Optimize your PC cooling properly - Our tips

Keep a cool head amidst all the technology: Optimize PC cooling

Whether it's a hot summer or a comfortably heated room in winter, PCs don't like heat. To ensure your technology runs smoothly, you should optimize your PC cooling. But how?

If the PC overheats, There are two reasons for this. One is the ambient temperature. Computers, and especially servers, prefer to be in cool rooms. The second point lies within the PC itself. If it's working hard, it's like an engine or an athlete – it overheats. Too much heat, just like with engines and athletes, eventually leads to failure. Therefore, the CPU hardware cooled become.

Graphics card and processor are hot components. Of course, we mean that quite literally. Heat is generated in a PC by the processor and the graphics card.High-performance hardware not only has high power consumption, but also generates a lot of waste heat. So when crypto fans boast that they heat their apartments while mining Bitcoin, it's no joke.

Normal temperatures are below 50 degrees Celsius.

The amount of heat a PC can withstand varies slightly for each component. Some parts can easily handle 80 degrees Celsius, others cannot. The processor requires cooling from 50 degrees Celsius upwards. If the processor gets too hot, it reduces its clock speed and operating voltage. This is how the component protects itself from overheating. HeatstrokeThis process is called thermal throttling. Graphics cards also contain chips that should not exceed temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius.

The mainboard is more sensitive; the temperature here must not exceed 40 degrees Celsius. If it gets warmer, the voltage converter suffers. And at temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, data loss is even possible because the hard drive's magnetization is affected. So it's clear: PC cooling means cooling the hard drive. But how do you even find out if your computer is overheating?

To speed up PCs, manufacturers are installing more and more transistors. Transistors, as components, control the electrical voltage. They are located in the chips. However, some energy is always lost as heat when controlling the electrical voltage. This is due to the resistance of the wires. The current flows through the copper wires at almost the speed of light. Anyone who played with copper wires, batteries, and light bulbs as a child knows this: the copper wire gets very hot very quickly. The same thing happens in the chip. However, the heat can't escape there; instead, it accumulates on the tiny surface where millions of wires are packed closely together.

Load analysis tool, read temperature

To determine the temperatures of the various hardware components, you download and install the appropriate program on your PC. These programs are called... HW Monitor or HWiNFO32. Once installed, the software allows you to read the temperatures of the various PC components. In addition to the current temperature, the maximum and minimum temperatures of the components are also always displayed. Should the PC cooling The high values are noticeable and can be problematic.

Knowing the temperature isn't enough. Ideally, you should also know which temperatures the manufacturer recommends for each individual part. This varies, but there are a few general guidelines:

• Newer CPUs: up to 60 degrees Celsius
• Newer graphics card or GPU: up to 80 degrees Celsius
• Hard drive: never above 50 degrees Celsius

Optimize PC cooling and lower temperatures

Now we know how warm it is for the computer The question is: what is permissible and how hot does the device actually get? What's missing is optimal PC cooling for the hard drive. Computers typically have fans that are supposed to cool the components via an airflow. The heat is thus carried away from the motherboard, graphics card, and processor to the outside. This is the so-called... PC air cooler. Most models have a diameter of 80 millimeters, 120 millimeters, or 140 millimeters. Larger is better, because a larger fan can move more air at once, i.e., with one revolution.

Note: If the fan gets loud, this is an early sign of overheating!

Simple PC cooling: Location

Anything placed close to the PC will naturally reflect the heat radiated by the device. Therefore, a computer will overheat more quickly in a cramped, poorly ventilated corner than in the middle of the room. Direct sunlight is also bad.And the computer should definitely not be placed directly next to the radiator. A high position, on the other hand, is very good. This is because the floor is often covered in dust, which can easily be drawn into the PC case by the fan. Higher up in the room, the air is less dusty.

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More fans equal more cooling

Not every computer comes with a case fan pre-installed. Without a fan, the device is cooled solely by the power supply – and that's simply not enough. Case fans can be installed later.

More fans can also mean an increased fan speed. This can be adjusted via the BIOS/UEFI or with special software. A faster fan draws in more air, which is then blown through the case. However, this also always increases the noise level and dust distribution.

Clean up your PC

It sounds simple, but it works wonders: If the case is crammed with cables and all the components are hanging around haphazardly, air circulation is poor. Bundling the cables neatly and ensuring plenty of space allows for better ventilation. Bulky ribbon cables can be replaced with round ones. Anything unnecessary should be removed from the case. And of course, dust has no place inside the case. Dust should be blown off heatsinks and circuit board components with compressed air.

PC air cooler or water cooler?

PC air coolers and water coolers differ in efficiency. Water cooling uses a liquid coolant that removes heat from the PC faster and, above all, quietly. Because colored coolants look quite impressive, it also adds a lot of visual appeal. This efficient cooling method is particularly well-suited for gaming PCs. A CPU water cooler or a copper GPU water cooler serves as the heat sink. The coolant is circulated through the heat sink by a pump. The reservoir continuously holds more coolant. The individual components are connected via hoses, and sensors monitor the cooling process.

Water coolers are available as kits or as individual components. This type of cooling is so well-suited for high-performance PCs because water, as a coolant, can absorb more waste heat than air.