Preventing PC Overheating
Overheating is your computer’s biggest enemy; too much heat can fry its delicate circuitry and chips and send you shopping for a brand new system. Just as you need to keep your car engine cool to prevent damage, you must do the same for the delicate mechanisms beneath the hood of your PC. Its fast spinning hard drives and quick microprocessors packed inside cramped quarters can lead to dangerous overheating and potential equipment damage. In fact, some high-performance hard disks can produce an astonishing amount of heat. If this heat is not safely dissipated, it can cause serious performance problems or even damage the hard disk. Because today’s high-performance computers generate a great deal of heat - as much as 175 watts for the typical full-sized desktop - computers come with built-in protections against overheating such as fans and heatsinks. We’ll take a look at these protections and then follow up with some easy-to-implement steps you can take to give your computer additional protection against heat damage.

Major Causes of Overheating
Among the primary causes of computer overheating are the PC’s components themselves, poorly ventilated environment, direct sunlight and dust. Dust build-up can insulate components, compromise their ability to cool off, and cause them to burn up. Unfortunately, in addition to cooling your PC, your computer’s internal cooling fans also manage to suck a fair amount of the dusk that has settled into the immediate environment. A big pile of dust of can also attract moisture, causing a deadly combination of liquid and filth that can corrode the metal parts inside your computer. If you keep your PC in a climate-controlled environment, you don’t have much to worry about. All you need to do is conduct a thorough annual dusting and cleaning to protect your PC against dust buildup. If you’re in a heavily trafficked area such as an office, workshop or living room, it pays to dust and clean every few months. It’s best to keep the computer up off the floor so dust and dirt from the floor or carpet isn’t pulled in. This is especially critical if you have pets with hair, fur or feathers in the area.

Internal Cooling Systems - Fans and Heatsinks
Currently, most CPU cooling systems include fans and a heatsink. Additionally, your computer’s internal power supply provides primary ventilation by flushing warm air out of the cramped computer case. Computer cases and equipment enclosures often use a single fan or group of fans to exhaust hot air. A cooling fan’s performance is defined by its physical size, type of support bearings, fan speed, and propeller blade design performance and a overall CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating. The higher the CFM the better the airflow, which results in better heat convection. A heatsink is a device that is attached to a processor chip to keep it from overheating by absorbing its heat and dissipating it into the air. In Intel computers, the heatsink is located either on top of the processor or on the side. When you buy a computer or a separate microprocessor, the heatsink comes with it. Most heatsinks are aluminum and have "fins" that extend from the base. Heatsinks comprised of copper-based alloys provide improved thermal conductivity, but are more expensive.

The Cooling Properties of Power Supplies
A typical computer power supply has a fan which blows air out of the back of the power supply, drawing air through the case and over the power supply's internal components. In some cases, a second fan is added to the front of the case to provide additional ventilation. The power supply fan and the additional fans, if any, must operate smoothly. Excessive dust will result in sluggish fan blades and decreased airflow. A fan, which makes grinding, clicking or thumping noises is on its last legs, and its cooling abilities have been compromised. Once a fan is diagnosed with noticeably decreased airflow, it's time to replace it.

Common Sense Cooling Tips
Protecting your computer and peripherals from excessive heat requires just a little common sense. Here are a few easy steps to follow to ensure proper cooling:

1. Do not expose your PC to direct sunlight. If your computer sits near a window, exposing it to direct sunlight, then move it.
   
2. Keep your PC away from heating systems. If your computer is next to a radiator or a heating vent, move it! Don’t keep a space heater under your desk right next to your PC! Also, if your computer is next to a stove, microwave, TV or stereo, move it away from these heat producing appliances.
   
3. Keep your PC in an air-conditioned environment.
   
4. Maintain adequate ventilation. If your PC is crowded between your desk and the wall, there’s no room for proper air circulation. Depriving your computer of air will cause it to overheat! Move your PC away from any confined space - make sure it has a foot of open space in all directions to maintain proper air circulation.
   
5. Don’t pile papers on top of your computer or monitor; they can cover up vents and cause overheating.
   
6. Use compressed air canisters to remove dust and other heat-causing debris.