Computer cooling is an integral part of a desktop PC. All parts of this device are subject to heating due to power from electric current, while the level of load directly affects the amount of heating. To prevent PC breakdown and ensure faster operation, you need to take care of cooling. It is important even for the simplest device, not subject to high loads.
Varieties
Computer cooling is divided into two main types - water and air. The latter option has gained the greatest distribution today. This system has the following mechanism of action: the heated parts transfer heat to the radiator, which then goes beyond the PC. The air flow rate, the materials used to produce the radiator and its usable area affect the efficiency of this type. For example, copper conducts heat better than other materials, but its cost is appropriate. An increase in heat transfer is also possible by blackening the surface of the radiator. Air technique is divided into two types: passive and active.
The passive option is suitable for personal computers that are not designed for heavy workloads. It has a fairly low efficiency. Despite this, as part of a silent system provides intensive removal of warm air in the process of slow flow.
The active view contains both a fan and a radiator at the same time - so the heat goes much faster from internal elements outside the system unit much faster. It is possible to install additional coolers for the most heated parts of a PC - a video card and a processor.
Liquid Based Cooling
Previously, such a technique was found only in server systems, but the modern spread of technology has made it possible to use it in home devices. Water cooling of the computer is based on the working composition - a special refrigerant that transfers heat to the radiator from the heated components. The main advantage is the speed provided by the physical properties of the liquid, since it conducts heat much faster compared to air. The liquid metal, antifreeze, refined oil and even ordinary water can act as a refrigerant.
Such computer cooling consists of a steel plate that acts as a heat sink, a circulation pump, tubes through which fluid passes and a radiator. It has a complex design, so its installation can not be done by inexperienced users. An illiterate installation or the use of poor-quality materials can lead to leakage, the consequences of which can be the breakdown of important internal elements. In the absence of relevant experience, it is worth buying a PC with an already installed system or contacting professionals.
Selection of the necessary option
Liquid cooling of the computer is used to ensure quiet operation and high performance. To obtain high performance, an addition in the form of a powerful pump is required, which can produce more noise compared to an active air system. At the same time, the silent technique is not capable of such results and is not suitable for professional and gaming PCs.
The water cooling system for a computer, even in the simplest version, is quite expensive, so it has not become widespread. It is most popular among gamers and web designers, since in most cases, an airy version is enough for normal PC operation.
Certain parts have a lot of heating, and as a result, they need better heat dissipation, this should be taken into account when distributing cooling elements.
How to improve cooling
If there is a need to increase the quality of cooling, it is worth buying a new radiator and fan, as well as updating the thermal paste layer.
The new cooler also becomes a way out of the situation when the fan is unstable. It is worth paying attention to the need to match the system board and the purchased devices. At the same time, the new fan should be more powerful than the existing analogue.
Coolers are arranged in such a way that their blades rotate in different directions, thanks to this, a noticeable improvement in cooling efficiency can be achieved.
One of the main conditions for high performance computer is a thorough cleaning of internal elements from dust and accumulated debris.
Body
Air exchange in budget versions of home computers is carried out by an exhaust cooler located on the power supply, and a ventilation grill. The air flow enters the system unit, passes through its components, and heat is supplied through the supply element from the outside. But with an increase in the power of a personal computer, this becomes insufficient, and the need arises to use additional coolers. They must be installed in certain places, if this rule is not followed, they will not bring proper efficiency, due to the fact that warm air flows will constantly pass through the system unit. As a rule, a large computer cooling fan located at the bottom is used for air flow , and several smaller coolers provide its output.
CPU
It is this part that undergoes the greatest heat, due to which, subsequently, the PC speed decreases. The solution is a copper radiator with a medium-sized fan, so that you can achieve sufficient efficiency and at the same time a low degree of reproducible noise.
Of particular importance is the systematic monitoring of thermal paste. It is applied to the area between the radiator and the processor and prevents the formation of an air layer having a low level of thermal conductivity.
Other details
A significant load in the process of work falls on the video card, which is especially noticeable in the process of using graphic editors and other programs. This item is often equipped with a built-in fan. There are also options with passive cooling, common among those who prefer silent systems or want to increase performance by installing an additional cooler.
For ordinary users, cooling a computer, in particular, elements such as a hard drive or motherboard do not have the same value as for gamers. The hardest thing is the chipset of the motherboard - its heating temperature can reach 70 degrees.
Dust control
To ensure high efficiency, it is not enough to do the computer cooling with your own hands, it is necessary to systematically clean the inside of the case. The quality of work of radiators clogged with dust is almost nullified, and coolers clogged with dust cannot create proper air circulation in the system unit. That is why regular cleaning of the PC from dust is required. Particular attention should be paid to the contact planes of the parts, power supply, radiator and coolers.