To cool the processor, a cooler is used, which consists of a radiator and a fan.

Different processors provide different mounts for coolers and have different heat dissipation (TDP). As for heat dissipation, the more powerful the processor, the larger the cooler should be.

For the cheapest 2-core processors (Celeron, A4, A6), any simplest cooler with an aluminum heatsink and an 80-90 mm fan will suffice. The larger the fan and heatsink, the better the cooling. The lower the fan speed, the less noise. Some of these headers are not suitable for all processors, so check the supported sockets in the description. For example, Deepcool GAMMA ARCHER fits almost all sockets except AM4.
Cooler for processor Deepcool GAMMA ARCHER

Most coolers for more powerful processors are universal and have a set of mounts for all modern processors. The coolers DeepCool and Zalman have an optimal price / quality ratio, and I will recommend them first of all.

Please note that not all coolers can be equipped with a mount for the AM4 socket, and sometimes it can be purchased separately, check this point with the seller.

For 2-core Intel processors (Pentium, Core-i3) and 4-core AMD (A8, A10, Ryzen 3), a small cooler with 2-3 heat pipes and a 90-120 mm fan, such as Deepcool GAMMAXX 200T (for TDP 65 Tue).
Cooler for Deepcool GAMMAXX 200T processor

Or Deepcool GAMMAXX 300 (for TDP 95W).
Cooler for Deepcool GAMMAXX 300 processor

More powerful 4-core Intel (Core i3, i5) and AMD (FX-4,6,8, Ryzen 5) need a cooler with 4-5 heat pipes and 120mm fan. And the minimum option here would be Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 (4 pipes) or slightly better Zalman from the CNPS10X series (4-5 pipes) for more powerful processors.
Cooler for Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 processor

For even hotter 6-core Intel (Core i5, i7) and AMD (Ryzen 7), as well as for overclocking, it is advisable to purchase a large powerful cooler with 6 heat pipes and a 120-140 mm fan. Some of the best in terms of price / power ratio are Deepcool Lucifer V2 and Deepcool REDHAT.
Cooler for Deepcool Lucifer V2 processor

2. Do I need to buy a cooler separately

Most boxed processors that are sold in cardboard packaging and with the word "BOX" at the end of the label have a cooler included.

If “Tray” or “OEM” is written at the end of the marking, then the cooler is not included in the package.

Some expensive processors, despite the fact that they have the word "BOX" in the marking, are sold without a cooler. But the box is usually smaller in this case, and the description often indicates that the processor does not have a cooler in the kit.

If you buy a processor with a cooler, you don't have to buy a cooler separately. This usually comes out cheaper, and a boxed cooler is quite enough for cooling the processor, since it is just designed for it.

The disadvantages of boxed coolers are the higher noise level and the lack of a heat sink in case of overclocking the processor. Therefore, if you want to have a quieter computer or to overclock the processor, then it is better to purchase a separate processor and separately a quieter and more powerful cooler.

3. Processor parameters for choosing a cooler

In order to choose the right cooler, we need to know the socket (Socket) of the processor and its heat dissipation (TDP).

3.1. Processor socket

Socket is a motherboard connector for installing a processor, which also has a mount for a cooler. Different sockets have different types of cooler mounts.

3.2. Heat dissipation of the processor

With regard to heat dissipation (TDP), this figure is also often indicated on the websites of online stores. If the TDP of a processor is not specified, then it is easy to find it on the website of another online store or the official websites of processor manufacturers.

There are many more sites where you can find out the characteristics of the processor by model number.

You can also use the Google or Yandex search engine.

4. The main characteristics of coolers

The main characteristics of the coolers are the supported sockets and the TDP for which the cooler is designed.

Each cooler is designed for certain sockets; it simply won't install on others. Which sockets are supported by this or that cooler is indicated on the websites of manufacturers and online stores.

4.2. Cooler TDP

Despite the fact that the TDP of the processor, for which the cooler is designed, is the main parameter, its value is not indicated on the websites of online stores and most manufacturers. However, this data can sometimes be found. For example, on the website of one of the leaders in the production of coolers - the Austrian company Noctua, there is a comparative table of TDP coolers.

The TDP value of some popular cooler models, determined approximately based on test results, can be found on the Internet. Based on this information and personal experience, I have compiled a table with which you can easily choose the optimal cooler depending on the TDP of the processor. You can download this table at the end of the article in the section "".

5. Cooler design

CPU coolers come in many different designs.

5.1. Cooler with aluminum radiator

The simplest and cheapest are coolers with an aluminum heatsink and a standard 80 mm fan. The radiator shape can be different. Basically, in coolers for Intel processors, the radiator has a round shape, for AMD processors it is square.

Such coolers are often bundled with low-power boxed processors and usually they are enough for them. Such a cooler can also be purchased separately inexpensively, but their quality is likely to be slightly worse. Well, such a cooler is not well suited for overclocking a processor.

5.2. Cooler with plate heatsink

On sale you can still find coolers with a heatsink made of stacked aluminum or copper plates.

They are better at removing heat from the processor than coolers with a solid aluminum heatsink, but they are already outdated and replaced by more efficient coolers based on heat pipes.

5.3. Horizontal cooler with heat pipes

Heat pipe coolers are the most modern and most efficient.

These coolers are bundled with more powerful processors. They remove heat from the processor much better than cheap coolers with an aluminum heatsink, but they blow warm air in a less efficient direction - towards the motherboard.

This solution is more suitable for compact cases, since in other cases it is better to purchase a more modern vertical cooler.

5.4. Vertical cooler with heat pipes

A vertical cooler (or a tower-type cooler) has a more optimal design.

Warm air from the processor is blown out not towards the motherboard, but towards the rear exhaust fan of the chassis.

Such coolers are the most optimal, they have a very large selection in terms of size, power and price. They are best suited for very powerful processors and overclocking them. Their main drawback is their large dimensions, which is why not every such cooler will fit into a standard case.

The cooler efficiency depends the most on the number of heat pipes. For a processor with a TDP of 80-100 W, a cooler with 3 heat pipes is enough, for a processor with a TDP of 150-180 W, a cooler with 6 heat pipes is already needed. You can find out how many heat pipes a particular processor needs from the table, which can be downloaded in the "" section.

In the characteristics of a cooler, they usually do not focus on how many heat pipes it has. But it is easy to calculate from the photo of the cooler base or by counting the number of outgoing ends of the tubes and dividing them by 2.

6. Base design

The base of the cooler is the contact pad that directly contacts the processor. The efficiency of the cooler also depends on its quality and design.

In coolers with an aluminum heatsink, the heatsink itself acts as a contact area. The base can be solid or continuous.

A solid base is preferred as it increases the contact area between the heatsink and the processor, which has a beneficial effect on cooling. And in the through structure, dust can accumulate in the slots between the heatsink and the fan.

First, it is bad for cooling. Secondly, it is impossible to clean the dust from there without removing the cooler from the processor, while a heatsink with a solid pad can be easily cleaned without dismantling it.

6.2. Radiator with copper insert

The heatsinks of some coolers have a copper insert in the base, which is in contact with the processor.

Heatsinks with a copper insert are slightly more efficient than the all-aluminum options.

Coolers with heat pipes can have a copper base.

This design is quite effective.

6.4. Direct contact

Some manufacturers are actively advocating an almost space technology of direct contact (DirectCU), which consists in saving copper by pressing heat pipes in such a way that they themselves create a contact pad directly in contact with the processor.

In fact, such a design is close in efficiency to a radiator with a copper base.

7. Design and material of the radiator

The efficiency of the cooler also strongly depends on the design of the heatsink and the material from which it is made.

The cheapest coolers have a heatsink made entirely of aluminum, since this metal is cheaper than copper. But aluminum has a low heat capacity and uneven heat distribution, which requires a stronger airflow and, accordingly, noisy fans.

