Cooling the System
(OBJ 3.5)
Thermal Load - heat from different components inside computer
Passive Cooling - relies on components that do not have any moving parts or power; requires no power to operate and is silent when operating
- Heatsink - finned metal device that radiates heat away from processor
- Thermal Paste - compound that ensures heat transfer by eliminating air gaps
Active Cooling - uses a fan to cool down heat from device, like CPU fans and case fans
- It is best practice to blow out excess dust from fans every 3 to 6 months
Liquid Cooling - popular with high end gaming PCs
- Closed Loop System - very simple systems for liquid cooling that cool a single component; easier to install and operate
- Open Loop System - has different components and able to cool several components across the system; more complex but much more popular
Water and liquids are MORE effective coolant than air convection
Installing Active Cooling
- Place CPU into motherboard
- Apply thermal paste
- Insert heat sink on top of processor
- Install a CPU or processor fan on top of heat sink