Computer overheating. Causes and their elimination. Hot heads: how to cool your computer in the summer heat What to do if your computer is hot

Computer overheating- a fairly common problem in the summer heat. How does overheating affect computer performance? What to do if your computer overheats in the summer?

When the computer starts Freeze and turn off spontaneously, the first thing we usually blame is viruses. But sometimes viruses have nothing to do with it, it’s all the hardware’s fault: a sudden shutdown of the computer is a sign that the processor overheating protection system has worked.

How does computer overheating occur? In addition to freezing and spontaneous shutdowns already mentioned above, there are other “symptoms”. They depend on which part is overheating. If the video card overheats, the computer may freeze with image distortion and then reboot. If the hard drive overheats, there may be problems with reading data. An unusually strong, hot case is all evidence that your computer is running hotter than usual.

Please note that there is no strictly defined “normal” operating temperature for a computer. Each part has its own temperature; for example, a hard drive starts to “glitch” at a lower temperature than a video card. Much depends on the specific brand of the same video card or processor. To determine the temperature of computer parts, you can install a special diagnostic program, for example, Everest / AIDA64. Laptops run hotter than desktop computers due to their compact size.

The ambient temperature, of course, affects the temperature of the computer. But usually overheating your computer in the summer means that The performance of the cooling system leaves much to be desired. At lower air temperatures it copes with its task, but in the heat it begins to “fail”, as a result of which the computer overheats.

How to fix computer overheating? First, try to provide air access to the computer: perhaps the coolers simply have nowhere to get air for cooling. The system unit of a desktop computer cannot be placed close to walls and other surfaces; a gap must be left for air circulation. Some computer owners simply remove the side wall of the system unit in the summer, but this should not be done if you have small children or pets in the house.

If you have a laptop, remember that Do not hold it on your lap or soft objects: This restricts air circulation and causes the laptop to overheat. Place it only on a table or a special board (such boards are hard on the laptop side and soft on the knee side). You can purchase a special one, it is equipped with a built-in fan (or several) and runs from USB.

If normal air access does not help solve the overheating problem, you need to “dig further.” Often, overheating of a computer is a consequence of dustiness.. From time to time the computer needs to be disassembled, paying special attention to the ventilation system. Of course, this is easier to do with a desktop PC than with a laptop. If you are afraid to disassemble the laptop for cleaning, you can use a can of compressed air or take the laptop to a service center.

In case if your computer is overheating - a consequence of an insufficiently powerful cooling system, it makes sense to replace this system. You can simply install more powerful coolers (but be sure to check that the power supply is sufficient for these coolers). Additional coolers (more than those provided for a particular case) may not solve the problem; more does not mean better. Many people prefer to use liquid cooling. Just don’t install a liquid cooling system yourself if you have a vague idea of ​​its structure.

Sometimes users confuse computer overheating with processor overheating. If only the processor overheats, but the rest of the components are fine, most likely the reason is that the thermal paste has dried out. In this case, it is quite simple for the computer to start working normally again.

So, most often, overheating of a computer is not a consequence of the summer heat as such, but of a system unit clogged with dust and/or a weak cooling system. With a good cooling system and regular cleaning of the system unit from dust, your computer will not be afraid of any heat!

Your PC contains many parts, almost all of which become hot during operation. Some parts, such as the CPU and video card, get very hot.

In a properly configured computer, most of this heat is moved out of the computer case by multiple fans. If your computer doesn't expel hot air quickly enough, temperatures can become so hot that you risk serious damage to your PC. It goes without saying, keeping your PC cool should be a top priority.

Below are eleven solutions for PC cooling. Many are free or very inexpensive.

1. Let the air flow

The easiest thing you can do to keep your PC cool is to give it more room for ventilation by removing any obstructions to airflow.

Make sure there is nothing directly against either side of the computer, especially the back. Most of the hot air comes out from the back of the computer case. There should be at least 5 - 10 centimeters of free space on both sides, and the back should be completely open and free.

If your computer is on the table, do not close the door. Cold air enters from the front and sometimes from the side of the case. If the door is closed, the hot air tends to recycle in the desk, becoming hotter and overheating the computer.

2.Run your PC with the case closed

The "urban legend" about PC cooling is that running your computer with the case open will help it cool better. It does seem logical - if the housing is open, more air flows in.