7.2. Aluminum with copper

Coolers with aluminum radiators with copper inserts are a little more efficient, but no longer relevant.

7.3. Copper radiator

On sale you can still find coolers with heatsinks made of copper plates.

Copper has a high heat capacity and heat is evenly distributed in it. This makes it possible to stabilize the processor temperature at a certain level and does not require fast noisy fans. But the effectiveness of such a system is limited due to the fact that a copper radiator has a large thermal inertia and it is difficult to quickly remove heat from it. But such a cooler can be indispensable in compact cases for media centers, since it is quite low.

7.4. Aluminum plate heatsink

The most efficient coolers today are those with heat pipes and a heatsink made of many thin aluminum fins.

Heat from the processor is instantly dissipated through heat pipes to the fins, on which the fan airflow is also quickly dissipated due to the high dissipation area. This design has a very low heat capacity and thermal inertia, so the cooling efficiency is greatly improved when the fan speed is slightly increased.

7.5. Nickel plated

Good branded coolers can have nickel-plated heat pipes, copper base, and even aluminum heatsink fins.

Nickel plating prevents surface oxidation. It always remains beautiful and shiny. But the most important thing is that the oxide does not interfere with heat dissipation and the cooler does not lose its properties. Although, by and large, the difference will not be significant.

7.6. Radiator size

The efficiency of the cooler always depends on the size of the heatsink. But coolers with large heatsinks cannot always fit into a standard computer case. The height of a tower radiator for a standard enclosure should not exceed 160 mm.

The width of the heatsink also matters. A cooler with a large heatsink may not fit due to a nearby power supply. You also need to consider the size and layout of the motherboard. It may so happen that the cooler cannot be installed due to the high protruding heatsinks of the motherboard near the processor, closely spaced high memory modules, etc.

All this must be taken into account in advance and, if in doubt, measure the required distances in your computer. Better to play it safe and take a slightly smaller cooler. If the processor is very hot, and the case is small or the elements sticking out on the motherboard are in the way, then tear them off; a horizontal cooler with heat pipes and specially designed with a sufficient distance from the motherboard will suit you.

7.7. Radiator weight

The larger the heatsink, the heavier it is, and the heavier the heatsink, the larger it is. Well, in essence, the higher the TDP of the processor, the heavier the heatsink should be. For a processor with a TDP of 100-125 W, a radiator weighing 300-400 grams will suffice, for a monster like AMD FX9xxx with a TDP of 200-220 W you need a radiator of at least 1 kg, or even all of 1200-1300 grams. I will not give the weight of the heatsink for each processor, since you will see all this in the table, which can be downloaded in the "" section.

8. Fans

The size, speed and other parameters of the fan determine the efficiency of the cooler and the level of noise it creates.

8.1. Fan size

In general, the larger the fan, the more efficient and quieter it is. The cheapest coolers are equipped with 80 × 80 mm fans. Their advantage is the simplicity and low cost of replacement (which is rare). The disadvantage is the highest noise level.

Better to buy a cooler with a bigger fan - 92 × 92, 120 × 120 mm. These are also standard sizes and are easy to replace in case of need.

For especially powerful and hot processors, such as AMD FX9xxx, it is better to take a cooler with a standard size 140x140 mm fan. Such a fan is more expensive, but the noise will be less.

It is better to limit the choice of coolers with standard sizes of fans, what if you have to replace them sometime? But this does not matter, since among us there are real nuggets of kulibins that will screw any fan on the knee to any radiator

8.2. Fan bearing type

The cheapest fans have Sleeve Bearing. These fans are considered less reliable and less durable.

Ball Bearing fans are considered more reliable. But they make more noise.

Most modern fans are equipped with a Hydro Bearing, which combines reliability with low noise levels.

8.3. Number of fans

To overclock such monsters as AMD FX9xxx with a TDP of 200-220 W, it is better to take a cooler with two 140 × 140 mm fans. But keep in mind that the more fans, the higher the noise level. Therefore, it is unnecessary to take a cooler with two fans for a processor with a TDP of up to 180 W. Recommendations on the number and size of fans can be found in the table in the "" section.

8.4. Fan speed

The smaller the heatsink and the size of the fan, the higher the RPM will be. This is necessary to compensate for the low dispersion area and low airflow.

In cheap coolers, the fan speed can vary between 2000-4000 rpm. At a speed of 2000 rpm, the fan noise becomes clearly distinguishable, at a speed of 3000 rpm, the noise becomes annoying, but at 4000 rpm your room will turn into a small take-off area ...

The ideal option is a 120-140 mm fan with a maximum speed of 1300-1500 rpm.

8.5. Automatic speed control

Motherboards are able to regulate the speed of the cooler depending on the temperature of the processor. Regulation can be done by changing the supply voltage (DC), which is supported by all motherboards.

More expensive coolers can be equipped with fans with a built-in speed controller (PWM). In this case, the motherboard must also support speed control via a PWM controller (PWM).

It's good if the cooler has a 120-140 mm fan with a speed in the range of 800-1300 rpm. In this case, you almost never wake up to hear it.

8.6. Cooler connector

CPU coolers can have a 3-pin or 4-pin connector for connecting to the motherboard. The 3-pins are controlled by changing the voltage of the motherboard (DC), and the 4-pins are controlled by a PWM controller (PWM). The PWM controller can control the fan speed more precisely, so it is better to purchase a cooler with a 4-pin connector.

8.7. Noise level

The noise level depends on the rotation speed of the fan, the configuration of its blades and is measured in decibels (dB). Fans with a noise level of up to 25 dB are considered quiet. By this indicator, you can compare several coolers and, other things being equal, choose the one that makes less noise.

8.8. Air flow

The efficiency of heat removal from the radiator and, accordingly, the efficiency of the entire cooler and the noise level depend on the strength of the air flow. Airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). By this indicator, you can compare several coolers and, other things being equal, choose the one that has a higher CFM. But do not forget to pay attention to the noise level.

9. Mounting the cooler

There are no pitfalls in mounting a small or medium-sized cooler. But with big models there are surprises ...

Carefully read the cooler mounting diagram before purchasing it. Some heavy coolers require reinforced mounting with a special frame on the back of the motherboard.

In this case, the motherboard should allow the installation of such a frame and there should be no unsoldered electronic elements at the installation site. There should be a recess in the computer case where the processor is supposed to be located. It's even better if there is a window that allows you to install and remove such a cooler without removing the motherboard.

A set of universal coolers that fit a variety of sockets may include many different mounts.

If the cooler is of sufficient quality and expensive, then they will not be superfluous if you suddenly want (or have to) change the motherboard and processor with a transition to another platform (for example, from AMD to Intel). In this case, the cooler does not need to be changed.

10. Backlight

Some coolers have LEDs and glow nicely in the dark. It makes sense to purchase such a cooler if your case has a transparent window through which you enjoy how it works while you are resting.But keep in mind that the backlight can interfere and annoy not only you, but also your family members. Therefore, think in advance where the body will stand and where the light will go.

11. Thermal paste

Thermal grease is applied to the processor to improve heat transfer and this is very important. In cheap coolers, thermal paste can already be applied to the contact pad and covered with a plastic cover.

In more expensive models, a small tube of thermal paste is included, which can be enough for 2-3 times. Sometimes there is no thermal paste included. Check the availability of thermal paste on the website of the online store.

If there is no thermal paste in the kit, then it will need to be purchased separately. Heat transfer from the processor to the cooler depends quite strongly on thermal paste. The temperature difference between a processor and a good and bad thermal paste reaches up to 10 degrees!

As a budget option, you can take KPT-8 in a white aluminum tube. Its thermal conductivity is not so high, but if the processor is not very hot (TDP up to 100 W) and you do not plan to overclock it, then this will be enough. The main thing is that it is original! It is not advisable to purchase it in syringes, jars, plastic tubes with handmade stickers, since there are a lot of fakes in such packaging.

