How to install and troubleshoot computer cooling systems

The cooling fans present inside our computer case play an important role in preventing our components from damage or malfunction as a result of overheating.

The CPU Fan

CPU cooling fan

The processor (CPU) functions as the brain of the computer. It can reach a very high temperature which can result in its malfunction, therefore it requires proper cooling.

The cooling is done by the CPU cooling fan which is usually attached to the top of heat sinks that seats on the processors. The heat sinks function is to transfer the heat produced by the processor through its surface which is then dissipated by the cooling fan placed on it.
Note: when installing the heat sink on the processor, ensure that a thermal paste is applied on the surface of contact between the heat sink and processor to enable proper contact thereby allowing a proper heat transfer from the processor to the heat sink.

The Computer Case Fans

Computer case fan sizes

The computer case fan function is to pull cool air in and hot air out of the computer. It comes in various sizes with the common ones being 80mm, 92mm and 120mm. when installing computer case fans you have to take note of the airflow direction which is usually indicated by an arrow pointing to the direction of airflow.

Install the fan in such a way that the air flows in the right direction. Usually, cool air flows in through the front end of the case and hot air flows out through the rear end and sides.

Airflow in and out of a computer case

When installing cooling fans in your computer, take note of factors such as:

Motherboard type: Some older motherboards have a tight fit of its components thereby producing more heat compared to newer designs with wider spacing of components to encourage more airflow which means the later requires lesser cooling than the former.

Number of installed device: Having extra devices such as multiple hard drives, CPU, adapter cards, memory modules can also contribute to more heat production and thereby requiring more cooling.

Wiring: The type of cable present in the computer can also determine the amount of cooling required. For example, computers with the PATA ribbon cables are cluttered as the cable tend to occupy space and encourage more heat production. On the other hand the new SATA cables found in newer computers which are smaller occupies lesser space and can enhance airflow.

Computer case location: The location where the computer case is placed also matter a lot. If placed in a tight space, this will prevent proper air flow in and out of the computer. Also when placed in a dusty environment such as in a warehouse, dusts tend to build up in a short time and block the air vents thereby resulting to overheating.

Troubleshooting Cooling Systems

In other to troubleshoot cooling systems, there are programs that can be used to monitor the computers’ temperature and will give a warning if it is getting too hot. A computer program such as PC wizard or cpuid hardware monitor can be used for this purpose.

Sometimes cooling fans may get damaged or can stop working for one reason or the other also air vents may be clogged up with dusts and all this may result to overheating of the system.
So if you notice your computer is running too hot, check to see if all the cooling fans are working properly also ensure to clean out dusts regularly from the inside with vacuum or air blowers and if required, add more fans in spaces provided for any extra cooling fan.

Hope this post was helpful? Let us know if you have any question or contribution.