It’s normal for a PC to produce heat during operation. Most of the heat comes from the PC’s processors. When a processor is being used to run programs, it draws electricity. This electricity, in turn, produces heat — with some PC processes reaching up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
The good news is that most PCs are designed to accommodate the heat produced by their processors. However, circumstances may arise that prevents a PC from regulating and controlling its internal temperature. And once the PC begins to overheat, it can result in complete failure of the processors or other components.
Clean the Inside
Your PC is less likely to overheat if it’s clean. As dust accumulates inside of your PC’s case, it can restrict airflow, thus causing the buildup of heat. While grounding yourself, open your PC’s case and use canned air to blast out any dust or debris.
Inspect Cooling Fans
You should also take a few minutes to inspect your PC’s cooling fans. If the cooling fans aren’t working, they won’t be able to transfer heat and cool down your PC’s processors. How do you know if your PC’s cooling fans are working exactly? You can always look or listen for them when your PC is under a heavy processing load. Alternatively, you can use the BIOS tool — found under “Hardware Monitoring” — to test your PC’s cooling fans.
Choose the Right Area
Many PC overheating problems are the result of poor placement. In other words, the user places his or her PC in an area that increases its risk of overheating. If you look on the back of your PC’s case, you should see one or more exhaust vents. These are the vents through which your PC’s cooling fans to expel the hot air. But if you place your PC in an area where the vents are blocked, such as directly against a wall, the hot air will remain trapped inside, which can lead to overheating.
Add a Case Fan
For additional cooling power, consider adding a case fan to your PC. Even if your PC already has two or more cooling fans, adding a case fan can help control otherwise high temperatures. As the name suggests, a case fan is a special type of cooling fan that’s installed on the case of a PC.
If your PC is overheating, you need to fix it ASAP. Just like a car can become permanently disabled if it overheats, so can a computer.