news hardware Heatwave: 5 tips to prevent your PC from overheating
Summer has been hot and continues to be hot… The month of August is not over yet and the heat is likely to start again. Not only do you fear the heat, but also your PC. Whether tower or laptop, your electronic products are not designed to withstand such conditions.
summary
- What are the risks for your PC?
- 5 tips for saving for your PC
- Avoid opening lots of software or greedy software
- Clean up your PC
- Put your PC in a good place
- Use your PC a little less
- One last tip for laptops
What are the risks for your PC?
Whether computer, tablet or smartphone, all high-tech devices generate heat. And for good reason, the gear they carry, particularly the processors, tends to heat up quickly.
The devices are designed to withstand fairly accurate temperatures, but given global warming, I’m not going to tell you that temperatures are likely to be even higher in the future.
Electronic components can thermally expand, damaging your equipment
The Nippon giant tweeted the following message on its official site:
Playing the Nintendo Switch in a hot location may increase the console’s temperature. Please use the machine in a place where the temperature is between 5℃ and 35℃. In addition, if the air inlets and outlets are clogged, this can cause the console to heat up.
Using the Nintendo Switch in a hot location may cause the console’s temperature to rise. Please use it instead of 5-35 degrees Celsius.
Even if the intake or exhaust vents are blocked, the temperature of the main unit may rise. Make sure there is good ventilation around the air inlet and outlet openings. https://t.co/bgS883YDWX pic.twitter.com/0c86fcgxnV
— Nintendo Support (@nintendo_cs) July 11, 2022
You may even notice that your smartphone heats up a little more when you turn it on in the sun, this is perfectly normal, but don’t abuse its resistance.
5 tips for saving for your PC
Avoid opening lots of software or greedy software
This may seem obvious, but it’s always good to remember. When you open software or games on your PC, vYour processor will heat up with the bewildering number of calculations it performs.
The same goes for your graphics card, which can get very hot, especially when launching a very greedy game like Red Dead Redemption II or Marvel Spiderman.
To know the status of your computer, do not hesitate to consult your Windows task manager to see which applications are using the most energy.
Clean up your PC
And yes, even if you have the airiest case in the world and are cranking a fan combo at full speed, you still have to think about cleaning!
Dust buildup clogs your PC’s fans and therefore prevents them from spinning properly. The fans, used to ventilate your PC components when your case is full of dust, and in high heat, your PC can take a hit.
The best way to perform such a maneuver is to open the case and use an aerosol dust remover and a small, soft-bristled brush.
Put your PC in a good place
If you put your suitcase in a piece of furniture, be careful. If you don’t let the PC “breathe”, it can lead to overheating. And if the rear fan blows directly against a wall, it’s even worse.
If you are in a small space like a bedroom, avoid placing your PC in a corner of the room. The more airy your space, the better.
Use your PC a little less
That’s stupid to say, especially if you use your PC for your work. But your electronic devices will be no exception in this case.
After a longer period of use, between 5 and 6 hours, your PC starts blowing a little more on hot days.
If you usually leave your computer on all day or even find it in standby mode, try to turn it off as often as possible during the day. An accident happened so quickly.
One last tip for laptops
We think of you too, laptop users! While most of the previous tips apply to your case, there is one that applies only to you.
If you tend to leave your charger plugged into your PC all day, this is a very bad idea. Your battery accumulates heat from the load, ambient heat, and your usage.
It’s even worse for PC gamers, as the battery will melt like snow in the sun as soon as a greedy game is launched, encouraging you to keep your charger plugged in.
Little bonus, we advise you to get a vented laptop PC mount, so all you have to do is plug the mount into a USB port and the fans will spin just below your device.
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