| Overheating |
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Many of you know, that all electric components generate heat when used. All the electrical energy they consume is transformed into heat. Computers are no exception and in some cases they can overheat. This can show as computer instability, on-screen anomalies or in some cases performance slow down.
Most of your computer components have built-in temperature sensors and it is easy to check these temperatures with the right software. Compare them with other people online (search through forums) to see if yours are too high (most important are those of CPU, chipset and GPU). Modern GPUs run very hot (70-90°C), so do not panic, if you see such temperature. Here is a short list of programs for monitoring PC temperatures with direct links to their homepages, where you can get them.
Usually it is quite easy to determine which component is overheating even without reading your temperatures. If your computer is overall unstable and crashes/freezes randomly the reason is probably CPU or motherboard (it could be memory, but it almost never overheats). Low fps or repeating slowdowns in games (considering that your drivers are 100% OK) could mean, that the GPU on your video card is overheating, whereas on screen anomalies are usually associated with problems with memory on your video card. Main reasons for overheating Number one candidate for heat problems in home PCs is dust. Important chips inside your computer are probably cooled by a metal heatsink, commonly in combination with a fan. Over time a lot of dust can accumulate between these two and it prevents cool air from running through the heatsink, cooling it and the chip down. The best way for removing this dust is with a vacuum cleaner or with compressed air. (note: dust, which prevents air from going in/out of the case, can also be a reason for overheating) If you think that your new CPU is overheating, you have probably incorrectly installed the CPU cooler. The reason may lie in application of thermal compound or in sloppy mounting of the cooler (preassure of cooler on CPU must be quite high in order to ensure good thermal conductivity). If one of your components is overheating, even though everything seems fine (coolers installed correctly and no dust inside your case), then you might want to ensure better ventilation of air through your case. Newer computers consume much more energy than old ones and as a consequence they dissipate much more heat. It is almost impossible to get all that heat out of the case without extra ventilators. Install some and you will be surprised by the results. In extreme cases you may be required to buy a new case or maybe cut a few extra holes in the existing one for some new fans.
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