The main problem here is dirt. When the case is open, dust and dirt clog the fans much faster than when the case is closed. What clogs the fans and impairs their performance.

Opening the computer offers a small benefit at first, but increasing the fan's exposure to debris has a much larger impact on temperatures.

3.Clean up your computer

The fans in your computer are supposed to keep it cool. You know what slows down the fan and then eventually makes it stop? Dirt - in the form of dust, hair, etc. All of this finds its way into your computer, and most of it gets stuck in the fans.

One of the most effective ways to cool your PC is to clean the internal fans. There is a fan on the CPU, an internal power supply, and usually one or more on the front and/or back of the case.

Turn off your computer, open the case, and use a vacuum cleaner to remove dirt from each fan. If your PC is really dirty, clean the outside.

4.Move your computer to a different location

Your computer is running in a place that is too hot or too dirty. A cooler and cleaner area of ​​the same room may be a better place for your computer.

Important: Moving your computer may damage vulnerable parts inside the case. Make sure to disable everything, don't transfer everything at once. Be careful when moving the PC case, which contains all the important parts: hard drive, motherboard, CPU, etc.

5.Replace the CPU fan

Your CPU is probably the most vulnerable and expensive part of your computer. In addition, it is the most prone to overheating.

If you haven't replaced the CPU fan yet, it's probably currently running at maximum speed.

Many companies sell high-power CPU fans that keep the CPU temperature lower than the factory fan. Find an acceptable CPU fan option that is compatible with your CPU socket.

6.Install an additional case fan (or two)

A case fan is a small fan that attaches to the front or back of a computer case, on the inside. Case fans help move air through the computer.

Installing two case fans, one to move cool air into the PC and one to move warm air out of the PC, is a good way to keep the computer cool.

There are many case fans, it is easier to install than a CPU fan, don’t be afraid to open your computer and do this.

7.Stop overclocking your PC

Overclocking a computer to its limits has a direct impact on the temperature at which your CPU and any other overclocked components operate.

If you are overclocking your PC's hardware but haven't bothered to keep it cool, it is recommended to reconfigure your hardware to factory default settings.

8.Replace the power supply

Your PC's power supply has a built-in powerful fan. The air you feel when you hold your hand behind your computer is from this fan.

If you don't have a case fan, a power supply fan is the only way to remove the hot air generated in your computer. If this fan is not running, the computer can heat up very quickly.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to simply replace the power supply fan. If the fan does not work, you will have to replace the entire power supply.

9.Fans for certain components

Of course, the CPU is the largest heat producer in your computer, but almost every component produces heat too. High-speed, high-quality memory and high-end graphics cards can also add heat to your CPU.

If you see that your memory, video card, or any other component is overheating, you can cool it with a special fan. In other words, if your memory gets hot, buy and install a memory fan. If your video card overheats while gaming, install a more powerful video card fan.

Increasing the speed of hardware leads to increased heating of its parts. Fan manufacturers know this and have created custom solutions for almost every component in your computer.

10.Install water cooling

In very high-end computers, heat build-up can become such a problem that even the fastest, most efficient fans can't cool it down. The cases of such computers are equipped with water cooling. Water heat transfer can drastically reduce the CPU temperature.

"Water in the computer? It's dangerous!" Don't worry, water or other liquid is completely blocked in the transport system. The pump cycles cool liquid to the CPU, where it absorbs heat, and then pumps the hot liquid out of your computer, where the heat is dissipated.

11.Install the phase change module

Phase change modules are the most powerful of the cooling technologies. The phase change module can be called a refrigerator for your CPU. It is used in the same technologies to cool or even freeze the CPU.

Summer is in full swing, it’s hot outside, tired people are dreaming of a vacation, and overheated computers “freeze” and refuse to work normally... We can’t help you with your vacation, but we’ll fight together with overheating of your computer.

Symptoms

As you know, overheating not only leads to the machine freezing (which is already boring), but, worst of all, it can cause the failure of its expensive components.

The main sign that your computer is overheating (besides the purely subjective assessment: “My computer is as hot as a stove”) is swelling of the capacitors on the motherboard. Overheating of the bridge chips, chip and memory of the video card is possible (on cards from nVidia this often manifests itself in the form of the appearance of all kinds of artifacts in the image). It is also possible and extremely dangerous for the chip that controls the “spindle” of the hard drive to overheat and lead to its burnout (I hope there is no need to explain that the data on the hard drive can be more expensive than the computer itself?). In general, many problems can arise... But any ailment can be dealt with, and overheating is no exception.

