Games freeze on brand new laptop

Hi, here's my problem:
I bought a brand new Asus x52j I3 2.4ghz, 3gb ram and Ati Mobility radeon hd5470 512mb win7 home premium (Legal). After 2 days I tried to play some games and ALL of them have the same issue - they freeze... I tried Fallout 3, Mass Effect (1 and 2) and Deus Ex: Human Revolution and ALL of these freeze a lot (Mass Effect 2 even doesn't go past the first cinematic and Fallout3 usually doesn't even load up the menu 'till it freeze) don't know what's the problem... my drivers are updated (ATI CCC doesn't even work somehow) Any ideas what might cause this problem ?
 Don't think overheat is possible because Deus Ex performs pretty good with serious heatwaves coming out of my heatsink and Fallout 3 with Mass Effect 2 freeze within 1-10 minutes (which is probably not enough to heat out my hardware)
 Can't even describe how frustrating it is 
Please answer ASAP

Sounds like a heat problem to be honest. It doesn't take long for heat to shut a system down. A failed CPU fan, improperly installed heatsink, and other things can cause a computer to overheat in about 15 seconds in some cases.

I worked on a computer the other day that had this problem. It would run fine if just in Windows, but it would crash if pushed slightly (even playing a YouTube video was too much). They played World of Warcraft, and within seconds of the game starting and they were at the login screen, it would freeze. Turns out their CPU cooler had come unplugged. The massive heat sink it had was enough to keep it cool enough for basic things, but the moment it was pushed, it would overheat without the fan inside to circulate the air.

Try downloading Speedfan and see what your temperatures are like:
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Yup, it should be overheating which causes the problem.
You can try to get a notebook cooling base to see If the problem persists. They look like this:


Otherwise, the best way to deal with the problem is to talk directly to the supplier.

Thanks - it WAS an overheat problem. I downloaded 'SpeedFan' and even when I logged in to my computer it showed that the heat was already climbing over normal. Turned on Auto Fan Speed and Mass Effect 2 performed A LOT better - I was able to play it for like an hour or so until it froze again. Parts were almost over 60C and fan was working at 3300rpm (2100 is by default). Would it help if I got a better cooler fan installed ? I think the cooling pad would be too expensive for me - paid everything I had for the laptop 

Edit: Just checked the cooling pads - they are not so expensive, but do they actually work effectively ?

Maybe you need to understand that laptops are not exactly meant for gaming !!

Edit: Just checked the cooling pads - they are not so expensive, but do they actually work effectively ?

Yeas, they are not very expensive. I would suggest buying a cooling base which has at least two fans(or more) on it. Cooling fans can help decreasing the laptop's temperature a lot.

I raised my laptop from my desk and it already does wonders
I think I'll DIY a cooling pad myself airflow should be pointer downwards ? 

Yes, airflow should be oriented to pull the heat away from the laptop.

Something like this would work well... I have a similar one for my laptop (17" screen):

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6624655&CatId=3486

Guys you should acknowledge that the laptops are not for playing games you should play through your pc or
on xbox.

You're not the first person who says that and I DO know they are weak for gaming but overheating without any real performence requirement (loading screen, main menu, intro video) ? That's a bit screwed up ... By the way tried to watch a movie last week... Guess what... Yup - it froze, although the salesmen said I could watch HD movies on that laptop. Bah! I guess I need to take it to warranty service and ask what the *censored* is going on ...

Laptops overheat. Documented fact.

Laptops overheat. Documented fact.

They can do if they are not used properly.

They can do if they are not used properly.

Then tell this guy he has wasted his time. Just  use the laptop properly. Never turn it on.
http://www.ehow.com/video_4973275_easy-ways-fix-laptop-overheating.html

Come on! be sensible. Plenty of people (including me) have laptops that don't overheat, at least partly because they don't use them on carpets, quilts, blankets etc, they keep dust out of the fan, inlet & exhaust ports, and they don't run them as if they were a desktop.

Any computer, laptop or desktop, will overheat if not maintained properly or used in a way it isn't designed. I've never had a problem with my laptop overheating, but I keep the vents clean and make sure the vents are never blocked by something. I don't use a cooling pad for it, even when I've played games on it, because it never got hot enough to need it. Saying "laptops overheat" is an incorrect generalization.

