Let season remind you to help your PC stay cool

By BILL HUSTED

Cox News Service

July 27, 2008

I found this column at the bottom of a hole I was digging in my backyard.

It was a hot and humid day, and — hey, I'm old and out of shape — I finally had to go inside and have a glass of ice water. The heat was killing me.

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Today we'll find ways to keep your computer cool.

Remove the blanket: In even the best-kept homes a layer of dust eventually settles across the main circuit board and often the processor chip. The ventilation system pulls in all that dust.

The dust forms a blanket of insulation. Just look at the stuff. Fill a comforter with it and it would be finer than goosedown.

At least once a year, open up the computer and remove the dust.

Ground yourself to avoid static electricity by touching the metal chassis (and don't forget to unplug the computer) and use a can of compressed air to blow the dust away. (There are other methods, including devices made to suck the dust away — but I recommend this technique for the average user. Just don't let the metal nozzle touch any part of the computer.)

Exhaust yourself: While the cover is open make sure the exhaust vent isn't clogged with dust balls. Also, while the cover is off, briefly plug in the computer and turn it on.

While the computer is running, check to make sure the fan blades on the cooling fan (or fans in some cases) are turning freely, without vibration and/or without hitting other parts of the machine.

Don't get floored: I know a lot of people who put their computer on the floor, clearing desk space. That makes sense as far as having a clean desk.

Unfortunately, it is one of the worst things you can do as far as having a clean computer. Physics dictates that dust — being heavier than air — will settle to the floor. So a computer on the floor builds up that insulating blanket of dust much faster.

Get clearance: In many trendy homes the computer is housed in a cabinet. If that's the case in your home, make sure there is at least 4 inches of clearance on all sides of the cabinet.

And if your cabinet does not have vent holes in the back (and if your spouse will allow this), cut some. Too tight a fit can prevent the computer's cooling system from pulling in cool air and eliminating the hot stuff. I've seen, and endorse, installations where the user has added a cooling fan built into the back of the cabinet. If you're handy, it's not a bad way to go.

The big question: Almost every week I'm asked whether a computer should be left on or off. Truth is that it doesn't much matter when it comes to heat buildup. A PC working correctly will hold the temperature in a fairly narrow range.

The rub comes if the PC isn't working correctly. If the fan isn't working effectively, or if the exhaust is clogged, heat can kill your computer as it sits there. I turn off the computer at night and when I leave the house for an extended period. If nothing else, I save a bit of electricity.

Laptops of luxury: Unlike PCs, laptop computers were not designed to run constantly. Many home users rely on a laptop for all their computing. One aid that may strike you as unusual is a cake or cookie cooling rack. Place the laptop on that rack and air can circulate — and cool — beneath the computer.

And turn that laptop off when you are not using it. All the components are jammed into a tiny space and heat builds up fast.

OK. You're now able to cool off. When you have, come over and help me finish that hole in my backyard.