Spring cleaning

One of the main reasons for overheating of computer components is... banal contamination of the system unit with dust. This is where we will begin!

To begin, arm yourself with a brush (preferably two: a soft one and a harder one), a dry, clean cloth and a vacuum cleaner (the latter is not necessary) and clean the main places where dust accumulates (when working with a vacuum cleaner, be very careful not to damage the electronics: it is better to sweep away dust directly from the parts with a brush, and use a vacuum cleaner only to remove what flies from under the brush).

The motherboard needs to be tidied up first of all in the area of ​​the processor socket; It also wouldn’t hurt to thoroughly clean all the capacitors (pay attention to whether there are any “swells” on them; if there are any, run to a service center!) and blow out all the slots. Well, don’t forget about other elements.

Next, we proceed to cleaning the fan that cools the heart of any computer - its processor. In this case, it is not at all necessary to completely remove the cooler - just unscrew the four screws securing the fan to the radiator (owners of coolers whose propeller is attached with latches are very lucky here: there is no need to unscrew anything) and disconnect the power connector. After the fan is removed, it needs to be cleaned (it is best to do this with the same brush). If possible, also clean the dust from the radiator with a brush; then put the fan in place, carefully and carefully secure it to the radiator, and connect the power connector. We sorted out the processor cooler. We clean the cooler on the video card in the same way. By the way, after cleaning the fans, check how easily they rotate: the grease may dry out in the sliding bearings, dust may accumulate - and the fans simply stop spinning. The result is overheating of the cooled element. If such a problem is discovered, replace the fan (they are not that expensive). You can, of course, try to “reanimate” a fan that has stopped spinning by washing and lubricating its bearings, but is it worth the trouble?

Finally, you can (and should) clean the hard drive (from the outside, of course! Do not disassemble it under any circumstances!) and all other parts. And the inside of the body itself would need to be wiped down. Cleanliness, as they say, is the key to health...

Are you done? Then we move on and start cleaning the dirtiest place in the system unit - the power supply unit (PSU). I draw your attention: if the computer is under warranty, then the power supply must not be opened under any circumstances - you will certainly lose the warranty! Another important point (which any self-respecting electrician knows): do not open the power supply immediately after disconnecting it from the network - the high-capacity capacitors in it retain a charge for some time, and you risk getting an electric shock (not strong, but still ...). And in general, if you are not confident in your abilities (in terms of handling electronics), then it is better to contact a service center and not risk the health of your computer (and yours too).

Well, okay, let's assume that you still risked opening the power supply. Nightmare! How much dirt there is here! We quickly clean everything up (if you can’t do it with a brush and vacuum cleaner, you can take a shovel). At the same time, inspect the capacitors and make sure that they are in perfect order (otherwise, run to the service center).

Crazy hands...

Cleaning is cleaning, but escaping the summer heat often requires more than that. Let's try more drastic methods to combat overheating.

First, inspect your CPU cooler. For a good “cooler,” the area in contact with the processor should be copper (this is the end of a copper rod pressed into the aluminum “body” of the radiator). Or, even better, the entire radiator should be made of copper. Such coolers provide much better processor cooling than those whose radiators are made of aluminum (other things being equal: the surface area of ​​the radiator, the shape and configuration of its fins, the power of the blown air flow...). By the way, very often in computers assembled in company stores (even very reputable ones), processors are equipped with coolers that do not match the power (and, accordingly, cannot cope with its cooling). But most users simply cannot determine whether a given cooling system is suitable for a given processor or not (ideally, you need to calculate the cooling scheme for each specific configuration). If you are not confident in your abilities, the advice is the same: turn to specialists.

If you decide to do everything yourself, then let's get started. First, determine how many fans you need. The main thing here is not to overdo it, so that your computer does not start howling like a vacuum cleaner (after all, each additional cooler increases the noise level). Next, you need to calculate the power consumption of the new fans and make sure that your power supply can provide it (if it can't, look for a replacement).

