Understanding The Common Types Of System Cooling?

Computers and their components typically generate a lot of heat during their operation. To keep the computer running properly and to keep it from overheating, all computers have some sort of system cooling in place.

Fans are by far the most common tool in the use of system cooling. Fans can be found in just about every computer and computer component. They are in the CPU, the GPU or the PCI slot. They come in a variety of sizes from 40 to 120 mm, although fans as large as 200mm are beginning to enter the market. Fans are usually used in PCs, desktops and in computing data centers.

Another type of system cooling is conductive and radiative cooling. This is most often used in laptops, cooling hard drives and optical drives through having them make contact with the computer’s frame, which increases the surface over which heat is radiated.

A less common type of cooling is liquid submersion cooling. The computer components are submerged in a thermally conductive liquid. Cooling is achieved when heat is exchanged passively between the liquid, the computer’s parts and the ambient air. Liquid used in this type of cooling must have low electrical conductivity in order not to interfere with the computer’s operation. Liquids used for this purpose usually have been manufactured for it specifically, although various types of oils can also be used.

If a full-featured computer is not needed, there is a way to achieve system cooling through waste heat reduction. In an office setting, very basic computers can be set up, such as diskless workstations or thin clients. This reduces the need for a hard drive at each workstation, so less cooling is required overall. In addition, the workstations can be powered from an external power supply so the computer itself does not heat up.

The type of system cooling you choose will partly depend on your needs and resources. While air cooling through the use of fans is by far the most popular method, depending on your circumstances, you may want to investigate alternatives as well.