Having a computer that heats up your room can be frustrating, especially in warmer months. The heat generated from your computer components like the CPU and GPU can quickly make your room uncomfortable. There are several steps you can take though to stop your computer from turning your room into a sauna.
Clean Out Computer Dust Buildup
One of the most common reasons a computer overheats is due to a buildup of dust inside the case. As dust accumulates on components like the CPU heatsink and fans, it restricts airflow and prevents heat from properly dissipating. This causes your computer to run hotter. Regularly cleaning dust buildup out of your computer can lower temperatures significantly.
Use compressed air to blow dust out of your computer. Be sure to hold fans in place when blowing air on them so they don’t spin too fast. Also use a soft brush to gently dislodge caked-on dust. Pay special attention to the CPU heatsink, GPU heatsink, case fans, and ventilation holes where dust gathers the most.
Cleaning your computer every 6-12 months is recommended to prevent excess dust buildup that can cause overheating issues. Doing this simple maintenance can keep your computer running cooler and prevent dust-related problems.
Check Location and Improve Airflow
Where you place your computer in your room can also contribute to excess heat if airflow is restricted. Try to avoid placing your computer inside tight enclosed spaces like a closet or crammed under a desk. This restricts air circulation around the computer case and causes heat to build up rapidly.
Ideally you want your computer out in the open where cool air can easily enter and hot air can exhaust from the case. Even just several inches of clearance space around the case to allow proper airflow can make a difference.
Make sure the front and back of the computer case are not blocked by anything either. Many cases draw cool air in through vents at the front and exhaust hot air out the back. Anything obstructing these vents will limit airflow and cause higher temperatures.
Also check that you don’t have any cables, sheets of paper, or other objects resting directly against the side air vents. Air needs to flow freely through these side vents to properly cool components.
Add More Cooling Fans
Insufficient cooling fans can lead to heat buildup as well. Most computer cases come with at least one rear exhaust fan. But consider adding more fans, especially if you have hotter high-end components like a powerful CPU or graphics card.
Adding more intake fans at the front and bottom of the case will bring in more cool air. Running two intake and one exhaust fan is a good configuration. More powerful gaming PCs may benefit from even more fans. Just be sure to maintain proper balance between intake and exhaust fans.
Look at adding a CPU cooler fan if you are overclocking your processor. The stock CPU cooler might not be adequate for an overclocked chip. Tower coolers with large fan heat sinks greatly reduce CPU temperatures.
You can also install additional case fans specifically aimed at cooling your graphics card. These GPU fans mount in the case bracket and blow directly on the graphics card heatsink and fan.
Improve Case Airflow
Improving overall airflow in your computer case can better cool components and reduce temperatures. Here are some modifications to improve airflow:
- Switch to a mesh front panel case instead of a solid front panel. Mesh allows much greater airflow.
- Add fan filter mesh over case vents to reduce dust buildup.
- Remove any unused PCI/PCIe slot covers to allow more airflow out the back.
- Route cables through the back panel instead of the front to avoid airflow obstruction.
- Use a case with built-in cable management features to neatly organize cables and improve airflow.
These modifications optimize internal case airflow to more effectively cool components. Just improving case airflow results in lower temperatures for both CPU and GPUs.
Use a Laptop Cooling Pad
For laptops that get hot, a cooling pad can help lower temperatures by up to 10°C. Cooling pads have built-in fans that blow cool air under your laptop and improve airflow through the bottom vents.
Using a laptop on a soft surface like a bed or couch restricts this bottom intake airflow and causes overheating. A cooling pad creates space underneath and drives more cool air into the laptop.
Look for a cooling pad with high CFM (cubic feet per minute) fans for maximum airflow. The pad should approximately match the size of your laptop for optimal cooling effects.
Just avoid using a cooling pad on hard surfaces where bottom vents can get blocked. This reduces effectiveness. But on a soft surface, a good cooling pad is an easy way to reduce laptop heat buildup.
Undervolt Your CPU and GPU
Undervolting is a process of slightly reducing the voltage supplied to your CPU and GPU. The stock voltages from the manufacturer are often set higher than needed to ensure stability across any system.
But with proper undervolting you can run at a lower voltage that reduces temperatures, while maintaining full performance and stability. For example, undervolting can lower CPU temperatures by over 5°C in some cases.