Next, you need to distribute the coolers throughout the case so that they provide the best air flow (and, therefore, cooling). Please note that fans should work not only (and not so much) for blowing as for blowing. Of course, there is a power supply fan, but, as a rule, it does not cope with this task very successfully. Although most case models already have space for additional fans and, in principle, by installing coolers only on them, you can achieve good results.

If possible, route air ducts to the processor, as this is the hottest spot. In some case models, air ducts are already installed (Attention! There may be no fan in the air duct!), but if you don’t find any, you can make them yourself (for example, from a corrugated tube). Please note that a large flow of air and, as a result, dust will flow through the air duct. To protect the insides of the system side from excess dirt, it is worth installing a special filter. You can buy it at a computer store, or (if you don’t mind the money) make it yourself (for example, from gauze or a piece of thin foam rubber).

If possible, use fans on rolling bearings for cooling (as a rule, they are marked with the word “ball”). Such fans are, of course, more expensive, but they operate noticeably more silently and longer. To reduce noise levels, you can also use fans with variable speed control, but keep in mind that reducing the rotation speed will result in a decrease in cooling efficiency, since the volume of air driven through the cooler will decrease. The noise level can also be reduced in this way: fans of larger diameter are installed, but they are connected to a reduced supply voltage so that the rotation speed is lower than usual.

It would also be a good idea to install additional cooling on the hard drive (if it is not already installed). Moreover, it is better to use a cooling system that is installed in a five-inch bay, rather than a fan mounted on the bottom of the hard drive, since the first is more efficient: it blows air on the hard drive from all sides.

Well, that’s basically all the basic recommendations for cooling computers. But, of course, the surest way to protect yourself and your computer from unnecessary problems associated with overheating is to contact the service center specialists. They will save you from unnecessary hassle (and problems) by calculating and installing a cooling system tailored specifically to your configuration.

If you still decide to do everything yourself, then these tips, I think, will help you achieve coolness in your system unit. I wish you good luck!

How to cool a laptop at home?

Any laptop heats up to one degree or another during operation. Overheating of this equipment occurs especially often in the summer, when the ambient temperature rises. Similar overheating is also observed when turning on modern computer games. In order to protect equipment from critical temperatures, temperature sensors are initially installed in it. When the temperature of the central or graphics processor reaches a critical value, the device simply turns off. But this is not always convenient, especially if you were performing important actions on your device at the time of shutdown.

Causes of overheating

In order to cope with overheating problems, you need to find their cause and try to eliminate it.

• The main reason for overheating of a laptop lies in its dimensions, namely the compactness of the case. Manufacturers place in it all the same components that are found in a regular desktop computer. The challenge is to maintain the performance of the device. To accomplish this goal, the hardware elements are packed quite tightly into the case. There is very little free space between them. This interferes with the full movement of air, the purpose of which is to remove hot currents out and bring cold ones inside. The compactness of laptops does not allow them to be equipped with large and powerful coolers.
• An additional inconvenience when using a laptop is dust, lint, hair, wool and other small light particles that periodically accumulate in the air outlet areas and on the radiator. Because of this, the performance characteristics of the device, in particular, thermal conductivity, are reduced. In this case, the cooler becomes clogged and its operating efficiency decreases.

Summer time has come, and owners of laptop computers are increasingly asking the question: “how to cool a laptop” if it gets pretty hot after a certain period of use.

• Sometimes the cause of overheating of your device is a malfunction of the fan, caused by its breakdown or a manufacturing defect. For example, it may turn out that the lubricant on it is insufficient or the bearing is faulty.
• When the device is used for a long time, the thermal paste may dry out, which helps to better transfer heat to the cooler and radiator, allowing the fan to function more efficiently.
• Some laptop owners use them incorrectly. For example, you can often see how at home the device is installed not on a hard surface, but on a blanket or placed directly on your lap. In these cases, overheating of the device cannot be avoided, because the holes for blowing out heated air are closed, and the processor does not have the opportunity to fully cool.

Expert opinion: how to cool a laptop at home?

The most effective way to reduce the internal temperature is to replace the thermal paste. It is advisable to carry out this procedure regularly. It is also worth remembering that the best remedy for overheating is prevention: place the laptop only on hard surfaces (and it would be best to purchase a special cooling pad) and do not forget to clean it from dust.

