HOW TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN THE COOLEST ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR CPU AND COMPUTER TUTORIAL
CONTENTS
Hello and welcome to my tutorial. I'm sure you're here to learn, "Whats the best way to make sure that my CPU stays cool and healthy for a long time?" Well that's the purpose of this tutorial, so you've reached the right place. First though, lets learn some essential facts regarding this issue before we start.
INFORMATION
First. What's a CPU?
The CPU or, Central Processing Unit is the processor, the core, the BRAIN of your computer. It is solely responsible for calculating, creating and processing all of the neat things your computer can do like; opening files, browsing the web, creating spreadsheets, playing funny cat videos, playing sounds, and operating in general.
Needless to say, the CPU is an extremely vital part of your computer! That's why it is VERY important that you make sure that it is as comfortable as possible inside that computer case.
Speaking of Computer Cases...
You may think that I'm getting off subject here, this is a tutorial about CPU temperatures after all, however the subject I'm about to visit is absolutely vital in regards to keeping a CPU cool and comfortable.
The case, is the outer exterior of your computer, it holds it all together, and keeps everything safe from the outside environment. We need to think of the inside of the case as it's own environment. For example, my computer is set up so that my CPU is a cool 40 degrees Celsius. Is it that temperature in my room? That's 104 degrees Fahrenheit, so no, I hope not. Don't worry though, that's not a bad temperature to be at for a CPU. (For more info on the Danger Zone, scroll down to the FAQS section of this tutorial!)
Anyways, the computer case that you use is ESSENTIAL to keeping the CPU cool and comfortable. Why? Because if you have a case that has only 2 fan ports and you intend to have a computer rendering and editing HD video for hours on end, you can bet your CPU will be sweating! However, if you get a case that comes with plenty of places for fans and water cooling outlets then no worries, your CPU will feel as if it's rendering videos inside a well air conditioned office!
Now of course, it's not ALL up to the Computer Case.
Heat sinks are your best friend.
Heat sinks are those metal things that look like silver blocks with rows and rows of thin fins on them. But more than that, the heat sink is an incredibly important part of keeping your CPU cool.
For instance, if your CPU was in your computer case, all put together and it had no heat sink on it, it would just get hotter and hotter until it fried. No exceptions and it will happen within seconds. Scared yet? DON'T BE!
The heat sink is here to protect your CPU! A heat sink works by using natural laws of thermodynamics. Essentially this means that the heat sink just pulls heat away from the heat source (your CPU in this example) and dissipates it into the air. Heat sinks do this naturally because of the materials they are most commonly made of, Aluminum and Copper. These two metals are excellent at absorbing heat and dissipating it, without staying too hot themselves. Yay, Science!
Combined alongside heat sinks in computers, are fans, the fans increase the usefulness of the heat sink by blowing all the heat away from the heat source, otherwise the heat would slowly creep out and just slowly go up. (Remember, heat rises, this is something to bear in mind.)
Finally, before we begin, let's talk about those fans...
Ahh, Case fans. The old fashioned, tried and true technology that has kept our computers cool since the beginnings of it all. So we know that case fans keep our computers cool, but they do more than that really. They circulate air.
You could put your computer in box made of ice and leave it there running with no fans, and it would only get hotter. Why? Because the heat isn't traveling anywhere! Thus, the purpose of case fans.
Case fans move the air around and OUT of the case. Without them, the heat would just be trapped within the case, moving around and around until eventually, it's just too hot for your CPU to take it anymore.
As it is with all computer parts, there are many different shapes (mostly round actually) sizes and types. But never fear, I can simplify this with this short advice. The fan you get must be compatible with the computer case you get.
Gee, you say, why is that advice in bold text? Here's why, there are around 25 different standard sizes of case fans and only about 3 of them are common in most computer cases. Those sizes are 80mm, 120mm and 140mm. Don't fret though, it's very easy to figure out what size fans are compatible with your case by simply looking into the specs for the case before buying it, or reading the documentation included with it.
Now that we've got all of the essentials out of the way, let's get started!!!
THE TUTORIAL
SO! You've got a CPU that you want to keep cool, well here's the things you will need, and these are the things we'll discuss.
|||Heat Sinks|||
Most likely, your CPU came with a heat sink. A stock heat sink is fine these days, no worries. It will perform well for your basic needs and in some cases, it's fine for some intensive things as well. But if you're sure that your computer is going to do some hardcore video rendering, gaming, CAD modeling or something else that's gonna use tons of processing power on a full time schedule, then you'll want to search for a different kind of heat sink.