It should be absolutely clear that the packaging is original.

Thermal paste Alsil-3 is similar in quality and price, but even in the original it is sold in syringes that are difficult to distinguish from a fake.

12. Cooler manufacturers

The best cooler manufacturers are the Austrian company Noctua and the Japanese company Scythe. They produce high quality coolers and are well-deserved popularity among wealthy enthusiasts. Noctua company gives a 72-month warranty on coolers.

The above mentioned brands are successfully mowed by the Taiwanese company Thermalright, which has very similar models in its arsenal for a slightly more reasonable price.

But the most popular in Russian-speaking countries are coolers of such familiar brands as Cooler Master, Thermaltake, Zalman. Coolers from these manufacturers have the best price / quality ratio.

But by and large, the manufacturer of the cooler is not so important, since there is nothing special to break apart from the fan. Therefore, it is not a sin to save money and take something cheaper. A fairly large assortment and low prices are offered to us by DeepCool, GlacialTech, Ice Hammer and TITAN.

Do not be afraid to make a mistake, this is just a cooler And let the presence of a guarantee calm your nervous system

13. Warranty

For the cheapest coolers, the warranty is standard 12 months. In principle, all that can come out of standing in the cooler is a fan, and it will not be difficult to replace it.

But if you buy a good cooler with branded fans, it is better to have a 24-36 month warranty, as it can be difficult and expensive to find quality fans with the same characteristics.

Top-end coolers are expensive, but manufacturers give them a warranty of up to 72 months.

I do not recommend purchasing coolers from little-known manufacturers, the lineup of which is represented by only a few models, as there may be problems with warranty service. Remember - the guarantee has not prevented anyone yet

14. Setting up filters in the online store

1. Using the table, determine the main parameters of the cooler for your processor.
2. Go to the section "Cooling systems" on the seller's website.
3. Select the "For Processor" assignment.
4. If you want a better cooler, then select only the best manufacturers.
5. If you want to save money, then select all popular manufacturers, in the lineup of which there are at least 15-20 models.
6. Select your processor socket.
7. Note the presence of heat pipes in the filter.
8. Size and number of fans (optional).
9. The presence of a speed regulator (only if necessary).
10. Cooler height (for a standard case up to 160 mm).
11. The presence of backlight (will greatly narrow the choice).
12. Other parameters important to you.
13. Sort the sample by price.
14. Look at coolers, starting with the cheaper ones (from the photo you can determine the number of heat pipes and the massiveness of the radiator).
15. Choose several suitable models, view their photos from different angles and compare them according to those parameters that were not in the filter.
16. Buy the cheapest available model.

Don't overdo it with filters, as you can weed out good models. Choose only the parameters that are most important to you.

Thus, you will get an optimal cooler in terms of price / quality / efficiency ratio that meets your requirements at the lowest possible cost.

15. Links

Below you can download a table that allows you to easily determine the main parameters of the cooler, depending on the heat dissipation of the processor (TDP).

Cooler for Deepcool REDHAT processor
Cooler for processor Zalman CNPS10X Optima
Cooler for Deepcool GAMMAXX S40 processor

The processor, video card and other integral components of a computer with each new generation become more powerful and, as a result, generate more and more heat. Increased heating can lead to constant computer freezes, premature failure of individual components and annoying fan noise. The situation is aggravated by dust that regularly accumulates in the system unit. PC owners usually rely on the fans already installed in the case by the manufacturer. However, they are often not able to provide proper cooling of the computer and over time the situation with heat removal from components becomes more and more problematic.

The only way to organize more efficient air cooling is to install additional fans in the computer case. Choosing the right case fans depends not only on how efficiently the internal components of your computer will be cooled, but also on the noise level, which is often just as important.

Computer air cooling system

Before buying additional case fans, you should first look into your computer - open the case cover and look at the dimensions of the mounting locations for case coolers, as well as count their possible number. It is necessary to study which connectors for connecting additional fans are available on the motherboard. Additional case fans should be selected based on their standard size, which is suitable for your PC - it can be 80 x 80 mm, 92 x 92 mm or 120 x 120 mm.

Of course, the largest size fans are preferred if they are suitable for you. As a large fan will run quieter. Moreover, at the same rotational speed of 120 mm, the fan will be about twice as efficient as the 92 mm model, not to mention the 80 mm cooler.

The operating principle of air cooling for a PC is very simple. All the heat from the heated components of the computer is transferred to the ambient air, and the hot air, in turn, must be removed from the case of the system unit with the help of fans. In other words, the air heated by the processor and the video card must be “thrown out” from the system case somewhere, at the same time replacing it with cold one. If such air circulation in the case does not occur, then the heating of individual PC components will increase dramatically. To cool the very hot elements of the computer system, radiators are additionally installed. They must quickly remove heat from the electronic chip, distributing it over the largest possible heat transfer area.

In most cases, in order to save money, the system unit is equipped with only one or two case fans, which naturally does not save from excessive heating of the components. How to organize the correct air cooling system and how many case fans need to be installed for this? The standard air cooling scheme is when air, heated from the components of the system unit, rises to the top, and then is thrown out through the fan of the power supply. Such a scheme is not very effective, besides, all the heated air constantly passes through the power supply, which is why the latter often fails prematurely.

Instead of this standard approach, you can use a scheme with the installation of two additional case fans - one located on the front wall of the case will work for "blowing", and the other, located on the back wall - for "blowing". The pressure inside the case will equalize, dust will stop settling, and the internal components will be more efficiently cooled.

If necessary, for example, for effective cooling of a powerful gaming system, you can install a few more additional fans in the case. When installing several fans to achieve the best air exchange, you can place them so that they work only in one direction - for blowing. At the same time, free access of outside air into the housing must be ensured due to the sufficient area of ​​the ventilation openings.

Of course, you can simply hang as many fans as possible. But that doesn't make a lot of sense, since installing each new fan in the case increases the cooling efficiency by less than installing the previous one. At the same time, the noise level rises disproportionately. In short, here you need to ensure the maximum cooling efficiency of the system unit with a minimum number of active elements.

In general, installing additional case fans will reduce the temperature inside the system unit. Also, with the optimal organization of the air cooling system with additional fans, you can slightly reduce the noise level. Indeed, in conditions of overheating, the fans on the processor and video card begin to accelerate to values ​​close to the maximum.

Lowering the temperature inside the case will contribute to a drop in revs and a decrease in noise. True, this raises the problem of noise from the working case fans. But a lot here depends on the correct choice of additional coolers.

Choosing PC case fans

In addition to overall dimensions, case fans have several more important characteristics that should be paid close attention to when choosing:

- Rotation speed / noise level

Rotational speed (RPM) is measured in revolutions per minute. The higher the fan speed, the more efficiently the system unit is cooled. But a higher speed also leads to an increase in noise. The average fan speed is considered to be values ​​from 2000 to 3000 rpm. High-speed fans - over 3000 rpm, and low-speed fans - up to 2000 rpm.

It is important to understand that the noise level largely depends on the number of fan revolutions. And even a high-quality and expensive cooler at over two thousand a minute will make noise.

Excessive noise is known to be a very nasty thing. Especially when you need to spend several hours at the computer, then the noise from the working fans already starts to be seriously annoying. Therefore, a compromise must be found between cooling efficiency (rpm) and fan noise.

The noise level, by the way, is usually indicated by the manufacturer. If the noise level is about 21 to 30 dB (A), this is normal, but if it is higher or in the region of 35 dB (A), this is already quite noisy and a reason to think about choosing another model.

- Bearing type

Another fan characteristic that affects reliability, product durability and noise level is the type of bearing used. The simplest and cheapest solution is considered to be fans with a sleeve bearing, which is an ordinary copper bushing. The main advantages of the sleeve bearing are the low price of the cooler and the relatively low noise level. True, in the absence of the proper level of lubrication, the bushing begins to make noise more and more over time and wears out quickly.