Konstantin Kotovsky

About symptoms

Special programs are used to determine the temperature of a laptop. If you suspect your device is getting excessively hot, refer to the data that displays the temperature sensor measurements. For example, you can use the BIOS/UEFI or the HWInfo utility to find out the required information. You can find any other program that will show you the heating of the computer by displaying sensor data. In a special window you can also monitor the rotation speed of the cooler.

In the operating manual you can find information about the permissible temperature range of the device. This data is also available on the official website of the company that sells laptops.

But it is not necessary to resort to utilities when determining the permissible operating temperature of a small-sized computer.

Once the CPU/GPU temperature limit is reached, the device will simply turn off

If it overheats, it will be immediately clear from the following signs:

• fan noise is too loud;
• the blown air is very hot;
• abrupt shutdown of the laptop computer;
• hot body.

Consequences of high temperatures

If you do not pay attention to the constant overheating of your laptop, this can lead to unpleasant consequences. For example, high temperatures have a negative effect on the processor. The crystalline structure of its components gradually deteriorates, negatively affecting its performance.

You've probably noticed that an overheated microprocessor begins to “slow down”, slowly completing tasks. In this case, the device owner can see error messages on the screen. Some processes may be invisible to the user. Sometimes, when the processor overheats, it needs to perform calculations several times until it gets the correct result.

But this situation can be especially inconvenient for gamers who are fond of online games with detailed graphics. The high temperature inside the laptop provokes the device to turn off right during some important “battle”. Often such nuances make the gaming community ask the question: “how to cool a laptop?”, and resort to ingenuity for the sake of good cooling.

But the negative thermal factor adversely affects not only the crystal structure of the microprocessor. After all, silicon involved in the operation of transistors is also subject to charring, like contacts. This provokes even greater overheating and easily damages the device in just a few months.

Typically, a laptop is not at risk of failure due to overheating, because it has temperature sensors installed.

Ways to eliminate factors that cause overheating

Laptop stands

Today there are many different laptop computer stands available. They differ in the presence or absence of an additional cooling cooler. Both of them allow you to reduce the temperature of the processor. Such devices are sometimes quite inexpensive and available to everyone.

Software cleaning

Cooling is always important

(the path to a cool and quiet PC)

No computer has ever been damaged by an extra fan,

Not a single extra fan has brought silence to the house...

Modern computer – hot computer. Hot is bad, it is the likelihood of all sorts of problems, including failure of the most important parts (however, in winter this is even very ok). That’s why new radiators and new fans are being added to PCs every year. Finally we are faced with another, not so dangerous, but very unpleasant thing - noise. Even a single cooler can make working on a computer unbearable if it is of poor quality or is positioned incorrectly. And when are there three or four of them?

In a modern computer, no matter how much the manufacturers boast, almost everything is noisy - hard drives, CD-ROMs, power supplies, video cards, sometimes even modems make noise! (mice crunch, cases rattle, monitors whistle, only one rug is silent). And in a modern computer there are at least 3-4 fans. And the most appropriate car has 6-7! We count: 1 – processor cooling; 2 – video card cooling; 3 – fan in the power supply (there are two); 4 – cooler on the chipset (northbridge, southbridge for now works like this, or with a simple radiator); 5 – a fan for the hard drive (say it’s stupid? But 90% of hard drives are from China... And how will you one day lose 200-300 gigabytes of information?) - that’s it, so you shouldn’t save on it ; 6 - and finally, an exhaust fan (there are those that work as a blower), which throws out all the heat from the case, since the power supply fan cannot cope with all this, it would have to cool its radiators. Dilemma...

All these contradictory circumstances risk closing in an insoluble vicious circle. We need to look for a compromise.

It must be said that if you have a lot of money, for a super case, for super coolers, then this article is not for you. I knew one citizen who bought a “silent” case with a power supply for $267, and also purchased exclusively Zalman coolers, which also cost him 110 bucks. I installed an expensive air conditioner, plastic windows and doors (for airtightness) in my little room. I spent as much as I did on a new computer, and the result is that, of course, the computer works “silently” and the room is cool. The machine's performance did not increase by one percent.

And as an antipode, another friend of mine, who saves on everything, takes the cheapest, then spends a long time working on this goodness, bringing it into divine form. He never throws anything away, he always combines something. The fans (Chinese ones, of course) are lubricated once a month, the inside of the case is covered with rubber and foam rubber, the power supply almost assembled itself, in general, well done, golden hands. He even once managed to stick a mini-ATX motherboard into an AT case. And also, the result is a penny saving, all your free time is spent on servicing the computer, but it still breaks down here and there.