There ARE TONS of CPU cooling heat sinks to choose from. Just do a search for "CPU cooler" on your favorite computer parts website and look at that list. So many different colors, shapes and sizes! Where to begin? Well, there's not very many differences to this plethora of heat sinks when you get down to it. So, what makes a good heat sink?
Aluminum and Copper. Don't worry, just about every heat sink is made of one or both of these materials. However, in a ranking system, Copper is 2.3 times better than Aluminum at conducting heat. Therefore, a full Copper heat sink is the way to go baby! However, Copper is more expensive than Aluminum and therefore, would have you spending more Copper than necessary. (Get it? Pennies are made of Copper! Hahaha!)
Sad? Don't be! It's totally possible to get a heat sink that is the best of both worlds. This is where the magic of Copper heat pipes come in.
Copper heat pipes are threaded directly through the Aluminum fins of a heat sink to the source of heat. If they're good heat pipes, they'll make DIRECT CONTACT and will help do an excellent job of pulling that nasty heat out and away from the CPU. And because the heat sink is using less Copper, it's cheaper and still very efficient.
Here's an excellent example of a heat sink that uses Copper heat pipes, it's also highly reviewed so I recommend it! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099]http://
Also, most heat sinks come with a fan built into it. These are necessary to push the dissipated heat away from the heat source, out into your case. Where does it go then? We'll get to that when we talk about case fans. So let's move onto Thermal Paste!
~~Thermal Paste~~
Alright, so lets cover the missing link here. Thermal Paste. You have to put the heat sink on top of the CPU, but you can't just put it there like that, you've gotta get messy! (Well, not really, it's best to do this as neat as possible.)
Thermal Paste is exactly what it sounds like, it's a paste that you apply directly to the top of the CPU, and it sits between the CPU and the heat sink. Thermal paste is the thing that makes absolutely certain that the heat sink has 100% contact with the CPU.
There are also different types of Thermal paste. Now don't fear! I can sum it up for you with 3 basic types, the general pros and cons of each of them included.
Ceramic based: The cheapest, most basic kind, does not conduct electricity so it is not a danger to drip on your motherboard. Deteriorates the fastest: 1 year or longer before needing reapplication.
Metal based: The mid range price, highly efficient, DOES conduct electricity so be careful to not drip it on your motherboard! 1 - 3 years before needing reapplication.
Carbon based: The most expensive, highest quality. Does not conduct electricity. Does not deteriorate as much as the others so it lasts the longest. 3 to 4 years before needing reapplication.
Now keep in mind that not all thermal pastes are created equally, so none of these figures are solid. Some ceramic based pastes will outlast metal based pastes for example and if a thermal paste is applied correctly, some thermal pastes will last years beyond my figures!
So the best thing to do here is read reviews. You'll hear a lot of people swear by their favorite paste, but the most tried and true brand is Arctic Silver 5. Remember those metals that were best for conducting heat? Aluminum and Copper? Well Aluminum may be 3rd to Copper's 2nd. But Silver is in 1st place for best heat conductivity.
Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is liquid silver, literally it is made of 99.9% silver. Because of this, it is the best mid range choice for you if you want to keep your CPU cool. Here's a link to it's product page at Newegg.com if you want to learn more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007
So we've got Thermal Paste passing heat to the heat sink, and the heat sink is pushing it out into the case. Now what?
***Case Fans***
Now there's surprisingly a lot to talk about when it comes to fans, lifespan, noise, LED's but all we need to talk about here is airflow. When installing a case fan, you've got the option to install it so that it pulls air in OR pushes air out.
For optimum airflow, the best way to install your fans is this. All fans in the front of your case should pull air IN, all fans in the back should blow air OUT. This causes the air to be constantly circulated from the front of the case, out the back of the case.
This is the best that fans can do for the overall coolness and comfort of your CPU, but since we're talking about cases...
[][]A Good Case[][]
So what's in a good case? You want durability, plenty of places for fans, lots of interior space, features, etc... But in this scenario, since we're talking about the comfort of your CPU, let's talk about those features to look out for.
