Thoughts on cooling

[mkenyon2]

My system runs HOT!!!

I have several case fans, a chip fan and still, it runs hot. It doesn't help that it sits in an enclosed area. (Can't help that at the moment.) I'd love to get some thoughts on cooling.

[philly_phenom]

I started running mine with the top off the case & a small house fan blowing through it...

This especially helps out when I'm playing Madden (set at max resolution) and a couple comskip jobs are running.

[Deusxmachina]

It runs hot in Pennsylvania in March? That's not good.

What part runs hot? CPU? Video card? Just the case itself?

Most people are adequate with a fan in the front to draw air in and a fan in the back to draw air out. 120mm are the best if they fit.

If you have multiple case fans already, I'd guess either the airflow in the case is still poor, maybe obstructed by the IDE cables or something, or that enclosed space is really bad.

Fans can't make the temps lower than ambient, remember. If that space is really hot, all the case fans in the world probably won't help. Might need to use a duct system of some sort to draw in fresh air from outside the area.

[erik]

I did run my system inside an enclosed area without external air inlet.
Even the low power (7 WATT) VIA C3 could NOT stay cool during the summer
Had to move it to another room.
Did you measure ambient temperature of the case?

[Fatman_do]

Are you in a cabinet? How are options for increasing air-flow?

[kayak4ever]

When my computer was running hot and my computer engineer brother-in-law and son looked at it, it turned out that the video fan was stuck and not turning. We replaced it with a far better passive cooling fan and everything works well now. Note that the passive system requires that you only keep the designated holes open as air won't flow in the correct pattern if you have extra openings.

[Fatman_do]

Right, the air flow is a reference to maybe opening up the back of the cabinet if it is in one. Something to improve hot air flow away from the computer.

Depends on several factors, like case, your tools and abilities.
You could maybe put a small hole in the case for a wire connection, you could then add another case fan external to the computer, blowing the hot air out of the back of the cabinet. Having another opening for air inlet is a good idea.

[mikiem]

Dealt with this over the years, and a great deal has to do with the case & heatsink design. If the case doesn't allow good airflow -- have a path for the cooler air you're moving thru it -- your not going to cool a hot system. And, the more efficient the heatsinks, the cooler they'll run, introducing less heat into the case in the first place. If your case sits in an enclosed space that *can* make cooling more challenging, but mainly IMHO if your air intake is already heated air -- a simple duct from say a side fan out to the front of the enclosure helps when otherwise that fan would suck in hot air.

Things you can do: 1) obviously make sure the heat sinks & case air inlets are clean (not clogged with dust) & the fans are working -- many motherboards over the last 5 years have included fan sensors that can be set to sound an alarm if a fan stops working. 2) You can install better heatsinks, or go all out and install water cooling. 3) On the infamous heatpumps that were the Pentium 4s, Intel recommended that you use a duct directly to the CPU heatsink. 4) Use SATA or round IDE cables so the airflow isn't blocked. 5) Add fans, but not just anywhere -- fans placed on the lower 3rd of a case don't necessarily push any air over critical components that are on the top third of a motherboard in a tower type case. Use/make ducting or deflectors or figure out how to add a fan to the case where it needs one. There are also fans/coolers that fit in drive bays or card slots (for exhaust).

At any rate, try to think of the airflow and direct it where you want/need it. Pulling part of the cover off your case and pointing a small house fan at the CPU may work, but not as efficiently as good airflow with the case all put together. Too many vents, or vents in the wrong places just leak air pressure that should be moving air to your hottest components. Don't forget to balance your air intake and exhaust -- 4 or 5 fans blowing in and only one or two blowing out won't do you a lot of good, since you build up pressure in the case that can't create an airflow because it can't go anywhere. If you're concerned about noise, use bigger fans turning slower -- many motherboards offer automatic fan speed controls based on temps, but add-on controls are available, or in a pinch, just add switches to the front of your case.

[mkenyon2]

Good thoughts... I'm going to have to look at my location. The room isn't hot, the area around the PC is.

I have a desktop (horizontal) case, site in an upper shelf in our entertainment center.

The shelf is open on the front, but only has a small hole for cables in the back. It's also just high enough for the case, plus 1.5 - 2 inches.

I'm thinking the air can't go anywhere, but room/area fans could make more noise, which is already an issue. (When it starts to record, the fans on sensors in the case throttle up like a jet fighter.)

I have a few options. I never liked the fact that the PC pressed right against the back of the shelf, pressing cables. I think I may have to convince my wife that this expensive, oak, cabinet has to be modified. (She's not too attached anyway, and the back is just cheap panneling.)

I should also re-evaluate the internal cooling airflow. I added a fan hastily on the side of the fan to vent hot air, but I don't know if I have any good intake from the other side to provide for flow. I think the case has fans that blow up, but that hit's the top of the shelf.

I guess I just gotta pay attention to airflow if I really want my system to scream coolly.

[mkenyon2]

Also, the 27" CRT TV sits below it, so I'm sure that doesn't help the heating situation.