The obvious disadvantages of a sleeve bearing are a rather low resource and a limited scope (it does not tolerate work in a high temperature zone and in a horizontal position).

An alternative to a fan with a sleeve bearing is a double ball bearing cooler (rolling bearing). The resource of such a device can already reach 150,000 hours of continuous operation. In addition, it can work inside the case in any position and in an area with high temperatures. But these fans make a little more noise than those mentioned earlier. Although a lot here depends on the quality of workmanship.

On the other hand, rolling bearing fans differ in that their characteristics practically do not deteriorate over time. Objectively, they are preferable to standard plain bearing fans. True, they are more expensive.

Fans with hydrodynamic bearing are also on sale. This is practically the same sleeve bearing, but capable of self-lubrication in the course of its operation. Due to constant contact with the lubricant, there is practically no bearing wear during fan operation. Therefore, the resource of such case fans is quite high. Also, their undoubted advantage is their quiet operation. The only negative is the high price.

On sale today you can see a variety of exotics. For example, bearings with self-lubricating bushings or one ball bearing with a sleeve instead of two ball bearings. Of course, such products are unlikely to boast of any high performance characteristics.

- Impeller design

From the point of view of cooling efficiency, the very design of the fan impeller, the shape and number of blades are very important. It should be remembered here that a fan with a large impeller diameter is capable of providing the same "air flow" (cooling efficiency) at lower speeds than its smaller counterpart. And the noise level will be lower. With the same maximum performance and power, the efficiency will still be higher for a case fan with a larger diameter, in comparison with a faster cooler with a smaller diameter. It is also recommended to pay attention to the number of blades - the more of them a fan has, the quieter it is.

Unfortunately, many PC owners are still not very responsible and careful when choosing case fans. The result of this approach is excessive noise, emergency shutdowns of the computer, premature failure of individual components of the system unit. It is worth remembering that without an effective cooling system, any newest and expensive video card or processor can become unusable in a matter of seconds. Therefore, it is so important to choose and install additional fans in your PC case for efficient heat dissipation and cooling.

Coolers for processors, coolers for hard drives, coolers for video cards and system chipsets. Add to that cardcoolers, system blovers and laptop coolers. It is easy to get confused with so many cooling devices, and little by little you begin to believe that coolers are the main component of today's computer. Fortunately, or unfortunately, so far this is not the case, and today there is still no need to hang your favorite PC with noisy fans until it takes off. In this article we will try to figure out what is the source of heat in the computer, what are the ways to cool these components, and whether it is necessary to deal with the increased temperature of the computer at all.

Cooling theory

So, a little theory. It is known from the physics course that any conductor through which an electric current flows generates heat. This means that absolutely all components of the computer, from the central processor to the power wires, heat the surrounding air. The amount of heat released by one or another component of a computer directly depends on its power consumption, which, in turn, is determined by many other factors: if we are talking about a hard disk, then the power of the electric motor and controller electronics, and if about a processor or another chip, then the number elements integrated into it and the technological process of its production. This is the physics of our world, and there is no getting away from it. But no one has yet come up with the idea to glue radiators on electrical wires and blow off, say, internal modems! This is because different components of the computer affect the temperature in the case in different ways, and if such a "cold" device like a modem does not require any additional cooling, then we pay too much attention to the same video card, therefore, they put huge ones on modern motherboards. coolers, sometimes even with two fans.
But first of all, let's repeat what a cooler is. A cooler (from English Cool - cold) is a device for cooling something. The main task of any cooler is to reduce and maintain the temperature of the cooled body at a given level. And depending on the type of the cooled device, be it a transistor, chip, processor or even a hard drive, different types of coolers are used. In our concept, the cooler has strengthened itself as a "big piece of iron with a propeller", and the larger it is, the better it is. However, coolers can be more complex devices, costing hundreds of dollars. Typically, coolers used in computers consist of a fan, a heatsink, and a mount.

Radiators

A radiator (from the English Radiate - to radiate) serves to remove heat from the cooled object. It is in direct contact with the object to be cooled, and its main function is to take on some of the heat generated by the body and dissipate it into the surrounding air. As you know, again from the physics course, an object gives off heat only from its surface, which means that in order to achieve the best heat dissipation, the cooled object must have as large a surface area as possible. In today's radiators, the surface area is increased by installing more fins. Heat from the object being cooled goes to the base of the radiator, and then it is evenly distributed along its edges, after which it goes into the surrounding air, and this process is called radiation. The air around the radiator gradually heats up and the heat exchange process becomes less efficient, so the heat exchange efficiency can be increased if cold air is constantly supplied to the radiator fins. For this, fans are used today. But we'll talk about them a little later.
The radiator must have good thermal conductivity and heat capacity. Thermal conductivity determines the rate at which heat spreads through the body. For a radiator, the thermal conductivity should be as high as possible, because often the area of ​​the cooled object is several times smaller than the area of ​​the base of the radiator, and with low thermal conductivity, the heat from the cooled object cannot be evenly distributed throughout the entire volume, along all the edges of the radiator. If the radiator is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, then at each point the temperature will be the same, and heat will be released from its entire surface area with the same efficiency, that is, there will be no situation when one part of the radiator is hot and the other remains cold and will not give off heat to the surrounding air. Heat capacity determines the amount of heat that needs to be imparted to the body in order to raise its temperature by 1 degree. For radiators, the heat capacity should be as high as possible, because when it cools down by one degree, the body gives off the same amount of heat. The heat capacity and thermal conductivity of a radiator depend on the material used for its manufacture.

Thermal properties table for materials

As you can see, it is most profitable to use two materials for the manufacture of radiators: aluminum and copper. The first is due to its low cost and high heat capacity, and the second is due to its high thermal conductivity. Silver is too expensive to be used to make radiators, but even if you ignore its high price, thanks to its good thermal conductivity, this metal is best used for making only the bases of the radiators.
The design of the radiator is also of great importance. For example, the ribs can be set at different angles to the air flow. They can be straight along the entire length of the radiator, or cut across, they are thick and burr if the radiator is made using extrusion technology, or thin and smooth if it was cast from molten metal. The ribs can be flat, bent from plates and pressed into the base. A radiator can generally be needle-shaped, that is, instead of ribs, it can have cylindrical or square needles. Today it is known that in terms of the design of the fins, needle radiators show themselves best.

Thermal interface

Radiators adjoin their base to the object to be cooled, and the heat from it to the radiator passes only through the surface of their contact, so we must strive to make it as large as possible. But even the usually available contact area (for example, the surface of the processor core) must be used one hundred percent. The fact is that when two surfaces touch, tiny cavities filled with air remain between them. This cannot be avoided, and no matter how smooth and smooth the surface of the radiator may seem to you, it still has cracks and cavities where air collects. Air conducts heat very poorly, and therefore the cooling efficiency will be significantly lower than the capabilities of the radiator.
To get rid of air cushions and increase the cooling efficiency, various thermal interfaces are used. They have high thermal conductivity and, due to their fluidity, fill in all the irregularities of the radiator base. As a result, the places where previously there was air in our way are now filled with a material that conducts heat well, and the radiator is already working at maximum efficiency. Thermal interfaces come in different types, thermal paste or conductive spacers. The gaskets are rubber-like polymer plates applied to the base of the radiators. When heated, they change their state of aggregation and, softening, fill in all the irregularities. Now thermal pastes are supplied with the vast majority of branded coolers. More often, thermal paste is simply put into a box with a cooler in a syringe or a small plastic bag. But it happens that it is already applied to the base of the radiator. In this case, it will only be enough for one or two installations, since it will be more difficult to assemble it from a cooled chip or processor than to buy another bag of paste. When choosing a thermal interface, I would recommend using thermal paste, not thermal pads. The high fluidity of thermal pastes allows them to better fill all the irregularities of the radiator, and due to the use of materials such as silver or aluminum in their composition, they have a higher thermal conductivity. Today on sale you can find thermal pastes with 90% silver content. And although silver is an excellent electrical conductor, manufacturers guarantee that thermal grease does not close the contacts of the elements of the board or the device on which it is applied, but they still recommend not checking the insulating properties of their product and, if possible, avoiding thermal grease getting on the electrical components of the computer.