Any computer, laptop or desktop, will overheat if not maintained properly or used in a way it isn't designed. I've never had a problem with my laptop overheating, ...

The manufactures do not make clear what the limits are. And there is a deference between Desktop and Laptop. The Desktop has lower internal temperature. The laptop has little internal airs space volume.
I ruined my hard drive in tis laptop because I used in in an area that was not air-conditioned and was doing a very long transfer of files from the laptop to a desktop. The vents were not blocked or full of dust. But The desktop runs in the environment all the time and does not overheat. The laptop got too hot for the internal hard drive. The CPU fan does not do enough for the hard drive. IMHO the manufactures should warn people about this.  Because it is portable, people think you have use it anywhere. Not exactly true. Don't know why, but I just assumed the design would allow heavy use. I was wrong.

The manufactures do not make clear what the limits are. And there is a deference between Desktop and Laptop. The Desktop has lower internal temperature. The laptop has little internal airs space volume.
I ruined my hard drive in tis laptop because I used in in an area that was not air-conditioned and was doing a very long transfer of files from the laptop to a desktop. The vents were not blocked or full of dust. But The desktop runs in the environment all the time and does not overheat. The laptop got too hot for the internal hard drive. The CPU fan does not do enough for the hard drive. IMHO the manufactures should warn people about this.  Because it is portable, people think you have use it anywhere. Not exactly true. Don't know why, but I just assumed the design would allow heavy use. I was wrong.

I had a similar problem - funny thing was that I did raise my laptop from the table and that increased the duration of playtime GREATLY but still it did overheat in 1-2hrs... Then I got nervous and took a smoke at my window, it was like 12C outside and inside it was ~22, when my room cooled down (it got pretty cold, had to spin into a snuggy) my laptop did run a game at max performance whole night... I guess my room air acted as a coolant/heat sink or something like that

I ruined my hard drive in tis laptop because I used in in an area that was not air-conditioned and was doing a very long transfer of files from the laptop to a desktop.

They can do if they are not used properly.

So? Now maybe they will put a warning sign on your laptop.
Only for Occasional use in a dry, cool room.   

So? Now maybe they will put a warning sign on your laptop.
Only for Occasional use in a dry, cool room.   

No, "Not for prolonged use at 100% CPU in a hot humid room".

Why do you always play this silly game?

No, "Not for prolonged use at 100% CPU in a hot humid room".
Why do you always play this silly game?

My silly archaism is aimed at the advertising hyperbole and documentation of the manufacturers that lead one to believe that laptops are somehow more durable than there desktop computers.

But to tell the truth, some engineers that ought to know better do not understand the art and science of cooling small compact electronic devices that have significant heat generation.

The following information is available, but not in the advertising and documentation most nusers get.

Tradeoffs

Typically buying a ruggedized laptop implies compromising on few desirable features: A ruggedized laptop is in general lower performance, more expensive and heavier. A rugged laptop is not a cheap laptop. E.g. the Dell Latitude ATG starts at $2049 and the Dell Latitude XFR starts at $3899 (March 08), which is at least $1000 more than the equivalent mainstream laptop from Dell. Also, note that if you intend to use the laptop in bright outdoor conditions, you will be cranking up the screen brightness to its highest level - which will result in faster battery drainage - so, consider getting a higher cell battery if such an option is available.

The key factors to keep in mind while buying a rugged laptop are:

    Do you really need a rugged laptop? i.e. do you need to spend the extra money and live with potentially reduced performance and features. Perhaps a water resistant & drop protection laptop case will do?
    What kind of hazards do you think your laptop will be subjected to?
    What is your usage environment for this laptop? Will it be mounted in your car?
http://www.linux-laptop.net/rugged-laptop.html

This inside of a car can get over 104 F (40 C) in a short while, even on a 'nice day.' It may take the laptop inside the car twenty minuets  to get back to a normal temperature.

But did you sees that in the user guide? The one that came with the new laptop?

The following information is available, but not in the advertising and documentation most nusers get.This inside of a car can get over 104 F (40 C) in a short while, even on a 'nice day.' It may take the laptop inside the car twenty minuets  to get back to a normal temperature.

Well, that's their fault for leaving their laptop (or any heat-sensitive device) in a car in the sun, which is a stupid thing to do anyway, and not to mention irrelevant to the OP's issue.