Keeping your pc cool in hot weather

[starbuck]

We all have this problem in the summer, however good our case cooling is, the temp still goes up.

Interested to know how you solve this problem and keep the pc running nice and cool(and quieter as fans don't need to do as much work).

Only mention this as I noticed today my pc is noiser than normal(cpu hit a massive 40c when surfing the net, not high I know but higher anyway, my normal temp is 3-4c lower).

[jimborae]

Short of installing air conditioning there's not to much you can do about it but here's what I do.

1. Make sure case has good airflow (i.e. cut off all fan meshes)
2. Install good heatsinks if not water cooling
3. Periodically clean said heatsinks & case
4. Open windows in room to get airflow through the room
5. Turndown overclocks if overclocking
6. Having turned down the overclocks you can then reduce the voltages
7. Install bigger, slower, quieter fans if you can.
6. Remove case side panels

[arthurleung]

Only thing is what is the problem of temp going up if your temp is so low already?
Though I've seen a lot of people have their hdds overheating due to 35'C outdoor temp.

[starbuck]

noise mainly. changed the heatsink to an arctic freezer 64 a while ago and put an arctic silencer on my 6800gt. That quietened it down as had stock on before, now temp has gone up, it is also now noticeable when it was barely noticeable before.

[chaotic_russ]

6. Remove case side panels

in some case's this can cause more problems than it solves

[StormPC]

I test all of my overclocks in 100F ambient rooms. If the overclock is not 100% stable at this temp then I clock it down until it's stable.

My 3700+ San Diego runs 2700MHz 24/7, and it is able to run 2750+ MHz at 100F rock solid stable. I have very good air cooling and exceptional case airflow because I only use large quiet fans, all my cases have blow-holes (which helps a lot since heat rises and often can't escape out the PSU, as if you'd even want it to). All RAM has custom RAM-sinks and spreaders, and I only use modular PSU's so my wiring jobs are the cleanest possible. I'll be posting pictures of all this on my site very soon.

Pretty much everything jimborae and arthurleung said is right on.

[oralpain]

My method is similar to Storm's, for testing. If the OC is not stable at the harshest conditions I could reasonably expect to encounter, I don't use it.

I don't have a case, at all. On the plus side, temps and air flow are quite good and I saved alot of money that went to more practical uses. On the downside, the last time I spilled a big glass of chocolate milk on my motherboard while playing B1942 I had to disamantle everything, wash it, let it dry, then reasemble it to see if it still worked (it does).

Due to the temp controled stock fan I am using, the hotter the ambient temp, the cooler my CPU, under normal temps its stuck at it's lowest setting cause the CPU at full load doesnt raise the temp of a dozen cubic meter room as much as it would a case.

[Merlin4458]

u have no case? can i see what it looks like m8? like how does it stand, or does it sit on ur carpet lol

[Butcher]

I water cool, it more than copes with cpu heat in any weather.

[nvening]

no case? surely thats a bit risky, and cant be good?

[silon]

no biggie guys, i live in the tropics, its 30C (mostly) all day everyday day.
my 3500+ winchester maxes at 57C with a freezer64 and my 6800gt maxes at around 75C with an NV4. i have a coolermaster praetorian with stock fans...

if we run these components at these high temps all year long for a couple of years without problems, whats a couple of months for u guys right?

[iMc]

Now its warmer I just remove my side panel, keeps things in order. My mobo is utter crap at high temps. Must have been made with dodgy mosfets or something.

It's alot noiser with the side panel off but I tend to play music most of the time when I'm using it any way so it doesn't matter. It's always been to noisy to sleep with so thats no bother.

Looking to upgrade my case this summer so that may help.

[biz387]

the best ideas are already stated above... choose a decent heatsink if aircooling that doesnt need gale forces to keep the noise down... the evo 33 keeps my 3500+ @ 2550 48c max.

[oralpain]

u have no case? can i see what it looks like m8? like how does it stand, or does it sit on ur carpet lol

The mother board sits on the box it came in, wich sits on a small coffee table, wich is next to me desk. The drives are on my desk and the PSU is on the back of the same table as the motherboard. I'll take a picture of it sometime.

Unless I fall on it, it's pritty safe. I've been careful about keeping drinks away, recently anyway.

[scotty6435]

Seriously dude, invest £50 into a case to put your expensive system in. Not only will it not look, well, ghetto but it will also eliminate the 'one fall or spill and I've fried hundreds in equipment' problem.

[oralpain]

I sold my coolermaster case to buy ram. I couldn't care less what my system looks like. It works.

I currently have the equivalent of 6 pounds in disposeable income. I couldn't afford a new case, at this time, even if I wanted one.

My system wasnt all that expensive anyway, 450 pounds for everything that would be going in the case.

I'm fed up with cases anyway, I've had dozens of them, some very well regarded and expensive, and they all suck. I'll probably have to make my own to get one that would be acceptable to me.