You want a case with plenty of places for fans to go. I personally recommend no fewer than 4. 2 places up front and 2 in the back. That's the basics. You can go further and find a case that would have up to 6 or even 8 places for fans! Cases with that many slots are ideal for people doing heavy duty computing like gaming, video rendering, CAD work and so on.
Now remember the optimum placement that I spoke about in the fans section? All fans in the front of your case should pull air IN, all fans in the back should blow air OUT. Why?
The back of your case is likely where things are going to be the hottest because the motherboard is closest to the rear, therefore, the fans in the back pushing air out won't give that hot air anytime to hang around! Also, some cases allow you to have fans in the TOP of your computer case, this is EXCELLENT because since heat naturally rises, any residual heat that doesn't go out the back, will naturally find its way out through the top. Because of this fact, you should ALWAYS install any top fitting fans to blow air OUT of the case.
Another feature to talk about is looking for a case with built in dust filters. Dust is widely known as the silent killer of computers. It slowly but quietly gunks up your fans, clogs up all the ventilation and before you know it, it's way too warm inside your computer.
Finally, work on cable management. Make sure that the cables are tucked out of the way and not hanging around out in open space. This interrupts airflow, and soon, the interior of the computer will heat up even more. It's like the computer is trying to breathe through a stuffy nose.
Anytime someone asks for a recommendation regarding computer cases, I always point them to the Cooler Master brand. More specifically, I guide them to the case that I bought. As of the time of writing this tutorial, the HAF 912 (HAF stands for High Air Flow) is the greatest valued case of this time. 6 slots for fans(one of them on top!), Liquid cooling outlets, a place to install a liquid cooling radiator, dust filters, etc all for (at the time of this writing) $59.99.
This is a great deal for a case with features like these, however as a wise man once wrote, "Choose the case that YOU want. It's not about features in the end, it really does come down to how it looks. You want to be able to look at this computer, and not be upset with it. After all, you'll be looking at it for a long time."
@@@What about Liquid Cooling?@@@
Let me say this first.
Liquid cooling has no greater advantages compared to traditional air cooling.
There, I said it. There's a huge debate in the computing world about whether or not liquid cooling is superior than the traditional method and in the end, BOTH options are just as capable as the other in keeping your CPU cool. It's a proven fact. A traditional fan based heat sink can match or in some cases outperform a liquid cooling unit.
Now of course there are some differences.
It's more expensive. You have to buy individual parts such as a pump (moves the water), a radiator (takes heat from the water, puts it in the air), a block (is placed on your CPU to take the heat away), tubing (guides the water) and a reservoir (contains water) to make it all happen. This is not as cheap or affordable as a traditional air cooled set up.
It's liquid cooling. It traditionally cools with water (some users use anti freeze or even Liquid Hydrogen though these options are non traditional and are for the truly daring.). Because of this fact, there is risk for leakage, and there is nothing worse than a very expensive water cooling kit, busting open and leaking water all over the rest of your computer.
However, aside from building the liquid cooling unit yourself there is such thing as a Self Contained or "Sealed" water cooling unit. These units are pre-assembled and completely sealed, therefore there is much less risk of leakage.
Aside from all of this, Liquid cooling leaves more room inside of your case, it's quieter and it looks COOL! Other than that, cooling wise, there's not much difference between liquid and air cooling other than the method itself.
???/FAQS\???
How hot is TOO hot for my CPU?
The danger zone is generally somewhere after 60 degrees Celsius. It is perfectly OKAY for your CPU to spend a little bit of time in these temperatures, but if it stays there for hours on end, then your CPU is going to take some damage. For lack of a better example, think of it as a brain going through heat stroke. A short amount of time shouldn't hurt anything, a long amount of time will do some brain damage.
The really dangerous zone that the CPU should just never approach is around 80 degrees Celsius and higher. If your CPU is getting to these temperatures then it's time to do some preventative maintenance.
What kind of preventative maintenance should I do for my CPU to make sure it is cool and comfortable?
First, turn off your computer.
Then, clean your fans. Do this with a can of compressed air, spray into the blades of the fans to get all the dust out.
Clean your dust filters if you have any. You can do this with a wet paper towel. Remove them to clean and remember to dry them off afterwards!
ONLY DO THIS STEP EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS OR SO
Remove the heat sink and reapply the thermal paste. To do this, you MUST REMOVE ALL OF THE OLD THERMAL PASTE. Scrape it off with a plastic spudger or an old credit card.
