Vista - Keeping Cool This Summer

We all know how temperatures can affect system performance (specially if you Over Clock, but this is another subject)

I find myself living a few degrees north of the Equator in the island if Puerto Rico. Temperarures here are generally tolerable thru out the year. But summer time can be really hot!!

So here are some tips to keep your system cool specially in summer time.
For the following If you dont know much about Computer hardware Its recommended to get someone who knows to do the job or to help you.

1. Clean the clutter around your pc. let it breathe!

2. Clean out the vents. Get a paint brush or tooth brush and clean the dust.

3. Time to open the case.

4. Take the case fans out and clean them.

5. Clean the CPU fan And heat sink, when ready to install back in place, clean out the old thermal grease and apply a new coat of high grade thermal compound. (you will get better heat transfer spending a few pennies xtra than buying the cheap stuff)

6. Take everything out of the case and clean it! Clean the case completly, get rid of them dead roaches and cob webs!

7. Take your time when reasembling. This is a very important step!
When assembling take the time to reorganize your wiring to improve air flow. Tuck away unsused PSupply cables. Use some elctrical tape or plastic ties to pick up dangling cables. If using IDE 40/80 pin cables try to fold them neatly. (there are pre-folded IDE cables for sale) Do this and your system will look better and further more will stay cooler by improving air flow.

8. Check your fans, make sure that they all work! Including the one inside the Power Supply. (If this fan is not working is time to get a new power supply unit, DO NOT attemp to replace this fan!!!! Nor to open the Power Supply!!! May result In DEATH!!! As high voltage residual charge is left in the unit even when unplugged!!!

9. Spend a few buck in some good fans if you are not satisfied with your temps (Use For example Everest to monitor system temps)
I replaced all stock fans from my system to higher grade ones Including Video card fans.There is total drop of 20 degrees f. in idle and a 30 degrees f. while playing games.

(Nornal v-card temps were 149f idle/186f running. Now 133f idle/ 156f running.)(CPU normal 117f idle/ 150f on full load. Now 103f Idle/133f on load)
(Ambient temps 115F/ now 105f)


A chipset Fan is also welcome.

And if you are still not satified you can do the following:

1.Move your PC to an air condioned room.

2.Use an external fan to blow on your PC

3.Invest in water cooling (this works wonders if you have around $200 to invest)

4. There in another device in the market (dont know the name of it) but it is said to work like an internal air conditioner for the CPU an other periferals. The cost is around $1200

5.Move to the North pole! I heard is quite chilly there. One may think your PC will stay cool enough the whole year!!


To finalize....do this your system will thank you!! will run smother when cooler. And you will be extending the life of your system...

Some good tips there. My computer's been feeling the heat quite a bit, and I'm only in north west England.

I found that blowing an external fan on the PC doesn't make much of a difference in this weather as you're still just blowing the same temperature air on to it from your room. All it's doing is shifting the air off your stuff quicker.

Air conditioners or air coolers (water/ice based) are the best thing to use if you can afford them. My room's on the top floor of the house, and from 3pm onwards the sun shines directly in to my window, so it does get quite toasty up here, but if I keep my door open and have a fan next to it with a window open, it helps keep the room a bit cooler as it blows in cooler air from downstairs.

Here is another tip.
If you are handy with tools!
Once again if not, get some else to help you or do it for you!

This one is for the CPU, specialy if you have an older case that does not have a direct intake to the CPU.

You will need a roud cardboard pipe around 4" in diameter. Big enough to fit around the fan.

OK let me put it in simple words, here is what i did to mine.

I got and old case...(i have not upgraded my case because its like an old cadillac! very hard and sturdy. some new cases maybe functional and look nice but are weak in the structural side. and if you are on a budget all that cost under $100 is weak! a good mid-tower will cost around $150 +.)

So here is the cheap remedy!

I got a phenom 9850 BE whith the stock fan ( this fan will be replaced soon too)
I got a cardboard pipe 4" in diameter.

First i measured the pipe around the fan, marked the corners of the fan in the pipie where i cutted notches so the pipe will fit around the fan .

2 once the pipe fits perfect i meassured the pipe mounted on the fan to the edde of the case (where the door is to be)

Cut the pipe to fit inside the case when the door is closed.

3 mark the door a hole a little smaller than the pipe. ( measure twise cut once)

cut out that hole marked on the door , file the edges so they be smooth. preventing unwanted cuts.

4 you are almost done!

5 optional i wraped and glued the pipe wth aluminum foil (i guess to make it look good) and attached a plastic screen to the outside end . to prevent exessive dust from comming in.

6 done mount the pipe! close the door! now your cpu can breathe fresh air!!! enjoy



I will post some pics latter to clarify any questions

Great tips.... DaKine73


all except the funnel on the CPU, this method seriously hampers airflow within the case, the CPU is ok but it places an obstacle in the center of the case.... from my experience, you cant beat a good ''front to rear'' cooler to aid the rest of your chassis fans......

my PC is certainly hotter, my fan controller is running all 7 fans @ 100% & has done for the past week or so.....




SK

Great tips,
In New zealand I'm not having any problems with cooling. infact its -5 so i'll have to wait to summer till the computer overheats

well is true what 'Skunksmash' said about the funnel. but in my rig it did not make any diffrence on the rest of the temps, so in other words CPU temps came down and the rest of the components remained untouched by this funnel inside the case.

Also i was thinking (this is all trial and error) how about taking the funnel out and placing a good 80mm/120mm or bigger fan in the hole as an intake (like in some new cases i've seen that come with a 120mm or bigger fan on the door)

will this be a welcomed modification? will it help to drop temps? will it work better as an extractor fan?

Lets help each other i like to get some imput in this matter. I'm still trying things out to help improve temps... and when i'll try i will post results

the bigger the fan the more air, so yes it can help but you have to place them correctly in your case for them to make a diff.

you cant have all your fans just blowing air in, you need to have at least one that blows the hot air out, to have your best air flow.

my two cents.

well i have so far 1 intake . front bottom and 2 out back and a modified top. with the modified door intake to the cpu.


so i got a good negagative pressure going in the case. so the question arises ....bigger fan the better... but as an intake or extractor?

why would you want a negative pressure in the case mate..??, you want to aim for a positive pressure for air movement.... IMO


a ''negative'' pressure....(more out than in), will actually draw air in through every nook & cranny in the case, this will coat the mobo in dust in areas which are a pig to get to, it wont affect cooling ability its just a nightmare for dust management.


a ''positive'' pressure (more in than out), will keep air out of the cracks & only draw it it through fan vents...... this is especially handy if you have dust filters....


so as a rule of thumb, i will always have more intake chassis fans than exhaust...






SK

That modified top should also be an exhaust. It really depends on how much air that front fan is pushing.

Bigger doesn't always mean better. It's the CFM (cubic feet per Minute) that count's the most. What size are all these fans?

I'm liking the ingenuity here. Any chance of those pics you mentioned?