheat, with the fan speeding up, making enough noise to prove that it's trying its best. The program then starts to lag. It is not hot in the room. The computer rests on a Cooler Master. This cooler does not prevent the computer from overheating. I'm quite disappointed in this Alienware laptop and can't find the reason for or solution to the overheating. Is there perhaps more than one fan in this computer, with only the one visible through the bottom panel being active? Could there be a virus my anti-virus program can't find? What could I try to do to stop the overheating?

 

Which laptop? M14x R1, R2, or the Alienware 14. I'm assuming R1 or R2 because you said M14x.

You may want to check this out: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-14-m14x/625546-m14x-issues-fixes.html

 

Thanks very much. The model number given on the back cover is P18G. The Reg Type Number is given as P18G001. I took this 14" Alienware laptop over from someone else -- it was bought in 2012 or earlier. Dell Chat Support, connecting from the Philippines, told me it is the same as the M14x. But was this info 100% correct? So I'm not sure whether it is a M14x R1, R2, or the Alienware 14. Perhaps I should start another thread to find out? Or could you help me another step?

 

If you bought it last year, it's the M14x R2. It should have the 650M GPU, and 3xxx series CPU. If not, then it's the R1.

 

Thanks very much. It must be the R1. Processor is Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2670QM CPU @ 2.20GHz, 2201 Mhz.

Someone told me I must remove all dirt, dust and fluff from the fan and heat dump. I looked under the back cover: a daunting risk for me to unscrew and open up this computer. Should I get a technician?

 

You can do that on your own, there are many videos explaining how to clean it and even re-paste it.

 

Repasting helped a lot