DO NOT USE A RAZOR BLADE TO SCRAPE OFF OLD THERMAL PASTE, It may seem efficient but it's not as safe as it seems. The surface of the CPU must remain as smooth as possible for the best transference of heat. A razor blade can easily gouge and scrape the surface of the CPU. - Thanks for the reminder grebgonebad!
After scraping, use a Thermal paste remover and purifier to really cleanse the surface of the CPU before reapplying the new layer of Thermal paste. Here's a good suggestion for that: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010&Tpk=Thermal Paste Remover
Just make sure that all of the old stuff is GONE before reapplying the new stuff. Reinstall your heat sink and you're done! You have just completed preventative maintenance!
How do I apply thermal paste?
Follow these instructions EXACTLY. After installing the CPU into the motherboard and BEFORE installing the heat sink. Take the syringe full of thermal paste and put an amount comparable to the size of a single long grain of rice on top of the CPU. Take the tip of the applicator and spread the paste around the CPU's face EVENLY. You can use a toothpick or an old credit card to spread it if you want.
Make sure that the entire surface of the CPU is covered before installing the heat sink on top of it. Do not cake it on, a thin layer is a perfect layer. Congrats, you've successfully applied thermal paste! You know what to do now! And if you don't, then I'll tell you. Install the heat sink!
How do I keep track of the CPU temperature?
Most people use these utilities to keep track of their CPU's temps: http://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php
http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ << I use this one. I like the widget.
I have a laptop, how can I maintain the best CPU temp in there?
Well, all the information in this tutorial CAN apply to the laptop user as well, as most laptops will allow you to take the plastic cover off the bottom of the unit and dust out the fans. Some laptops will even give you access to the heat sinks pretty easily so you can even reapply thermal paste to a laptop.
The airflow in a laptop is different however, the laptop typically pulls air in from the bottom and pushes hot air out of the side. Always try and make sure that both of these vents are uncovered and free to breathe.
Thanks for reading my tutorial! I hope it has helped you, and I hope you've learned a lot along the way! Thanks for reading.
CONTENTS
* Introduction
* Information
* The Tutorial
* FAQS
Hello and welcome to my tutorial. I'm sure you're here to learn, "Whats the best way to make sure that my CPU stays cool and healthy for a long time?" Well that's the purpose of this tutorial, so you've reached the right place. First though, lets learn some essential facts regarding this issue before we start.
INFORMATION
First. What's a CPU?
The CPU or, Central Processing Unit is the processor, the core, the BRAIN of your computer. It is solely responsible for calculating, creating and processing all of the neat things your computer can do like; opening files, browsing the web, creating spreadsheets, playing funny cat videos, playing sounds, and operating in general.
Needless to say, the CPU is an extremely vital part of your computer! That's why it is VERY important that you make sure that it is as comfortable as possible inside that computer case.
Speaking of Computer Cases...
You may think that I'm getting off subject here, this is a tutorial about CPU temperatures after all, however the subject I'm about to visit is absolutely vital in regards to keeping a CPU cool and comfortable.
The case, is the outer exterior of your computer, it holds it all together, and keeps everything safe from the outside environment. We need to think of the inside of the case as it's own environment. For example, my computer is set up so that my CPU is a cool 40 degrees Celsius. Is it that temperature in my room? That's 104 degrees Fahrenheit, so no, I hope not. Don't worry though, that's not a bad temperature to be at for a CPU. (For more info on the Danger Zone, scroll down to the FAQS section of this tutorial!)
Anyways, the computer case that you use is ESSENTIAL to keeping the CPU cool and comfortable. Why? Because if you have a case that has only 2 fan ports and you intend to have a computer rendering and editing HD video for hours on end, you can bet your CPU will be sweating! However, if you get a case that comes with plenty of places for fans and water cooling outlets then no worries, your CPU will feel as if it's rendering videos inside a well air conditioned office!
Now of course, it's not ALL up to the Computer Case.
Heat sinks are your best friend.
Heat sinks are those metal things that look like silver blocks with rows and rows of thin fins on them. But more than that, the heat sink is an incredibly important part of keeping your CPU cool.
For instance, if your CPU was in your computer case, all put together and it had no heat sink on it, it would just get hotter and hotter until it fried. No exceptions and it will happen within seconds. Scared yet? DON'T BE!
