How To Keep Your Computer From Overheating

Uncharacteristic fan operation* means something has changed.The gnomie missed the first two rules:
01. Make sure all the vents are clear and clean.
02. Open the case and carefully blow all dust out with an air can.
NOTE: NEVER blow air on fan blades without holding the blades stationary…it can damage the fan if the blades are allowed to rotate in the air stream.

*By uncharacteristic, I mean unusual. All high speed processors will increase the fan speed when the processors are under load. It’s normal for them to speed up when multitasking while virus scans, etc. are going on.

After I got a dual core CPU I had problems with overheating, especially when running my huge music editing program which gobbles up nearly 100% of the CPU and nearly flogs it to death. Even with a massively gigantic aircooler/heatsink with dual fans and recirculating vapor tubes, I was still frequently violating the temperature limit and sounding the alarm, which didn’t do much for the musical effect, or my nerves, or my temper. Then I got a water cooling system, a Corsair Nautilus 500, for 150 dollars, and (somewhat nervously) installed it. Surprisingly, after I carefully read the instructions over a couple of times, it installed fairly easily with everything fitting just right, and when I turned it on, it proceeded to COOL DOWN that puppy permanently. I’ve been running it for nearly a year now without any trouble, and the hoses and fittings are still safe and sound. The CPU temp cruises at about 107 degrees F, and even when I run the music editing program it goes only slightly higher, even with two or three other programs running, including Internet. The only slight objection I had was the whirring sound of the refrigeration unit, which sits on top of my mid-tower case, but it’s not so bad and I forgot all about it after a day or two.

Actually system cooling is a simple process, and water cooling is really a last resort for overclockers, far cheaper air cooled options work great.

Every couple months open the case and use some compressed air to blow out any dust that accumulates on the heat sinks and air vents.

Make sure to tuck back all the cables you can, so that the air is having to work its way through them to cool parts off.

Placing a fan up front to blow air in, plus another blowing out just behind the processor, can provide better air flow than having just one in the back.

If you want to get into a quieter environment while still keeping things cool, check out http://www.silentpcreview.com, which has some excellent discussion on making PCs as quiet as possible.

Make sure there is not dust blocking free flow of air to and from the fans. Need to open the case, etc.

And gently remove all dust from fans and cooling devices inside the computer.

I agree with Pal, all I do to keep my PC cool is blow the dust out of it so sufficient air can blow through it and prevent it from overheating.