Overheating / CPU Throttling
Raspberry Pi Single-Board Computer
Severity: ModerateWhat Does This Error Mean?
The thermometer icon on the Pi display means the CPU has exceeded 80 C and is throttling its speed to cool down. Add a heatsink and small fan — passive cooling alone is insufficient for heavy workloads on Pi 4 and Pi 5.
Affected Models
- Raspberry Pi 5
- Raspberry Pi 4B
- Raspberry Pi 3B+
- Raspberry Pi 400
Common Causes
- CPU running at maximum load without a heatsink or fan
- Pi 4 and Pi 5 generate significantly more heat than earlier models
- Pi enclosed in a case without ventilation cutouts
- Ambient temperature too high (above 25 C)
- Defective or missing thermal pad between heatsink and CPU