The heat sink is here to protect your CPU! A heat sink works by using natural laws of thermodynamics. Essentially this means that the heat sink just pulls heat away from the heat source (your CPU in this example) and dissipates it into the air. Heat sinks do this naturally because of the materials they are most commonly made of, Aluminum and Copper. These two metals are excellent at absorbing heat and dissipating it, without staying too hot themselves. Yay, Science!
Combined alongside heat sinks in computers, are fans, the fans increase the usefulness of the heat sink by blowing all the heat away from the heat source, otherwise the heat would slowly creep out and just slowly go up. (Remember, heat rises, this is something to bear in mind.)
Finally, before we begin, let's talk about those fans...
Ahh, Case fans. The old fashioned, tried and true technology that has kept our computers cool since the beginnings of it all. So we know that case fans keep our computers cool, but they do more than that really. They circulate air.
You could put your computer in box made of ice and leave it there running with no fans, and it would only get hotter. Why? Because the heat isn't traveling anywhere! Thus, the purpose of case fans.
Case fans move the air around and OUT of the case. Without them, the heat would just be trapped within the case, moving around and around until eventually, it's just too hot for your CPU to take it anymore.
As it is with all computer parts, there are many different shapes (mostly round actually) sizes and types. But never fear, I can simplify this with this short advice. The fan you get must be compatible with the computer case you get.
Gee, you say, why is that advice in bold text? Here's why, there are around 25 different standard sizes of case fans and only about 3 of them are common in most computer cases. Those sizes are 80mm, 120mm and 140mm. Don't fret though, it's very easy to figure out what size fans are compatible with your case by simply looking into the specs for the case before buying it, or reading the documentation included with it.
Now that we've got all of the essentials out of the way, let's get started!!!
THE TUTORIAL
SO! You've got a CPU that you want to keep cool, well here's the things you will need, and these are the things we'll discuss.
+ A Heat Sink
+ Thermal Paste
+ Case Fans
+ A Good Case
+ And finally, What about Liquid Cooling?
|||Heat Sinks|||
Most likely, your CPU came with a heat sink. A stock heat sink is fine these days, no worries. It will perform well for your basic needs and in some cases, it's fine for some intensive things as well. But if you're sure that your computer is going to do some hardcore video rendering, gaming, CAD modeling or something else that's gonna use tons of processing power on a full time schedule, then you'll want to search for a different kind of heat sink.
There ARE TONS of CPU cooling heat sinks to choose from. Just do a search for "CPU cooler" on your favorite computer parts website and look at that list. So many different colors, shapes and sizes! Where to begin? Well, there's not very many differences to this plethora of heat sinks when you get down to it. So, what makes a good heat sink?
Aluminum and Copper. Don't worry, just about every heat sink is made of one or both of these materials. However, in a ranking system, Copper is 2.3 times better than Aluminum at conducting heat. Therefore, a full Copper heat sink is the way to go baby! However, Copper is more expensive than Aluminum and therefore, would have you spending more Copper than necessary. (Get it? Pennies are made of Copper! Hahaha!)
Sad? Don't be! It's totally possible to get a heat sink that is the best of both worlds. This is where the magic of Copper heat pipes come in.
Copper heat pipes are threaded directly through the Aluminum fins of a heat sink to the source of heat. If they're good heat pipes, they'll make DIRECT CONTACT and will help do an excellent job of pulling that nasty heat out and away from the CPU. And because the heat sink is using less Copper, it's cheaper and still very efficient.
Here's an excellent example of a heat sink that uses Copper heat pipes, it's also highly reviewed so I recommend it! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099]http://
Also, most heat sinks come with a fan built into it. These are necessary to push the dissipated heat away from the heat source, out into your case. Where does it go then? We'll get to that when we talk about case fans. So let's move onto Thermal Paste!
~~Thermal Paste~~
Alright, so lets cover the missing link here. Thermal Paste. You have to put the heat sink on top of the CPU, but you can't just put it there like that, you've gotta get messy! (Well, not really, it's best to do this as neat as possible.)
Thermal Paste is exactly what it sounds like, it's a paste that you apply directly to the top of the CPU, and it sits between the CPU and the heat sink. Thermal paste is the thing that makes absolutely certain that the heat sink has 100% contact with the CPU.
