Keeping your PC cool during the hot summer months should be the top priority for any conscientious computer owner. Heat and humidity are component killers, so it’s important to take steps to keep your equipment safe from sweltering conditions.
If the temperature in your home is too hot for you, imagine what it’s like inside a closed box filled with high-voltage electronics. Despite new energy-efficient components, there’s a lot of heat generated by increased RAM, high-end video cards, speedy dual- and quad-core processors, high-wattage power supplies, internal storage devices and CD/DVD drives. Running together, in close quarters, the insides of your PC case can easily become an oven. Left unchecked, component failure is just a matter of time.
Home air conditioning does more than just keep users comfortable. Besides cooling the air, AC also helps to cut down on humidity, which can be even worse on electronics than heat alone. Condensation anywhere near your PC is a sign of trouble. Air that’s too dry, as in the winter months, can also cause problems, in the form of static electricity. The trick is achieving the right balance.
Because your computer components are sealed inside a metal box, proper air flow is essential. Fans inside the case help pull cool air in and push hot air out. Make sure you have enough and that they are working properly. Fans are inexpensive, so if yours are old and tired, replace them. The bigger, the better and the more, the merrier.
Personally, I have a total of nine fans running inside my computer case. Three intake fans — one in front, two on the side — pull fresh air into the case, passing over my hard drives and motherboard. Two other fans direct heat away from the CPU, RAM and video card. The power supply contains two…