Do graphics card get hotter the more demanding your games are? I want to get a gaming laptop but will only play MW/ Oblivion on it and am worried about the cooling fan being too loud.

Graphic cards usually work at 100% when playing games, so they generate the same amount of heat no matter what. The main difference is in the framerate. A less demanding game get a higher framerate and a more demanding game get a lower framerate.

There is an exception though, when you play games that aren't demanding at all running with vsync on so the graphic card might be able to rest for a few milliseconds between each frame. But even that short time won't really help it to cool down much cause it's such a short time frame.

And cooling is designed to be able to handle the hardware when it's running at 100%. As for the cooling then being too loud or not, I can't say, I imagine it differs greatly from laptop to laptop.

So if you want a quiet laptop, then maybe the best way to go is to get a very weak graphic card so even when it's at 100% it won't be able to generate much heat. But then you won't get good framerates either, which is a vital part of the game experience.

There are two major reasons why laptops overheating more than desktops. Laptops are smaller than desktops, the electronic components are crammed in there more tightly.

Also they are closer together, and as almost all laptop casings are so narrow, there is not much room for the heat to dissipate.

Other than that, another issue is "power" factor. As laptops getting more powerful (with faster CPUs and GPUs), and as the OS requires more processing power to run, more heat is generating inside the case. !!!

However, all laptop manufacturers know about this, and there are some workarounds inside a laptop that supposingly removes that heat.

So, special fans, heat sinks and air vents designs are used to cool down a laptop while it's running hot. Just sometimes, that's not enough.

Of course overheating can happen when a fan is not working properly or there are some other malfunctions.

So be sure that your laptops cooling abilities are intact, and you will be fine. But here are some ways to check and keep your laptop cool.

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You can check your fans for example with an diagnostic program or a fan monitoring tool.

You can keep your air vents clean, using special compressed air products. (Dust and debris can block those vents, if you use your laptop very often.)

Also that's obvious - don't use your laptop in the sun, keep it away from radiators and heat vents, and of course don't let it inside a hot car. lol

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Something to keep in mind is, that any soft surface prevents airflow into and out of the cooling vents. So the heat get caught underneath your laptop.

Then you have quickly an overheating laptop.

A good workaround (to create a space where heat can dissipate) is to elevate your laptop, using some rubber or plastic (silicone) stand-offs (sticker like) that puts some distance between the bottom of the laptop and the surface you are using.

This one: http://www.kalogiannis.gr/dyn_images/201432926771209813165356736Xfs3r934s5X0302v7d55.jpg (sold in different dimensions)

Also a lap desk from a special material like aluminum that acts as a heat sink, would be a good idea, also.

At least use a cooling mat, so something that has a hard and not soft surface, to allow proper airflow under your laptop.