There are also different types of Thermal paste. Now don't fear! I can sum it up for you with 3 basic types, the general pros and cons of each of them included.
Ceramic based: The cheapest, most basic kind, does not conduct electricity so it is not a danger to drip on your motherboard. Deteriorates the fastest: 1 year or longer before needing reapplication.
Metal based: The mid range price, highly efficient, DOES conduct electricity so be careful to not drip it on your motherboard! 1 - 3 years before needing reapplication.
Carbon based: The most expensive, highest quality. Does not conduct electricity. Does not deteriorate as much as the others so it lasts the longest. 3 to 4 years before needing reapplication.
Now keep in mind that not all thermal pastes are created equally, so none of these figures are solid. Some ceramic based pastes will outlast metal based pastes for example and if a thermal paste is applied correctly, some thermal pastes will last years beyond my figures!
So the best thing to do here is read reviews. You'll hear a lot of people swear by their favorite paste, but the most tried and true brand is Arctic Silver 5. Remember those metals that were best for conducting heat? Aluminum and Copper? Well Aluminum may be 3rd to Copper's 2nd. But Silver is in 1st place for best heat conductivity.
Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is liquid silver, literally it is made of 99.9% silver. Because of this, it is the best mid range choice for you if you want to keep your CPU cool. Here's a link to it's product page at Newegg.com if you want to learn more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007
So we've got Thermal Paste passing heat to the heat sink, and the heat sink is pushing it out into the case. Now what?
***Case Fans***
Now there's surprisingly a lot to talk about when it comes to fans, lifespan, noise, LED's but all we need to talk about here is airflow. When installing a case fan, you've got the option to install it so that it pulls air in OR pushes air out.
For optimum airflow, the best way to install your fans is this. All fans in the front of your case should pull air IN, all fans in the back should blow air OUT. This causes the air to be constantly circulated from the front of the case, out the back of the case.
This is the best that fans can do for the overall coolness and comfort of your CPU, but since we're talking about cases...
[][]A Good Case[][]
So what's in a good case? You want durability, plenty of places for fans, lots of interior space, features, etc... But in this scenario, since we're talking about the comfort of your CPU, let's talk about those features to look out for.
You want a case with plenty of places for fans to go. I personally recommend no fewer than 4. 2 places up front and 2 in the back. That's the basics. You can go further and find a case that would have up to 6 or even 8 places for fans! Cases with that many slots are ideal for people doing heavy duty computing like gaming, video rendering, CAD work and so on.
Now remember the optimum placement that I spoke about in the fans section? All fans in the front of your case should pull air IN, all fans in the back should blow air OUT. Why?
The back of your case is likely where things are going to be the hottest because the motherboard is closest to the rear, therefore, the fans in the back pushing air out won't give that hot air anytime to hang around! Also, some cases allow you to have fans in the TOP of your computer case, this is EXCELLENT because since heat naturally rises, any residual heat that doesn't go out the back, will naturally find its way out through the top. Because of this fact, you should ALWAYS install any top fitting fans to blow air OUT of the case.
Another feature to talk about is looking for a case with built in dust filters. Dust is widely known as the silent killer of computers. It slowly but quietly gunks up your fans, clogs up all the ventilation and before you know it, it's way too warm inside your computer.
Finally, work on cable management. Make sure that the cables are tucked out of the way and not hanging around out in open space. This interrupts airflow, and soon, the interior of the computer will heat up even more. It's like the computer is trying to breathe through a stuffy nose.
Anytime someone asks for a recommendation regarding computer cases, I always point them to the Cooler Master brand. More specifically, I guide them to the case that I bought. As of the time of writing this tutorial, the HAF 912 (HAF stands for High Air Flow) is the greatest valued case of this time. 6 slots for fans(one of them on top!), Liquid cooling outlets, a place to install a liquid cooling radiator, dust filters, etc all for (at the time of this writing) $59.99.
This is a great deal for a case with features like these, however as a wise man once wrote, "Choose the case that YOU want. It's not about features in the end, it really does come down to how it looks. You want to be able to look at this computer, and not be upset with it. After all, you'll be looking at it for a long time."
@@@What about Liquid Cooling?@@@
Let me say this first.
Liquid cooling has no greater advantages compared to traditional air cooling.