Use CPU and GPU undervolting software like Intel Extreme Tuning Utility or AMD Ryzen Master. Then run stress tests to find a stable reduced voltage for your particular components.
Just take your time and use small undervolt increments to test system stability. But undervolting is an effective way to lower temperatures on both desktops and laptops when done properly.
Limit Background Processes
Too many background processes can result in higher CPU and RAM usage. This added workload forces your components to run hotter.
Use Task Manager to view what background processes are running. Consider disabling any unnecessary apps and startup programs that tax your CPU and memory for no reason.
Things like unnecessary anti-virus scanners, third party system utilities, and even bundled manufacturer software are often culprits. Disable or uninstall anything not absolutely essential for lower resource usage and cooler operation.
Also check for malware like bitcoin miners that silently run in the background. These can drive up CPU usage and temperatures and need to be removed.
Lower Power Settings
Higher performance power plans force computer components to run at full power all the time. This maximum power output creates extra heat.
Use a lower balanced power plan instead of maximum performance. Windows 10 and 11 for example have balanced plans that optimally power components based on current workload. This results in lower temps when idling or doing light tasks.
Laptops in particular benefit from switching to a cooler battery saving plan when unplugged. Power hungry high performance modes are meant more for gaming while plugged in.
Adjusting down your power plan is an easy way to reduce power consumption and heat when you don’t need the full performance of a high power mode. And components like SSDs and RAM run perfectly fine in lower power saving modes.
Reapply Thermal Paste
Old dried out thermal paste between the CPU/GPU and heatsink leads to increased junction temperatures. These components can run much hotter without sufficient thermal interface material to efficiently transfer heat.
Every 2 years or so, you should clean off old thermal paste and reapply fresh paste. Use high-quality thermal compounds like Arctic Silver or Thermal Grizzly for best results.
Applying just the right amount and properly mounting the heatsink can reduce CPU and GPU temperatures by over 10°C in some instances. This is essential preventative maintenance for maintaining proper cooling as thermal paste dries out.
Upgrade Cooling Components
For more extreme cooling, you can upgrade components like CPU coolers, case fans, laptop cooling pads, and even replacement laptop heatsinks.
High performance air coolers like a Noctua NH-D15S beat stock coolers and lower CPU temps by 20°C or more. A beefy tower cooler is great for hot-running or overclocked chips.
Higher CFM fans like Corsair ML120 Pro vastly improve case airflow over basic models. A set of 4 of these fans can drastically reduce temps.
Laptop cooling pads with 5+ high-speed fans can lower laptop temps better than basic single fan models. Look for models rated for gaming laptops.
You can also replace the stock thermal module in gaming laptops. Aftermarket modules use better heatsinks, heatpipes and thermal paste for lower temperatures.
For the most demanding PCs, these upgraded components reduce temperatures substantially. But they involve more disassembly and cost compared to simpler cooling methods.
Improve Case Cable Management
Poor cable management with cables cluttering the interior can obstruct airflow and lead to overheating. Here are some cable management tips:
- Bundle loose cables together with zip ties or velcro straps so they’re not restricting airflow.
- Route cables through the back panel cutouts whenever possible instead of the front.
- Use twist ties to mount longer cables to case roof or floor to contain them.
- Utilize cable routing holes with rubber grommets to cleanly route cables behind the case.
- Take advantage of cases with built-in cable management features for optimal cable organization.
Properly containing cables instead of letting them lay loose in the case makes a substantial difference in airflow. Good cable management is easy to implement and helps reduce temperatures.
Improve Case Ventilation
Limited ventilation in a computer case restricts airflow and causes internal heat buildup. Here are some ways to improve case ventilation:
- Remove any unused rear slot covers to improve ventilation out the back of the case.
- Consider installing a vented PCI slot cover to allow GPU heat to exhaust out the rear.
- Modify the case to mount a fan on the side panel blowing directly on graphics cards.
- Use a drill or Dremel tool to mod mesh intake vents into the front panel if restricted.
- Replace solid case side panels with vented versions to improve GPU and overall airflow.
- Swap out a solid front panel for a mesh front panel to drastically increase front intake airflow.
Improved case ventilation provides an escape route for heat and also increases intake of cool air. This is especially important with hot high wattage components. Better case ventilation keeps internal temps lower.
Adjust Fan Curves
Adjusting your CPU and case fan speeds with a more aggressive curve can improve cooling. Fan curves control fan speeds based on temperature.