Let's discard extremes and start looking for the “golden mean”

When assembling, buying or upgrading a computer, in matters of cooling and noiselessness, you need to start with the case - the case of the system unit. Of course, the computer will work in any compatible (ATX) case, the question is how. Externally, almost all the new cases are attractive, generally comfortable, have baskets for CD-ROMs, HDDs, etc. over the entire height of the case, have audio and USB outputs on the front panel, and have space for an additional large exhaust fan in the back. Therefore, as a rule, many quite rightly expect to save money and buy the cheapest one, thinking only a little about the power supply. However, such cheap cases have one, but decisive drawback - they are made of tin so thin that they resemble a membrane and accordingly perform its functions: they resonate terribly, amplifying the slightest vibrations of a hard drive, CD, or any fan. The result is a hum, sometimes with rattling of poorly riveted parts of the frame.

For those on a budget, it is better to buy an old case, from the times of Pentium 3, early 4. Then the cases were made of normal steel, with normal riveting and spot welding, of course, they are far from the quality of the ancient ATish boxes, but still. Well, if “modern” design is so important to you, then at least tap the cases in the store with your finger and you will immediately feel the difference between some OPC drum and a case from Chieftec.

The “strength” of the case is especially important for hard drives and optical drives, since they make quite a lot of noise and vibration and nothing can be done about it. Although many people artificially reduce speeds on CD drives and place rubber gaskets on the sides of the hard drive, in general, this does not achieve anything.

Active and passive cooling gives us much more room for creativity.

In a modern computer there are things that require absolute active cooling - a processor, a video card, a power supply and often a north bridge (chipset), there are also components that require passive (radiators without fans) cooling - the north and south bridges (chipset), many video cards, sometimes stabilizers processor power supplies - MOSFETs, sometimes memory. Next come all the other components that dissipate the generated heat without any special devices - hard drives, optical drives, sound cards, modems, etc. All this heat is thrown out of the system unit by one single 8-cm fan of the power supply (sometimes also with particularly advanced video cards). If the computer is powerful enough and actively loaded, then naturally overheating occurs.

Most cases for ordinary users have the same described scheme for the circulation and exhaust of hot air. However, they have the ability to install additional cooling media. This is a place on the front side for installing a fan operating for injection and on the back side for, respectively, exhaust. There are cases with hoods in the side and top walls of the case, but this is so exotic.

The first, standard case cooling set was not bad for Intel and AMD up to 1 GHz, and gruntingly coped even with Stumps at 1.8 GHz. But higher... Here many people remembered fans installed at the front for intake (known since the time of 486). However, such a scheme only added noise without changing the temperature environment - anyway, the volume of hot air emitted was determined by the power supply fan. Then an additional exhaust fan was installed on the rear wall, the temperature dropped sharply, but the noise emitted by the PC became critical. From a temperature point of view, the introduction of a new type of cooling on video cards, where air is sucked from the case by a turbine, passes through an air tunnel to cool the GPU and memory radiators, and then (on especially successful cards) is thrown out through an additional grilled bar, has become quite good. However, a turbine is a turbine, and in order not to live like at an airport, you have to reduce the speed...

In the figure, the numbers indicate heating elements:

1 - processor; 2 - MOSFETs; 3 - north bridge; 4 - south bridge; 5 - video card; 6 - sound card;

7 - basket for hard drive and floppy drive; 8 - five-inch baskets for CD-Rom; 9 - memory; 10 - power supply.

Of all the options, the most appropriate cooling system for a modern standard PC, with the possibility of overclocking, seems to be the following:

1. The main cooler - cooling the processor - the fan should be large, wide-bladed - about 8 cm. Larger size means more air circulated, which means you can reduce the speed and, accordingly, the noise. Again, a copper radiator or an aluminum one with a copper core is better - good heat transfer, which means it can handle it even at reduced fan speeds. The thermal interface (thermal paste) is better made of silver (with the addition of silver - the best heat-conducting metal). But a regular one will do. You shouldn’t drink it on the principle that the more, the better – believe me, the more, the worse. The main thing is the uniformity and overall flatness of the contact pad on the radiator.