There, I said it. There's a huge debate in the computing world about whether or not liquid cooling is superior than the traditional method and in the end, BOTH options are just as capable as the other in keeping your CPU cool. It's a proven fact. A traditional fan based heat sink can match or in some cases outperform a liquid cooling unit.
Now of course there are some differences.
It's more expensive. You have to buy individual parts such as a pump (moves the water), a radiator (takes heat from the water, puts it in the air), a block (is placed on your CPU to take the heat away), tubing (guides the water) and a reservoir (contains water) to make it all happen. This is not as cheap or affordable as a traditional air cooled set up.
It's liquid cooling. It traditionally cools with water (some users use anti freeze or even Liquid Hydrogen though these options are non traditional and are for the truly daring.). Because of this fact, there is risk for leakage, and there is nothing worse than a very expensive water cooling kit, busting open and leaking water all over the rest of your computer.
However, aside from building the liquid cooling unit yourself there is such thing as a Self Contained or "Sealed" water cooling unit. These units are pre-assembled and completely sealed, therefore there is much less risk of leakage.
Aside from all of this, Liquid cooling leaves more room inside of your case, it's quieter and it looks COOL! Other than that, cooling wise, there's not much difference between liquid and air cooling other than the method itself.
???/FAQS\???
How hot is TOO hot for my CPU?
The danger zone is generally somewhere after 60 degrees Celsius. It is perfectly OKAY for your CPU to spend a little bit of time in these temperatures, but if it stays there for hours on end, then your CPU is going to take some damage. For lack of a better example, think of it as a brain going through heat stroke. A short amount of time shouldn't hurt anything, a long amount of time will do some brain damage.
The really dangerous zone that the CPU should just never approach is around 80 degrees Celsius and higher. If your CPU is getting to these temperatures then it's time to do some preventative maintenance.
What kind of preventative maintenance should I do for my CPU to make sure it is cool and comfortable?
First, turn off your computer.
Then, clean your fans. Do this with a can of compressed air, spray into the blades of the fans to get all the dust out.
Clean your dust filters if you have any. You can do this with a wet paper towel. Remove them to clean and remember to dry them off afterwards!
ONLY DO THIS STEP EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS OR SO
Remove the heat sink and reapply the thermal paste. To do this, you MUST REMOVE ALL OF THE OLD THERMAL PASTE. Scrape it off with a plastic spudger or an old credit card.
DO NOT USE A RAZOR BLADE TO SCRAPE OFF OLD THERMAL PASTE, It may seem efficient but it's not as safe as it seems. The surface of the CPU must remain as smooth as possible for the best transference of heat. A razor blade can easily gouge and scrape the surface of the CPU. - Thanks for the reminder grebgonebad!
After scraping, use a Thermal paste remover and purifier to really cleanse the surface of the CPU before reapplying the new layer of Thermal paste. Here's a good suggestion for that: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010&Tpk=Thermal Paste Remover
Just make sure that all of the old stuff is GONE before reapplying the new stuff. Reinstall your heat sink and you're done! You have just completed preventative maintenance!
How do I apply thermal paste?
Follow these instructions EXACTLY. After installing the CPU into the motherboard and BEFORE installing the heat sink. Take the syringe full of thermal paste and put an amount comparable to the size of a single long grain of rice on top of the CPU. Take the tip of the applicator and spread the paste around the CPU's face EVENLY. You can use a toothpick or an old credit card to spread it if you want.
Make sure that the entire surface of the CPU is covered before installing the heat sink on top of it. Do not cake it on, a thin layer is a perfect layer. Congrats, you've successfully applied thermal paste! You know what to do now! And if you don't, then I'll tell you. Install the heat sink!
How do I keep track of the CPU temperature?
Most people use these utilities to keep track of their CPU's temps: http://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php
http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ << I use this one. I like the widget.
I have a laptop, how can I maintain the best CPU temp in there?
Well, all the information in this tutorial CAN apply to the laptop user as well, as most laptops will allow you to take the plastic cover off the bottom of the unit and dust out the fans. Some laptops will even give you access to the heat sinks pretty easily so you can even reapply thermal paste to a laptop.
The airflow in a laptop is different however, the laptop typically pulls air in from the bottom and pushes hot air out of the side. Always try and make sure that both of these vents are uncovered and free to breathe.
Thanks for reading my tutorial! I hope it has helped you, and I hope you've learned a lot along the way! Thanks for reading.
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