Despite the considerable technological improvement of PCs in recent years, electronic components are never safe from overheating. Designed as an efficient cooling system, the cooler prevents significant or even irreparable damage. Find out all the advantages of the cooler and how to install it on your computer.
What is a cooler and what is it for?
The cooler is an essential component of a computer born from the fusion between a fan and a radiator. It serves as a cooling system for the processor and helps extend its lifespan. The radiator part is made up of thin aluminum strips that capture and absorb heat from the CPU. Heat transfer is provided by a conductor called a heat pipe. The purpose of the fan part is to dissipate the heat generated by the radiator.
The larger the contact surface with the air, the higher the airflow. A cooler helps prevent temperatures over 100 ° C which can damage computer chips. It usually finds its place near a processor or graphics card. You may apply thermal grease between the cooler and the CPU to fill air pockets that form between the two parts.
Why change the original cooler and when to replace it?
Like any essential part of a computer, the original cooler has limited longevity. When it reaches the end of its useful life. It can cause a PC to crash. Several signs can indicate when it needs to be replaced. A cooler usually makes an unpleasant noise continuously when it is faulty. This phenomenon is explained by an accumulation of dust and a lack of ventilation power. Temperatures become abnormal and the computer processor may be damaged.
Changing the original cooler thus improves the cooling quality and reduces noise pollution. For the computer to be operational, you must replace the cooler with a more efficient model. Above all, it must be compatible with the motherboard socket.
How to choose your cooler?
Before buying a cooler, you must check its compatibility with the socket of the motherboard of your PC. It is then necessary to check if its height and width are adapted to the size of the computer case.
There are two types of cooler: top flow and side flow. Top flow is the standard model provided by Intel and AMD. It is arranged parallel to the motherboard. Often used in low profile, this cooler is ideal for a small configuration with a small housing. However, it contains fewer fins and offers less efficiency in the face of intensive tasks.
The side flow is a larger model and its fan is placed perpendicular to the motherboard. More powerful than top flow, it draws air from the front of the computer to send it to the rear. It is suitable for advanced configuration with larger housing. It is advisable to purchase a side flow cooler from an Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor.
Ventirad or watercooling?
The main cooling systems in a computer are cooling and water cooling. The cooler is composed of a finned radiator and a fan. It cools the processor by renewing the air through a heat sink on the processor. The cooler relies on an optimal ventilation speed to generate a significant airflow and better heat dissipation. The cooler benefits from an excellent quality/price ratio and good performance. However, it has an unattractive design, can generate noise, and is sensitive to dust.
The watercooling is a liquid cooling system. It uses a heatsink that sits on the processor and waterproof pipes. The water circulates continuously from the processor to the radiator then is cooled by a fan and goes up to the CPU to cool it. If the watercooling benefits from an elegant style, excellent performance, and optimal silence, it has the disadvantage of having a high price and a more complex installation than the cooler. This is the reason why many manufacturers market all-in-one water-cooling kits that are easier to use.
How to install your cooler safely?
After removing the original cooler from your computer, you must have the following equipment:
- Clean cloth;
- Thermal paste ;
- Screwdriver;
- Ventirad.
Make sure the new cooler matches the socket on your PC’s motherboard, then follow these steps:
- Gently rub the surface of the processor with a clean cloth to avoid damaging it and to remove the original thermal paste.
- Wait until the surface of the processor becomes completely dry.
- Apply thermal grease to the center of the processor and the sides. Take care not to spill over the socket. The ideal amount should not exceed the equivalent of two grains of rice.
- Carefully place the new heatsink on the dedicated processor slot.
- Make sure that the screws on the cooler are perfectly aligned with the holes on the motherboard.
- Press in and turn the screws with a screwdriver until you hear a click for each of them.
- Power the cooler with the motherboard using the CPU_FAN connector.
- Fix the cooler correctly and ensure that all connections are set.
- Mount the case then turn on the computer.
Major brands of coolers
There are many brands of very efficient coolers like BeQuiet, Noctua, Zalman, Cooler Master, and Arctic. Each brand sells models from entry-level to high-end. The differences in quality are mainly in cooling efficiency, noise generation, size, rotational speed, airflow, and service life. There can also be a significant price difference between a top flow and side flow cooler.
The quieter coolers have a sound level of less than 25 decibels while the noisiest ones exceed 30 decibels. The most powerful models generally carry several fans whose speed can exceed 2000 RPM. They can achieve air flows of nearly 150 cm³ / h. Designed for extreme overclocking, they are suitable for die-hard gamers. The least efficient coolers have a lifespan of about 2 years while the most enduring models can reach 6 years.
