How to Check the Cooling System of a Desktop Computer

Learn how to check your desktop computer's cooling system with expert tips from an SEO expert. Find out how to inspect your fan, download thermal monitoring software, and more.

How to Check the Cooling System of a Desktop Computer

If you're looking to check the cooling system of your desktop computer, there are a few steps you can take. The quickest way to know if your computer's fan has stopped working is to visually inspect it. If it's a desktop computer, you can usually see the fan spinning on the back of the case. If the fan does not move, you should replace it immediately before continuing to use the computer.

Although most newer computer fans are very quiet, you should be able to hear them moving, especially when they're running at high speeds. A fan that sounds at an unusually loud volume or that makes abnormal noises may need to be replaced. To check the temperature of your PC's CPU, you can download thermal monitoring software such as CoreTemp and HWMonitor. The software can directly display the temperature of your CPU or GPU. Run a game while monitoring the computer's temperature and check it again a few hours later to verify that your CPU is overheating or not.

Check the fan in the computer case and, if possible, open it to ensure that the CPU fan is working properly. On a desktop computer, both fans are cheap to replace and can be found at a local computer repair store or online store. If you have a computer that's constantly overheating, it might be time to perform some of these basic checks. You can also easily install a water cooling solution in addition to your fans, or even instead. Many pre-installed CPU coolers can't handle the constant use of a device, so replacing them can help prevent the device from overheating. If all that doesn't help, your cooling solution may simply not be able to keep up with the CPU's heat production rate, especially if you combine a standard cooler or a modest third-party cooler with high-end chips and doubly so if you're overclocking.

The thermal paste that transfers heat from the CPU to its cooler may have dried up if you've had the PC for a few years. For MacOS users, there are also other ways to check the CPU temperature. The Fanny widget allows you to monitor the fans and the CPU temperature directly from the menu bar and SpeedFan allows you to manually control the fan speeds. The alternative “Tctl reading” is the control temperature that is reported to the cooling system and sometimes includes temperature compensation to ensure universal fan speed behavior between different Ryzen chips. It is recommended that you check the CPU temperature periodically to ensure that you do not cause any unnecessary damage to the device. If your laptop's air ducts aren't working properly, which isn't always good on your laptop, we recommend adding a cooling base as an aid. With all this information in hand, you'll know if you'll need to take more active steps to calm things down and keep your desktop computer running smoothly.

Carlton Picchetti
Carlton Picchetti

Hardcore internet buff. Certified twitter nerd. Wannabe bacon aficionado. Evil tv maven. Proud social media evangelist.

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