Fans

The fans provide a continuous flow of air to the radiator, converting the less efficient radiation process into the more efficient convection process. Convection is a process of heat exchange, which differs from radiation in that the cooling air is constantly in motion. In active coolers, it is forced into the radiator and, when heated, dissipates in the environment. With the use of a fan, the cooler becomes much more efficient, and the temperature of the cooled object can drop twice, or even more, depending on the fan performance. Fan performance is its main characteristic, measured in the number of cubic feet of air distilled by it per minute, in abbreviated form - CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute). It mainly depends on the area of ​​the fan, its height, the profile of the blades and their speed. The higher these values ​​are, the more air can be distilled by the fan, and, accordingly, the more efficient the cooling will be. Today, fans for computer coolers do not have the ability to infinitely increase either the size or the rotation speed of the impeller. It is clear that a fan larger than 80 mm is already difficult to fit into the case, and the propeller speed directly affects its noise level. In addition, a larger fan will have to have a more powerful and more expensive electric motor, which will affect its cost.
All fans used in computers today are powered by direct current, most often 12V. To connect to the power supply, they use three-pin Molex-connectors (for Smart-fans) or four-pin PC-Plug connectors.

A Molex connector has three wires: black (ground), red (plus), and yellow (signal). The PC-Plug has four wires: two black (ground), yellow (+12 Volts) and red (+5 Volts). Molex connectors are installed on motherboards so that the system itself can control the fan speed by supplying different voltages to the red wire (usually from 8 to 12 V), and change it if necessary. Through the yellow signal wire, the motherboard receives information from the fan about the rotational speed of its blades. Today, this has become very relevant, since a fan that stops on a processor cooler can damage the processor. Therefore, modern motherboards make sure that the fan is always spinning, and if it stops, then they turn off the computer. Connecting via Molex has one drawback: it is dangerous to connect fans with a power consumption of more than 6W to motherboards. The PC-Plug connector will withstand tens of watts, but when connected to it, you will not be able to find out if your fan is working or not. Today, more and more fans are bundled with PC-Plug - Molex adapters to connect them to the power supply, or even both connectors: PC-Plug and Molex, to receive power from the computer's power supply, and communicate to the motherboard via the Molex signal wire about the speed of the motor.
Also, fans can have different types of rotor suspension. For this, sleeve bearing or Ball bearing are used. The fan can have one or two bearings, and sometimes they combine different types - Sleeve and Ball. Fans with rolling bearings (conventional ball bearings) are considered the most reliable. Manufacturing companies promise them continuous operation for 50,000 hours, which is more than five years, while those that use plain bearings promise to live no more than 30,000 hours, about three and a half years. Today there are already fans with ceramic bearings, which are promised almost immortality - 300,000 hours of continuous operation, and this is thirty-six years! However, on the one hand, the declared fan lifetimes are very rarely true, and often they need to be divided by two, or even three, and on the other hand, believe me, the computer will not live thirty-six years. It is worth reckoning that an ordinary fan can live for a year or two. Then it starts humming, and it needs to be lubricated, but even lubrication will solve the problem only for a while, and soon the fan will have to be replaced with a new one.
Some modern fans have automatic speed control, depending on the ambient temperature or the temperature of the radiator. We will tell you about one such at the end of the article. In almost all of them, the temperature sensor is located directly on the fan itself and may not reflect the real temperature of the cooled object. That is, when the processor temperature rises, the cooler with such an automatic fan can only increase its speed after a couple of minutes. Another thing is fans with stop alarms installed on them. When the rotor speed drops below a certain limit, a special electronic unit on the fan wire emits a loud squeak, and you know for sure that it's time to turn off the computer and replace the cooler.

Passive coolers

Passive coolers are ordinary radiators installed on a cooled object. They remove heat only by radiation, if they are not blown by any computer fans, and are used to cool low-power and small-sized elements, for example, memory chips or transistors. Radiators are installed today on video cards, some motherboards, where there are still no full-fledged coolers, memory modules, and indeed practically everything that has to be cooled, and even on central processors if they have low power.

A special case of a passive cooler is a heat distributor. It looks like a "bald" radiator made from a plate, without edges and with a small surface area. Heat spreaders are used today to cool system memory. In particular, Thermaltake produces special kits for DDR SDRAM DIMM modules. The disadvantage of heat distributors, like passive coolers, is their low efficiency.

Active coolers

Coolers that work by convection are called active ones. Simply put, it is a radiator with a fan installed on it. They are most often used to cool processors. And today, when we say the word "cooler", we mean, first of all, just them. Active coolers are used almost everywhere where cooling is required, replacing conventional radiators. The advantages of such cooling can be called a significantly higher efficiency compared to conventional radiators. Active coolers are able to cool hot processors while being small. But fans are always a source of noise in computers and sometimes vibration. Therefore, they only need to cool the very hot elements, otherwise it will become unbearable to work behind a noisy machine. Another drawback of active coolers is that they are short-lived. The fan blades rotate, and sooner or later the bearings on the rotor will fail and it will stop. Naturally, in this case, the cooled element will overheat and possibly fail. But more often than not, the fans begin to hum loudly before stopping, so you will be warned in advance.

Now that we have figured out the basics of computer cooling, we can move on to looking at the heat sources in the computer and how to cool them.

What is heated in the computer, and how it cools

Well, having an idea of ​​coolers, let's now get a picture of what is heated in computers, and how it needs to be cooled (if necessary). We'll start with the most basic element of any PC - the central processing unit. Today, special attention is paid to cooling processors, and therefore every manufacturer of PC coolers must have in their assortment CPU coolers.

Processors

If you do not consider server and laptop computers (including laptops), then today in personal computers processors are used by two manufacturers: Intel and AMD. They use three main platforms: Socket 370, Socket 478, and Socket 462 (Socket A). The numbers in the platform designation show the number of pins for each processor. Naturally, all these standards are incompatible with each other, and you cannot install Pentium III for Socket 370 into a motherboard with any other socket. Until recently, the Socket 423 standard for the first Pentium 4 was also widespread, but with the arrival of the more modern Socket 478, it almost disappeared and is now being successfully forgotten. Each type of processor has its own cooler standards.

Socket 370 uses Intel Pentium III, Intel Celeron processors (except for new ones for Socket 478) and VIA C3. AMD processors (Duron, Athlon based on Thunderbird, Palomino and Thoroughbred) use Socket A. Coolers for Socket 370 and Socket A are almost compatible with each other. More precisely, we can say that they are fully compatible, but this does not mean that you can install a cooler for Athlon on Pentium III. The fact is that although the Socket 370 and Socket A sockets have the same dimensions, the standards according to which AMD recommends building motherboards differ from those of Intel. First of all, take a look at the photo. Socket A has three teeth in the front and in the back for attaching a cooler. Initially, it was assumed that more powerful coolers would be installed on Athlon processors, which would require a more rigid mount, and one tooth could break under the cooler spring. In addition, AMD recommended that motherboard manufacturers leave a so-called free area to the left and right of the socket. This zone should not contain any elements that could interfere with the installation of rectangular coolers longer than 55 mm (slot width). Thus, Athlon and Duron processors can be equipped with 60x80mm coolers as high as your case allows. Of course, such large coolers are unlikely to be installed on the Pentium III, but this again depends on the motherboard.