Use your system BIOS or utilities like SpeedFan to custom configure fan curves. Setting fans to ramp up sooner to higher speeds creates more cooling airflow.
But balance noise – high fan speeds tend to create more noise. Find optimal fan speeds that cool your system while keeping fan noise to acceptable levels.
Also set CPU and GPU fans to ramp up under load before temperatures get too high. Having fans instantly spin faster under load prevents overheating.
With custom fan curves in place, your fans work harder to keep critical components cooler as workload increases.
Upgrade to Better CPU & GPU Coolers
For extreme cooling, consider upgrading to an high performance CPU air cooler or all-in-one liquid cooler. These will significantly lower CPU temperatures.
- Air coolers – Noctua NH-D15S, Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
- Liquid (AIO) coolers – NZXT Kraken X63, Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix, EVGA CLC 280
High-end air coolers with dual tower heatsinks and 6 copper heatpipes can reduce CPU temperatures by 20°C or more compared to the stock cooler.
240mm or 280mm all-in-one liquid coolers are even more capable at cooling overclocked and high TDP CPUs. They can lower temps by 30°C+.
For graphics card cooling, upgrading to an aftermarket GPU cooler like the ARCTIC Accelero Xtreme IV with 3 big fans can reduce GPU temperatures substantially.
These upgraded CPU and GPU coolers keep high performance components much cooler for lower overall system temperatures.
Underclock Your GPU
If you don’t require the full gaming performance of your graphics card, underclocking will reduce power consumption and temperatures.
Use MSI Afterburner to lower your GPU core clock and memory clock speeds. This reduces the power load on the card and corresponding heat output.
You can also lower or increase the GPU fan speed curve in Afterburner to better balance cooling and noise based on your new lower clocks.
Underclocking works well if you play older or esports titles that don’t need the full power of your GPU. Just be sure to stress test for stability.
Repaste Your GPU
Old, dried out thermal paste on your graphics card’s GPU core can lead to much higher temperatures. This is especially common on older cards.
Every 2 years you should remove the graphics card heatsink and clean off the old paste. Then apply fresh high-quality paste like Noctua, Arctic Silver or Thermal Grizzly.
Use thin even layer and proper heatsink mounting pressure. This can reduce GPU temperatures by up to 10°C+ to improve cooling and extend the life of your graphics card.
Reduce Background CPU Processes
Too many unnecessary apps and background processes taxing your CPU causes higher temperatures. Here are some tips to reduce CPU background usage:
- Close any apps you aren’t actively using like web browsers, Office apps, media software.
- Disable or remove startup programs you don’t need loading with Windows.
- Adjust antivirus software to minimize background CPU usage when idle.
- Set Windows Update to notify you before downloading/installing updates rather than automatically installing them.
- Check for and remove any malware or bitcoin mining programs needlessly loading your CPU.
- Disable visual effects like transparency in Windows if you don’t need them to lower resource load.
Reducing what’s constantly running in the background frees up CPU cycles and reduces heat output and power draw. Monitor task manager to identify and minimize unnecessary background processes.
Upgrade Your Power Supply
An insufficient power supply can cause a computer to overheat. Check that your PSU provides enough wattage to properly power all of your components.
- Use a PSU wattage calculator to add up your total system power draw.
- Add at least 100W extra as a safety buffer for efficient operation.
- Make sure your PSU provides stable clean power on the 12V rail within 5% voltage regulation.
- Choose a high-efficiency 80 Plus Gold or better certified PSU for cooler operation.
Also make sure you are using two separate PCIe power cables to connect your GPU, not splitting one cable. This maintains proper power delivery to each 8-pin input.
Having adequate power output and stability keeps your system running optimally and can help reduce heat.
Conclusion
An overheating computer can negatively affect performance and lead to system instability and shutdowns. But using a combination of cleaning, improved airflow, new cooling hardware, underclocking/undervolting, upgrading components, and properly configuring your machine can get temperatures under control.
Start with simpler steps like dust removal and freeing up airflow restrictions around your case. Consider adding more cooling fans as necessary. For extreme cooling challenges, upgrading heatsinks, thermal paste, and even the case itself may be needed.
Keeping your computer clean and dust-free is one of the most important regular maintenance steps you can take. But using multiple cooling methods together provides the best results for stopping an overheating computer from turning your room into a sauna.