Understanding The Dangers Of Gaming Computer Overheating
Gaming computers represent one of the few areas where home-based personal computer users can control significant computer power. Unlike standard personal or business computers, a gaming rig needs a bit of extra power to do its job well.
A more powerful processor and a dedicated graphics card are necessary, as well as a higher-capacity power supply to support the extra power demand. If your gaming rig seems to be shutting down or slow at important parts of your game, a few key points can help you understand failure and move on to repairs and success.
Overheating Systems Can Lock For Safety
One big problem for gaming computers is freezing or coming to a sudden stop when a game is being played. It may happen when the graphics and in-game actions are becoming intense, or it may happen as soon as the game starts. Either way, you need to look at temperature as a potential cause.
Gaming computers generate more heat than the standard computer not only because of the extra load on the system, but because of the additional parts. The graphics card (also known as the video card) is basically a small computer dedicated to graphics alone, which creates its own added burden of heat.
When a modern computer overheats, there are one of two responses. A computer will first attempt to slow down its performance in order to generate less heat. This can mean a less agile, smooth performance in your game and the computer in general. If the heat rises too quickly or if the game simply pushes the computer to its limits even while slowed, the system can completely stop or shut down to protect itself from heat damage.
Modern video cards are equipped with a fan system and a shroud for controlling air direction and pressure, but these features alone are not enough. If the computer is improperly placed, dirty or in an extremely hot environment, you may notice poor performance.
Bringing An Overheating System Up To Speed
If your gaming computer is overheating, but hasn't had a heat problem in the past, it's best to perform a full check of the environment.
Observe the temperature of the general area. Although there is no specific temperature required for home computers, a hotter room temperature can bring a computer to critical heat faster--and critical heat can be different for different computers. With many different variables in place, it may be better to adopt some cooling and maintenance practices of data centers.
Many data centers operate at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, although there are some changes in industry thinking to bring the temperature up to a maximum of 80 degrees. To keep things simple and comfortable for the largest group of people, the 80 degree limit should be good enough for gaming computers with overheating components.
Make sure that the area is clean of debris. It isn't enough to clean out your computer if dust is constantly being kicked towards the system when someone walks by. Avoid corners or putting the system too close to a wall, as there may not be enough cooled air circulating as the computer released hotter air.
Consider adding additional fans to your system. You'll need a decent balance of intake and exhaust fans to keep cool air going in and hot air moving out. Although there are more ambitious cooling techniques such as liquid cooling, a good air flow plan and a cool room temperature should be enough.
Contact an IT support professional to discuss your computer temperature issues for gaming computers and other potential causes of computer lockups.
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