I’m one of those odd fellows who happens to enjoy winter, and it isn’t just because I like the cold (though that certainly plays into it). See, my current apartment doesn’t have air conditioning. Most months, that isn’t really a problem; Western Canada’s a fairly cold place (as I write this, there’s still a fair bit of snow on the ground). When Spring and Summer finally roll around, though…
It tends to get a little uncomfortable.
As some of you might be aware, I bought my old roommate’s desktop off of him a few months back. It’s a purchase I don’t regret in the slightest, save for one tiny problem: when I’m gaming, the system tends to turn into a space heater. You see where I’m going with this, right? While I quite appreciate my rig’s tendency to exude warmth when it’s cold outside, it’s considerably less welcome when the weather’s warm. Suddenly, my room’s an oven, and the possibility of my system overheating basically goes through the roof.
Not only is that thoroughly unpleasant for me, it’s also not so great for my system. An overly high ambient temperature can lead to all sorts of issues, and in the worst case scenario, could even lead to some of my components suffering heat damage. Truth be told, I’m pretty sure these conditions are exactly what caused the fan on my old graphics card to give out.
I’m sure at least a few of you can relate.
Let’s talk about that. Here are a few methods I’ve found to work wonders so far as keeping things cool is concerned. Feel free to share your own tactics, if you can think of anything I’ve not covered here.
Leave Intensive Computing Tasks For Later In The Day
The first method is probably the simplest (and for most of you, the least ideal). If you’re concerned about the amount of heat your computer gives off during the day, simply wait until the evening to use it. Chances are, it’ll be considerably cooler than it is during the day, and as such, heat will be less of an issue. Of course, not everyone has this luxury. Some of you likely work from home, and as such have day-time deadlines you have to meet; still more of you might need to be awake early, meaning that what little time you have is in the late afternoon or early evening. Still, it’s a solution worth considering.
Think About Moving Your Rig To Another Room
If you’re finding the room in which your system is set up a little uncomfortable for your tastes, why not simply move it? Have a walk-around of your home (or apartment, as it were), and figure out which room tends to be the coolest throughout the day. That’s probably where you’re going to want to set up. If you’ve got a house, check the basement first, as basements tend to be much cooler. Naturally, if you’re living in an apartment (or with roommates), this might not be possible.
Watch The Windows
During the day, try closing your blinds/curtains and windows in order to keep the heat out. As the sun drops below the horizon and the temperature cools down, open the windows to let the older air in. Leave interior doors open as well, to promote airflow and release whatever heat they stored during the day. To do this most effectively, you’re going to have to be a bit of a morning person; you need to close the windows as soon as the sun rises and sunlight starts
Fans, Fans, And More Fans
If you’re on a budget (or don’t really feel like rooting around in your case), you could simply stock up on fans. Buy as many as you can afford (or have room for) and position them around the room in which you’ve got your system set up. Make sure you don’t have any blowing directly at your computer, as this could actually end up causing damage to its internal fans.
There are two disadvantages to this method. First, fans tend to create a great deal of noise pollution, which might interfere with activities such as streaming or VOIP. Second, while fans create airflow, that won’t necessarily cool the air as effectively as some of the other tactics listed here. Still, it’s better than stewing in your own sweat, right?
Invest In A Personal Air Conditioning Unit
The fact that your building lacks air conditioning doesn’t mean you yourself have to go without. There are plenty of personal air conditioning units available both in-store and online. Installing one either in the window or near your work area could go a long way towards keeping things cool, and as an added bonus, most air conditioners don’t actually create all that much noise (or use a great deal of power). Unfortunately, depending on what unit you can invest in, it can get a little pricey, not to mention you’re still going to have to maintain it by regularly adding water.
Consider A Different Cooling System
While no cooling system will guarantee 100% heat diffusion, water cooling or oil cooling are a sight more effective than simple air cooling. The problem with these two methods is that they require a bit of computing know-how to install, and in the case of water cooling, if you do things incorrectly (or the cooling system fails, which has been known to happen), it could cause irreparable damage to your hardware. Plus, there’s the price; both methods can get fairly expensive.
There are times I’m happy I live in Canada, frigid as our climate tends to be. For most of the year, it’s smooth sailing as far as the temperature of my room’s concerned. The rest of the time, all it takes to keep things cool is a bit of extra effort.
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