Which cooler should I install – rectangular or round? In general, it makes no difference for the processor, but for other nearby parts it is important. A round radiator can also blow air across neighboring devices, more on that below.

Fans are ball-bearing, sliding and hydrodynamic. Which ones are better? Fans with bearings are more expensive and more durable (3-5 years), but they are noticeably noisier. Fans with bushings are much quieter, cheaper and their service life is on average 1-2 years (a Chinese fan may “knock” after a couple of months). The latter are just as good, but still rare. Therefore, conventional sliding ones are preferable in all cases where there are fans.

2. You can try replacing the northbridge cooling, if it is active, with a good, tall needle radiator. A round CPU cooler will blow air over it. You just need to carefully monitor its temperature in both cases. The South Bridge, as a rule, does without cooling at all or is equipped with a simple radiator. Let it remain that way. The only thing that needs to be checked is the presence of thermal paste under it, because often such a radiator is attached only for the sake of cool “overclocker” visibility and it can even cause harm.

3. Video card. Cooling of this element is also very important and lately it makes the most noise. In the lower price range, cards make do with passive cooling. More to come. What’s a shame is that very often the cooling of video cards is difficult to change, since on some models it is strictly individual - cooling of the GPU (graphics processor) and memory is carried out through one radiator, the shape and dimensions of which depend on the layout of the specific board. But in general, the choice of alternative cooling systems for video cards is large.

For most users, inexpensive (under $100) cards with passive cooling are quite suitable and there is no need to chase megabytes, megahertz and pipelines unnecessarily. Moreover, there is no need for all kinds of decorated, transparent, illuminated turbine solutions - such “jewelry” automatically increases the cost of a video card by tens of dollars. In most even the newest games, video cards with passive cooling are quite acceptable (unless it makes sense to replace aluminum with copper). While for sophisticated cards there are no games or other products to not only implement, but simply notice their bells and whistles! Their destiny is specialized testing programs and not the most reasonable self-affirmation of the owners.

So it's up to you to choose. And the tips for reducing noise are still the same: open the slots for expansion cards above and below the card - this will increase the flow of cold air from outside. If necessary, install a round copper cooler, and glue passive cooling radiators as a keepsake. Here and always you should glue not with standard hot-melt gum, but with special hot-melt adhesive - it glues tightly, but also with high quality. The exception is those cases when the card has corresponding holes for attaching radiators using spring-loaded pistons.

4. The fans in the power supply are usually low noise, but they can be replaced with a better one. Power supplies with two fans or with a fan on the inside are produced by famous brand companies, and the effectiveness of such solutions is questionable. The exception is a power supply with a large internal fan (12 cm), but this is a sign of a high price. You can play around and remove an 8 cm fan from a regular power supply unit and cut a 12 cm hole in the lid. You should, of course, seal the internal ventilation holes, and glue a mesh in place of the old fan.

Preferred power supplies are those that provide for an increase in fan speed as the temperature inside the case rises - they are usually very quiet and only at critical moments begin to make a slight noise. It’s also very good when the power supply manufacturer packs all the wires in casings (especially with shielded braiding). If this is not the case, you will have to arm yourself with electrical tape and rewind them all into tight bundles. We carefully push unused (spare) connectors somewhere behind the power supply or behind the CD-ROM.

5. Few people pay due attention to hard drive cooling; it usually works quite well. However, the possibility of losing both an expensive device and valuable information forces many to play it safe. The noise naturally increases.

There is no need to rush here. Just note the temperature of your propeller - with your hand. If the hard drive has a temperature sensor, then that's even better. On some screws, only the aluminum case is heated, on others, individual microcircuits, on others, both. Drive it harder and, turning off the PC, “feel” for the hottest spots. If individual microcircuits get hot, you can stick small radiators on them - from an old chipset, video card, etc. If everything gets hot and quite hot, you need to buy a special Fan for HDD, and preferably with one fan. The fan can be replaced with a slower and less noisy one, or by soldering a variable resistor into the power circuit, reduce the speed of the existing one.

If the design of the case allows, it is a good idea to place one large 14 cm fan opposite the hard drives, on the side where the front panel is located.

In general, there are many different cooling devices for cooling hard drives – it’s up to you to decide what to choose.

It is better to use round cables, since flat cables significantly impede air circulation inside the case (currently SATA cables). You should not place a pair of hard drives end to end in one basket, or press the hard drive against the floppy drive, against the bottom of the basket, or against the CD-ROM. Let there be free space both above and below.

