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If you're worried that the summer heat will negatively affect your PC's performance due to the high temperatures, you're not alone. Fortunately, there are methods to prevent your computer from suffering from overheating that could damage internal components (GPU, U, motherboard, etc.) and its lifespan. In this practical guide on how to prevent your gaming PC from overheating in summer, we bring you some tips on the subject.
How to prevent your PC from overheating: clean the dust regularly
In almost every tutorial and guide where I have talked about how to extend the life of your PC or console, avoid overheating, etc. I have explained how important it is to clean it regularly. In this case it is no different.
If you don't dust your computer every 3-6 months --in this case-- you will make it cool worse. When it accumulates in excess on the fans, their performance declines
When your PC's components are very dusty, the temperature rises more quickly, because the heat is dissipated and distributed more efficiently
To clean the inside of the computer, if you don't have much knowledge on the subject, I recommend that you buy a can of compressed air (or an air gun) without electrostatic charge
Use it on the components (hold the fan so that it does not spin when it is off) and remove as much dust as you can. You can use a soft brush or microfiber cloths to remove areas with more dust, but never touch any microchip or section that looks sensitive.
If you're not sure how to manage this issue, it's best to go back to basics. Alternatively, there are specialist shops that will charge you to clean your computer. It's usually not too expensive.
Check where you place your PC if you don't want it to overheat
It may seem obvious, but it is not always the case. In fact, a player recently became the laughing stock of Reddit for storing his computer inside a cupboard, causing it to overheat excessively.
Therefore, placing your PC in a suitable location is important to manage its temperature. If it is near a window, make sure that daylight does not shine directly on it for many hours, as it will get very hot just because of this detail.
In addition, you should make sure that there is enough space between the console and the wall so that the hot air does not bounce back. Air circulation is very important.
Never place the tower in an enclosed space. If you have it on the floor, avoid carpets and rugs, as they retain heat very inefficiently (in these cases). If you are using a laptop, do not place it on your lap or on the bed.
Use temperature control software
A good way to manage your PC's temperature and prevent it from overheating is to use software (i.e. a program installed via an executable) for control, management and monitoring.
MSI Afterburner or Core Temp are free and quite popular. Between the two, you can monitor the temperature of the processor, GPU and other components in real time.
More than for prevention, they are useful for studying - since the constant, regular and adequate temperature varies according to the configuration of the equipment - the behaviour of the components that heat up the most. This way you will be able to know if there is any component that exceeds the recommended temperature in idle phases, for example.
Some programs allow you to set alerts that notify you if one component or another exceeds a certain threshold, so you can keep track of everything.
Make sure your drivers and BIOS are up to date
Although it may seem that there is no relationship between drivers and PC temperature, this is not always the case. Updates are aimed at improving the performance of the different components of the computer.
If you keep them up to date, performance will be better, so thermal management could also improve by requiring less effort to perform certain tasks.
In addition, if your BIOS receives updates, some of them may be related to fan management or even the energy efficiency of the computer itself.
Upgrade your PC's cooling system to prevent overheating
The most obvious measure is also the most efficient. If your computer does not have a good cooling system, or you think you can improve it, there is nothing as effective as enhancing this part of your hardware.
It is important to check if it is compatible with the rest of your computer's components, if it fits in the case, and so on. If you can't change them because it's a laptop, you always have the option of purchasing an additional ventilation stand.
Realistically, they don't work miracles, but they can help you reduce the overall temperature of your computer by a few degrees, especially in the hottest hours.
If you have been using liquid cooling for several years, you may want to consider the option - or ask a specialist to do it - to renew it, as the liquid it uses also degrades. The thermal paste of components such as the processor can also degrade.