In addition, many Athlon / Duron motherboards have four holes around the slot. This is another way of attaching the cooler - not to the socket, but to the motherboard. On the one hand, it is more convenient, since the cooler will not fall off after breaking off a tooth, and on the other hand, to replace it or upgrade the processor, you will have to remove the motherboard. Good or bad, but recently AMD stopped requiring four holes in the free zone near the processor socket, and all future coolers will be attached only to it, and not to the motherboard.
Athlon processors generate up to 73W of heat when unclocked. For powerful servers, such heat dissipation of the processor is common, but for desktop computers it is a lot, and besides, the area of ​​the processor core is constantly decreasing, so coolers for modern processors actively use copper in their heatsinks. And on sale you can see coolers not only with aluminum radiators, but also with a copper base, or completely copper. Some manufacturers, trying to increase the efficiency of coolers, also cover the copper with nickel, silver or other materials with high thermal conductivity. Fans on such coolers most often have a size of 60x60x25 mm, although now 70mm and 80mm models are widely used. They have a lower rotational speed and are much quieter.

CPU	Heat dissipation, W
AMD Duron 1100	51
AMD Duron 1200	55
AMD Duron 1300	57
AMD Athlon Thunderbird 1400	73
AMD AthlonXP (Palomino) 2100+	72
AMD AthlonXP (Thoroughbred) 2600+	68.3

In the case of coolers for Socket 370, everything is much simpler: they all cling to the two teeth of the socket and have dimensions that do not exceed the dimensions of the socket. Usually from 50x50 to 60x60 mm. The heat dissipation of Pentium III processors is approximately two times less than that of Athlon processors, therefore it is easier to cool them, and on Pentium III coolers with all-aluminum heatsinks or with a copper base are most often used. They are cheaper than completely copper ones, which, moreover, are not necessary.

If we continue talking about Socket 370 and remember about VIA C3 processors, then we can completely forget about coolers. The point is that VIA C3 has a reputation for being "cold" processors, because they generate too little heat and can work with passive coolers - ordinary heatsinks, or very simple coolers. For them, heat dissipation is not a problem, and therefore computers based on them work very quietly.
Today it is more profitable to produce coolers for Intel Pentium 4 and Celeron processors for Socket478. The fact is that the market for Athlon coolers is already quite saturated, and besides, the prices for computers with AMD processors are not high, and not every user is ready to pay dearly for a good cooler. With Pentium 4, the situation is completely different, since they are much more expensive than competitors from AMD, and coolers costing several tens of dollars can be sold on the market of high-performance processors.

In computers with Pentium 4 and Celeron processors for Socket 478, the cooler is attached to a special rack on the motherboard. It is believed that Pentium 4 processors do not overheat at all. It is fundamentally wrong, and the first Pentium 4s really warmed up weaker than their Athlons, but now the power consumption of a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 is around 64 W, while a 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 promises to require up to 80 W. Of course, the modern technological processes and design of the Pentium 4 with a built-in heat distributor help it better fight heat generated, but just like Athlon it requires a large cooler. True, boxed versions of processors are already supplied with coolers, but if necessary, you can find a wide range of coolers for Pentium 4 in stores.

Coolers for Socket 478 have basically one type of fastening: with two steel brackets they cling to the plastic stops of the motherboard and firmly press against the processor surface. Sometimes the motherboard bends slightly from too strong cooler springs, but by and large it's not a big deal. For computers using the Pentium 4 in low or server chassis, there are coolers that attach to the motherboard without the need for racks around the processor.

Just as in the case with some coolers for Athlon, in them the mount goes through the holes in the motherboard (to do this, you will have to remove the standard cooler holders from it) and are fixed on top of the processor. In this case, much less physical activity is applied to the board. Unfortunately, such coolers are not widely used.
Coolers with different heatsinks are produced for Pentium 4. There are both pure aluminum and copper bases, or completely copper. Fans for such coolers are usually quiet, because their low performance is compensated by the large size of the heatsinks. Although, loud models are also not uncommon among coolers for Socket 478.

The days when drinking tap water was tasty and healthy and could be drunk without additional filtration are long gone. At present, the quality of water supply has significantly decreased, and it is for this reason that special devices - water coolers - are increasingly appearing in office premises, as well as in enterprises and public places.

What is a water cooler

A cooler is a device designed to provide employees and visitors of enterprises, offices, city and private companies, as well as other facilities with drinking cold and hot water. It is a structure consisting of a container with drinking water (usually a plastic bottle with a capacity of 19 to 30 liters), a dispenser, a connecting pipe and a check valve.

Principle of operation

After connecting the tank, the liquid enters the dispenser distribution system, which consists of containers for storing cold and hot water. First of all, the liquid enters the cold water tank, from where it is fed through the connecting pipe to the boiler, where hot water is prepared. A check valve is installed between the two tanks, which balances the pressure of the system and prevents the intersection of water flows.

The cooler consists of tanks for cold and hot water, between which a separating check valve is installed

Coolers specifications

The main parameters by which water coolers differ are:

• water heating and cooling power;
• heating and cooling performance;
• cooling technology;
• method of loading a container with water.

Table: comparison of characteristics of coolers of different models

Types of water coolers

Water coolers are divided into several types depending on the installation method and the mode of cold water supply.

1. Floor coolers. They operate from a 220 V network and are installed on a flat and flat floor surface. The upper front panel of any device has an indicator board, which displays information about the selected operating mode, that is, what kind of water is being supplied at the moment - hot or cold. Some models of floor-standing coolers are equipped with an ozonation chamber, which allows disinfection of cutlery and crockery. The floor-standing cooler is installed on a flat surface and connected to the electrical network
2. Desktop coolers. They are the classic version of the bottled dispenser. The devices represent a structure consisting of a large plastic base and a water tank with a volume of 18 to 30 liters. Before placing the desktop cooler, you should check the strength of the surface on which you plan to install the device, as it is quite heavy and can fall during operation. A benchtop cooler works the same as a benchtop cooler, but is installed on a table and requires a check of the strength of its base
3. Flow-through dispensers. In flow-through coolers, water does not come from removable portable containers, but from the general water supply system. In such devices, a built-in cleaning system is provided, the principle of which is similar to the device of home water filters installed under the sink in the kitchen. Additionally, some models can be equipped with ultraviolet lamps designed to combat harmful microorganisms.
   Flow-through coolers do not require the purchase of water in plastic bottles, but take it from the water supply system

If you plan not to use the device for a long time, you should disconnect it from the power supply.

Table: advantages and disadvantages of different types of coolers

Cooler type	Advantages	disadvantages
Floor	compactness; dual mode (cooling and heating water); variety of models; availability of additional functions of carbonation and water filtration; built-in storage compartment for various utensils (not in all models); suitability for intensive use; ease of use.	large dimensions; high price.
Desktop	low cost; lightness and compactness; ease of transportation.	the presence of a stand; lack of additional built-in devices.
Flowing	independence from the available water supply; no restrictions on water consumption; deep cleaning degree; profitability due to the low cost of tap water.	the need for periodic filter replacement; high price; inability to move after installation; dependence on the water supply system.

Depending on the cooling technology used, there are two types of coolers: electronic and compressor.

Coolers with electronic cooling

The operation of coolers with an electronic cooling system is based on the passage of an electric current through conductors that are cooled at their junctions.

Distinctive features:

• the cooling rate is about 3 l / h;
• reliability and environmental friendliness. Devices of this type do not use freon, so they are free from refrigerant leakage problems;
• light weight and low cost.

Coolers with compressor cooling

Coolers with a compressor cooling system operate by using a refrigerant - freon, which is also used in refrigerators.

Compressor coolers work on the same principle as household refrigerators

Features of compressor coolers:

• durability and strength;
• high performance;
• the ability to adjust the cooling temperature.