If the hard drive itself is noisy, then all kinds of rubber gaskets between it and the basket help little. But the heat dissipation will be disrupted - the hard drive transfers a significant part of its heat through contact with the metal of the case. For the same reason, you cannot “wrap” the hard drive in foam rubber, etc. You can, of course, cover the inside of the case with foam rubber, this will reduce the noise by 30-40 percent, but it is better to get rid of such screws.

6. CD-ROMs and other optical drives are noisy and get quite hot these days. The rarest models have exhaust fans; very few manufacturers install a rubber gasket on the tray cover. And that’s why it’s quite difficult to deal with noise and heat generation from optical drives. One of these ways is to reduce the drive speed to 32-40x using specialized programs that are easy to find on the Internet. Just like with a hard drive, leave free space at the top and bottom.

Sometimes the noise of the CD-Rom occurs due to dried grease on the guides of the tray or laser head, then you need to disassemble the drive and lubricate it. The belt is also noisy sometimes, it can be replaced. If transmissions are carried out through a gear system, they also need to be lubricated with technical Vaseline or, better yet, CIATIM.

The cover caps of 5-inch compartments rattle very often. Place strips of tape or tape on the inside of them.

It may not be the drives themselves that are particularly noisy, but rather low-grade CDs with poor alignment or a large or “broken” central hole. It is better to beware of such disks; with their vibration, they will surely shorten the life of your drive. There have been cases when such disks “explode” inside the CD-ROM, accordingly destroying it.

7. Elements such as memory and MOFSETs are cooled in extreme cases, during overclocking. Special radiators are sold for memory; passive radiators can be selected and glued to MOFSETs.

8. System unit case. For the case you should stock up on one, preferably 12-14 cm fan for the back wall. Such a large fan has low speeds, makes little noise and moves large volumes of air. It is best to remove the blower fan from the front - there is no benefit from it, only noise. The fans are screwed tightly so that there is no looseness.

The case itself is examined for loose screws, loose or rattling parts. Such defects can be eliminated in any way - additional screws, soldering with tin and acid, filling with silicone or other glue, sealant. The contact points between the side covers and the rest of the case are taped with strips of electrical tape (especially in cheap cases).

If everything is done, and the thin walls resonate strongly, then you can cover them with thin sheets of rubber, dense foam rubber, or any other sound-absorbing elastic material. It will become noticeably quieter, just don’t seal the ventilation holes by mistake!

9. Other components - sound cards, modems, TV tuners, various controllers and others, although they get hot, they manage well.

10. The last thing is keeping your PC clean. It would be possible not to repeat myself on this topic, but having looked into one or another system unit of your comrades who seem to be quite IT-savvy, you wonder how bats haven’t started there yet?

The computer works in many ways like a vacuum cleaner, sucking in everything - dust, small crumbs, fluff (cat and dog hair, human hair), cigarette and other smoke, in general, everything volatile in your home. All this “good” settles inside the system unit. Dust and its derivatives are a very harmful factor for computer devices; it accumulates static electricity and in its “furry” form can serve as a conductor (everyone knows about the consequences); dust interferes with normal heat transfer - clogged ventilation holes, electronic components, radiators and fan blades; dust also damages all moving, mechanical parts into which it can penetrate - the same fans, optical drives, floppy drives.

Therefore, choose the least dusty places for your PC and regularly clean the insides of the case from dust.

The use of air filters (various small meshes glued with tape to all inlet openings) significantly reduces and slows down the contamination of the PC, but also somewhat impedes the free circulation of air inside the case. Therefore, you need to proceed from the specific dustiness of your room.

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All work on assembling or upgrading a PC must be carefully thought out in advance, so that later you don’t have to carry the motherboard back and forth ten times, etc. It is best to start with a bare case - check and correct all its shortcomings, stick on strips of electrical tape where necessary, cut additional holes if necessary, stick on air filters. We work separately with the power supply - we connect the wires into separate bundles. We install the motherboard with the processor and cooler already installed, we install the memory later. We are not in a hurry to close the side cover of the case, we drive the computer like this, looking for shortcomings.

And only after meticulously digging around and finding out where the screw that is rattling is, we can work calmly.

Mikhail Dmitrienko, Almaty