Hi everybody. Today we are going to talk about how to keep your computer running as cool as possible. Have a fast system is not always related to software. There are times when a system will slow down simply because the hardware components are running too hot. This is more likely to happen in an older computer although it can happen in any system. Over time, a computer can develop issues such as bad bearings in a fan; dust accumulations in the processor heat sink and sometimes the fan on your onboard video card can go bad. There are a few things you can do to help minimize these types of problems and I will discuss them in this column.
In this discussion, we will use tips for a desktop computer. Desktop computers, although bulky, are the easiest to maintain and upgrade. The first thing you will have to do is to remove the side panel. Be sure the system is off and unplugged before doing this. The side that needs to be taken off is usually the left panel if you are looking at the front of your system. You will usually find one or two thumbscrews located on the rear part of the panel that will have to be removed. You might need a screwdriver to remove the screws on some computers. Once you have the side panel removed the first thing we are going to check is the heat sink. If you look straight into the case, you will see a fan that is mounted on the motherboard. This is the fan and heat sink assembly.
Take a good look and be sure there is no dirt blocking the cooling fins on the heat sink. If you happen to find any, use a few blasts with some canned air to blow the dust away. Stubborn dirt may require repeated tries to get it completely clean. Next, look towards the lower back part of the case. If you have an add on video card installed, it will be located in this part of the case. Check to see if the card has n on board fan. If it does, use your canned air and again blast away any dirt you find on the heat sink. Now we are going to look towards the top left of the case. Here you will find the power supply. Look at the locations where air enters the component and again, blast away any dirt you might find there as well. You can use a vacuum to get dirt that might of settled on the bottom of the case but be careful not to disturb any wires or components.
The next step is to test and be sure all your fans are working as expected. With the side off the case, plug in and start your computer. Check all the fans and be sure that they are spinning freely. If you find any that are not working as expected, they will need to be replaced. Once you are done testing, shut down the computer and then unplug it before replacing the side panel. Once the side panel is replaced, you can start your computer and get back to whatever you were doing. You should do these checks at least twice a year to ensure you keep a trouble free system.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
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