Table: advantages and disadvantages of electronic and compressor coolers

Cooler type	Advantages	disadvantages
Electronically cooled	ease of use; compactness; low cost of installation and maintenance work; noiselessness; possibility of transportation in a horizontal position.	reduced performance; undesirability of installation in dusty and unventilated rooms (otherwise more careful maintenance is required); relatively slow cooling of the liquid; low productivity (the device can be served simultaneously by no more than three people).
Compressor cooled	the ability to adjust the water temperature; high performance; cooling to sufficiently low temperatures.	loud noise; transportation exclusively in an upright position; heavy weight; high price.

Cooler circuits

The scheme and device of the cooler depends on its type and purpose, as well as on the technology of water filtration.

Flow cooler diagram

The flow-through water cooler consists of a four-stage filter, an ultraviolet lamp, tanks for hot and cold water with appropriate elements (heating and cooling). The use of a large number of filters and a UV lamp is due to the fact that the water supply system (plumbing) is used as a source of water. They interfere with the reproduction of viral and bacterial particles.

The flow-through cooler has a four-stage filter and an ultraviolet lamp, which are necessary for preliminary purification of tap water

The compressor-cooled cooler consists of the following components:

• sediment filter (Sediment Filter) - produces water purification from 90% of suspended particles larger than 5 microns;
  The sediment filter retains all foreign particles larger than 5 microns
• Carbon Pre-Filter - removes chlorine and organic chemicals, and improves the taste of water;
  Carbon prefilter is used to remove chlorine and various organic impurities
• an ultrafiltration filter (UF Membrane Filter) or a reverse osmosis membrane (RO Membrane Filter) - purify water from bacteria, viruses, fine particles, dissolved minerals and salt crystals;
  An ultrafiltration filter removes viruses, dissolved minerals and salts from water
• Post Carbon Filter - removes odors, tastes and organic substances remaining after passing through a reverse osmosis membrane or an ultrafiltration membrane;
• tanks and taps for supplying hot and cold water;
• compressor - creates the pressure required to convert the refrigerant into liquid and its further evaporation with the absorption of excess heat;
  The compressor of the cooler performs the same functions as in the refrigerator, ensuring the evaporation of the refrigerant
• Boost Pump - Sets the pressure for optimum system performance.
  A cooler with a compressor cooling system consists of a four-stage filter, a compressor, a step-up pump and pipes through which the refrigerant circulates.

The choice of a drinking cooler is a rather crucial step, since the quality of water and, accordingly, the health of people will depend on its type and device. When choosing a cooler, you should be guided by the following characteristics:

1. The size of the apparatus.
2. Filtration technology. The most preferable would be a device with a multistage water purification system.
3. The presence of an ultraviolet lamp, especially if children are expected to drink the water.
4. The temperature of the water inside the device. Better if it is +98 o С for hot water and +4 o С for cold water. An additional advantage will be the ability to regulate the temperature.
5. Additional functions: child protection, dispenser, timer (programming the cooler for automatic on / off).

DIY cooler repair

Despite the fact that the water cooler is a household appliance, it is designed for long-term use and therefore requires periodic maintenance and sometimes repair. To carry out these works, the device often needs to be disassembled.

In order to disassemble the cooler, you need to do the following:

Further analysis depends on the type of malfunction.

The main malfunctions of coolers

During operation, a variety of malfunctions can occur, ranging from elementary ones that can be corrected on their own, and ending with complex ones associated with the breakdown of electromechanical components.

Video: the water cooler does not work - self-diagnosis

The water is not heating up enough

The weakening of heating may be due to the fact that scale has formed in the hot water tank during operation. In order to check the presence or absence of scale, you need to do the following:

1. Open the back cover of the cooler.
2. Find a container for heating water (usually located at the top of the device).

   A tank for heating water is a metal tank, inside of which scale can form

3. Remove the drain plugs (depending on the model, there may be one or two) and drain the remaining water.
4. Take the number 15 wrench and use it to remove the rubber seal.
5. Using a small curved screwdriver, remove the four screws (under the seal).
6. Take the wire cutters and carefully cut the clamp off the nipple and the rest of the connecting pipes.
7. Disconnect the power and ground wires (by loosening the screws), and then remove the thermal sensor.
   In order to remove the thermal sensor, it is necessary to disconnect the power and ground wires
8. Dismantle the disconnected heating tank.
9. Check the presence of paste in the places where the container is installed. If it is absent, then renew it by applying a small thin layer.
10. Take the dismantled container and clean it of the fiberglass coating (it may not be present).
    The hot water tank in the cooler can be wrapped in fiberglass insulation
11. Open the lid by biting, if necessary, the clamps that attach it to the body.
12. Using a toothbrush or a small brush dipped in citric acid, descale the inside of the container.
    A large amount of limescale can accumulate on the walls and the heating element, which must be removed with citric acid.

Video: cleaning the cooler at home

Additionally, you should check the heating element (thermoelectric heater), since damage to its integrity or a decrease in resistance can also lead to a deterioration in the quality of water heating.

Video: checking the heating element

Cooler does not turn on

Partial or complete loss of the cooler's functionality, as well as an unpleasant taste of water, may appear due to accumulated dirt. In order not to bring the device to a neglected state, it is necessary to clean it from dust on a monthly basis. Before starting this process, it should be remembered that four things are prohibited: washing the cooler under a tap or shower, installing the device in a dishwasher, disinfecting with a steam cleaner, and using abrasive detergents (powders and solvents).

In order to clean and disinfect the cooler, you need to do the following:

1. Disconnect the device from the power supply.
2. Take an antibacterial (damp) cloth and wipe the cooler case.
3. Drain the remaining liquid from the water tank and remove it.
4. Drain water from both taps in sequence.
5. Remove the plug from the drain hole located at the bottom of the cooler (in some models it can be inside the device behind the back cover), and pour out the remaining water. The drain hole in the cooler can be located at the bottom of the tank or on the back of the case
6. Screw the plug into place.
7. Turn the holder for the water tank counterclockwise and remove it.
8. Prepare a citric acid solution (100 grams per 5 liters of water) and pour it into the hole. You can use the "Bior 1" product (25 grams per 1 liter of water). When using this agent, it is strictly forbidden to heat up, as this can damage the heating element and the reservoir.
   A solution of citric acid or special disinfectants is poured into the tank
9. Make sure both containers are full. To do this, you need to open the taps - the water should flow out in an even continuous stream.
10. Connect the cooler to the mains and turn it on. Wait for the water to heat up and turn off the device from the network.
11. Wait 5–6 hours for the acid to disinfect the inside of the cooler.
12. Drain the water first from the taps and then through the drain hole.
13. Unscrew both taps and use a brush moistened with Antiklin dishwashing spray to clean the internal cavities of the taps.
14. Flush the taps with clean water and replace them.
15. Fill the cooler with clean water and drain it in the above sequence (repeat 2-3 times).
16. Assemble the cooler and put the tank with new drinking water.

Video: cleaning the cooler

The water has acquired a bitter taste

A decrease in the quality of water and a deterioration in taste can occur not only due to contamination of the apparatus, but also due to the loss of their properties by filters. In order to replace the filters, you need to do the following:

Table: schedule for replacing filters in a cooler

Much will depend on how carefully the cooler is taken care of, and most importantly, your health. In order for the device to work properly, you must follow the recommendations that are described in the user manual and in our review article.

To cool the processor, a cooler is required, the parameters of which determine how high-quality it will be and whether the CPU will not overheat. To make the right choice, you need to know the dimensions and characteristics of the socket, processor and motherboard. Otherwise, the cooling system may not install correctly and / or damage the mother card.

If you are building a computer from scratch, then you should think about which is better - buy a separate cooler or boxed processor, i.e. processor with an integrated cooling system. Buying a processor with a built-in cooler is more profitable because the cooling system is already fully compatible with this model and is cheaper than buying a CPU and a heatsink separately.

