CPU Cooling Ideas

• The type of CPU cooler you need depends on the processing power your computer draws. Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

  There are many different ways to cool a computer processing unit (CPU). Choosing the right cooling method can vary depending on the computer. If you need a cooler for a graphic design or gaming computer, opt for an advanced heatsink and fan or water cooling. If you have hundreds of servers idling all day, you might only need a heatsink. For heavy-duty cooling of high-powered machines, such as supercomputers, consider Peltier cooling coupled with water cooling.

Water Cooling

• Water cooling is arguably the best CPU cooling solution. It functions by attaching a water block to the CPU and running pipes from the water block to a radiator, which can be internally and externally mounted. Water is pumped through the pipes, which absorb heat from the water block attached to the CPU. The water is then cooled in the radiator and recycled. This method takes heat away from the CPU more quickly and efficiently than any heatsink and fan or Peltier cooling system. Water cooling has its downside as well; it is more expensive than most heatsink and fan cooling systems and takes up a large amount of space, which can create clutter in the computer case. In addition, not all computer cases are compatible with water systems. Water cooling would be most effective in computers running very high CPU speeds, particularly in overclocked systems. Gamers, graphics designers, movie editors, game designers and hobby overclockers would most likely use a water cooling system.

Heatsink and Fan

• Cooling your CPU via a heatsink and fan is the most popular and least expensive method. If you want to build a simple home or work computer, a heatsink and fan cooler is the perfect solution. There are very advanced heatsink and fan coolers, which you can use to cool more powerful machines, such as gaming computers.

Peltier Cooling (Thermoelectric)

• Peltier cooling involves using a special heatsink to electronically pump the heat from the CPU to the heatsink. This method is not recommended for use on its own, since the heatsink can become very hot (hotter than the CPU without a cooler). Attaching water cooling to the heatsink plate in a Peltier system will greatly reduce temperatures and increase efficiency. This method is practical only for machines that need every bit of heat drawn away from the CPU. For example, supercomputers running their CPUs 24/7 on full load, such as those in the Pentagon, might use water cooling. Peltier cooling is based on the "Peltier effect," which was discovered by French physicist Jean Charles Athanase Peltier who found that running an electric current through two metals can have a profound effect on heating and cooling.