Why does my Intel GPU overheat when playing casino games on Steam?

Games like these should not put a lot of pressure on your iGPU since all they do is display a few cards, but unfortunately they still leverage your GPU in some form. Perhaps you can fix this by tweaking the in-game graphics settings; a lot of Steam casino games have hidden options for adjusting effects, shadows, and screen resolution.

You might also want to verify that the game is running on your preferred graphics card. If you have both an integrated and a dedicated graphics card, some games might try to use the latter even when it’s not the best option. To resolve this issue, right click on the title in Steam, select properties, compatibility, and finally GPU settings.

You might want to consider reducing the game’s priority level in Task Manager, as well as dusting off your PC, ensuring proper ventilation, and updating your Intel drivers. Those pesky adjustments often help. Use a monitoring tool like HWMonitor to check whether things are getting better.

But even games like Casinos, which aren’t very demanding, may consume a lot of GPU power if the graphics quality is high. Try reducing screen resolution or turning off extra effects inside the game. Update your GPU driver as well, because some GPUs have had their thermal performance improved via update. Check that no programs running in the background (like Steam overlay) are constantly using GPU. Also, clean up some dust from the GPU cooling fins. Monitor temperatures with HWMonitor to see what’s normal.

Your Intel iGPU wasn’t meant to be a workhorse. Even “casual” slot machines can tax a system. Turn down graphics quality, particularly shadows and textures. Try running Steam in compatibility mode, or play the last version you had before the issues started. Update your graphics driver. Is it overheating? Clean the vents, monitor fan speed in BIOS, or reduce clock speed. If it’s hot for hours on end, walk away and give it a break. The solution may be as simple as not pushing it too hard.

The iGPU will get hot when you’re running GPU-heavy games. Even some of the simplest-looking Steam casino games have heavy back-end processes, physics, or anti-cheat overlays that could be taxing your GPU. In-game animations, high-resolution textures, or other graphical effects could also push it further. To cool it down, reduce in-game graphics settings, shut down unnecessary programs in the background, and keep your computer’s air intake and exhaust vents clear. The latter is especially important because accumulated dust can clog them. And make sure you install the latest drivers; Intel frequently pushes improvements. If it continues to run hot, underclock it or download software to adjust its speed depending on how much processing power it’s getting. Some people use laptop cooling pads, but that’s not really a viable solution for desktops.