But at the same time, this design produces too much noise, and when the processor is overclocked, the system may not cope with the load. And replacing a boxed cooler with a separate one will either be impossible, or you will have to take the computer to a special service, because a change at home is not recommended in this case. Therefore, if you are building a gaming computer and / or plan to overclock the processor, then buy a processor and a cooling system separately.

When choosing a cooler, you need to pay attention to two parameters of the processor and motherboard - socket and heat dissipation (TDP). A socket is a special connector on the motherboard where the CPU and cooler are mounted. When choosing a cooling system, you have to look at which socket it suits best (usually manufacturers write the recommended sockets themselves). Processor TDP is a measure of the heat generated by the CPU cores and is measured in watts. This indicator, as a rule, is indicated by the CPU manufacturer, and the cooler manufacturers write what load this or that model is designed for.

Main characteristics

First of all, pay attention to the list of sockets with which this model is compatible. Manufacturers always provide a list of suitable sockets, since this is the most important point when choosing a cooling system. If you try to install a heatsink on a socket that is not specified by the manufacturer in the specifications, then you can break the cooler and / or the socket.

Maximum operating heat dissipation is one of the main parameters when choosing a cooler for an already purchased processor. True, TDP is not always indicated in the characteristics of the cooler. Minor differences between the operating TDP of the cooling system and the CPU are acceptable (for example, the CPU has a TDP of 88W and a heat sink of 85W). But with large differences, the processor will noticeably overheat and may become unusable. However, if the TDP of the heatsink is much higher than the TDP of the processor, then this is even good, since the capacity of the cooler will be sufficient with surplus to do its job.

If the manufacturer has not indicated the TDP of the cooler, then you can find it out by "googling" a request on the network, but this rule applies only to popular models.

Design features

The design of coolers varies greatly depending on the type of radiator and the presence / absence of special heat pipes. There are also differences in the material from which the fan blades and the radiator itself are made. Basically, the main material is plastic, but there are also models with aluminum and metal blades.

The most budgetary option is a cooling system with an aluminum radiator, without copper heat pipes. Such models are small in size and low in price, but they are poorly suited for more or less productive processors or for processors that are planned to be overclocked in the future. Often comes bundled with a CPU. The difference in the shape of the heatsinks is noteworthy - for AMD CPUs the heatsinks are square, while for Intel they are round.

Coolers with prefabricated heat sinks are almost outdated, but are still on sale. Their design is a radiator with a combination of aluminum and copper plates. They are much cheaper than their counterparts with heat pipes, while the cooling quality is not much lower. But due to the fact that these models are obsolete, it is very difficult to find a socket suitable for them. In general, these radiators no longer have significant differences from their all-aluminum counterparts.

A horizontal metal radiator with copper pipes for heat dissipation is one of the types of inexpensive, but modern and efficient cooling system. The main drawback of designs where copper pipes are provided is their large dimensions, which do not allow installing such a design in a small system unit and / or on a cheap motherboard, because it can break under her weight. Also, all the heat is removed through the pipes towards the mother card, which, if the system unit has poor ventilation, reduces the efficiency of the pipes to nothing.

There are more expensive types of radiators with copper pipes that are installed in a vertical position rather than horizontal, which allows them to be mounted in a small system unit. Plus, the heat from the pipes goes up, and not towards the motherboard. Coolers with copper heat pipes are great for powerful and expensive processors, but they also have higher socket requirements due to their size.

The efficiency of coolers with copper pipes depends on the number of the latter. For processors from the middle segment, whose TDP is 80-100 W, models with 3-4 copper pipes are perfect. For more powerful 110-180 W processors, models with 6 pipes are already needed. In the characteristics of the radiator, the number of pipes is rarely written, but they can be easily determined from the photo.

It is important to pay attention to the base of the cooler. Models with a through base are the cheapest, but dust very quickly clogs into the radiator connectors, which is difficult to clean. There are also cheap solid base models that are preferable, albeit slightly more expensive. It is even better to choose a cooler, where, in addition to the solid base, there is a special copper insert. it greatly increases the efficiency of inexpensive radiators.

In the expensive segment, heatsinks with a copper base or direct contact with the processor surface are already used. The efficiency of both is completely identical, but the second option is smaller and more expensive.
Also, when choosing a radiator, always pay attention to the weight and dimensions of the structure. For example, a tower cooler with copper pipes that extend upwards is 160 mm high, which makes placing it in a small system unit and / or on a small motherboard problematic. The normal weight of a cooler should be around 400-500g for mid-range computers and 500-1000g for gaming and professional machines.

Fan features

First of all, you should pay attention to the size of the fan, because the noise level, ease of replacement and quality of work depend on them. There are three standard size categories:

• 80 × 80 mm. These models are very cheap and easy to replace. They can be easily mounted even in small enclosures. Usually come with the cheapest coolers. They make a lot of noise and cannot cope with cooling powerful processors;
• 92x92 mm is already the standard fan size for an average cooler. They are also easy to install, produce less noise and are able to cope with cooling processors in the middle price category, but they are more expensive;
• 120 × 120 mm - fans of this size can be found in professional or gaming machines. They provide high-quality cooling, they do not make too much noise, and it is easy for them to find a replacement in the event of a breakdown. But at the same time, the price of a cooler equipped with such a fan is much higher. If a fan of this size is purchased separately, then there may be some difficulties with its installation on the radiator.

There may also be fans of 140 × 140 mm and larger, but this is already for TOP gaming machines, on which the processor is subject to a very high load. Such fans are difficult to find on the market, and their price will not be democratic.

Pay particular attention to bearing types as the noise level depends on them. There are three of them:

• Sleeve Bearing is the cheapest and most unreliable sample. A cooler with such a bearing in its design also produces too much noise;
• Ball Bearing - a more reliable ball bearing, it is more expensive, but also does not have a low noise level;
• Hydro Bearing is a combination of reliability and quality. It has a hydrodynamic design, practically does not produce noise, but it is expensive.

If you do not need a noisy cooler, then pay extra attention to the number of revolutions per minute. 2000-4000 rpm make the noise of the cooling system perfectly audible. In order not to hear the operation of the computer, it is recommended to pay attention to models with a speed of about 800-1500 revolutions per minute. But keep in mind that if the fan is small, then the speed must vary between 3000-4000 per minute in order for the cooler to cope with its task. The larger the size of the fan, the less it must rotate per minute for normal processor cooling.

It is also worth paying attention to the number of fans in the design. In budget versions, only one fan is used, and in more expensive ones, there can be two or even three. In this case, the rotational speed and noise production can be very low, but there will be no problems with the quality of the processor cooling.

Some coolers can adjust the fan speed automatically based on the current load on the CPU cores. If you choose such a cooling system, then find out if your motherboard supports speed control through a special controller. Pay attention to the presence of DC and PWM connectors in the motherboard. The required connector depends on the type of connection - 3-pin or 4-pin. Cooler manufacturers indicate in the specifications the connector through which the connection to the mother card will take place.

In the characteristics of coolers, they also write the item "Air flow", which is measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute). The higher this indicator, the more efficiently the cooler copes with its task, but the higher the noise level. In fact, this indicator is almost the same as the number of revolutions.

Attaching to the mother card

Small or medium-sized coolers are mainly fastened with special latches or small screws, which avoids a number of problems. In addition, detailed instructions are attached where it is written how to fasten and which screws to use for this.

It will be more difficult to deal with models that require reinforced fastening, tk. in this case, the motherboard and computer case must have the necessary dimensions to install a special pedestal or frame on the back of the motherboard. In the latter case, the computer case should not only have enough free space, but also a special recess or window that allows you to install a large cooler without any problems.

In the case of a large cooling system, what and how you will install it depends on the socket. In most cases, these will be special bolts.

Before installing the cooler, the processor will need to be lubricated with thermal paste in advance. If there is already a layer of paste on it, then remove it with a cotton swab or disc soaked in alcohol and apply a new layer of thermal paste. Some cooler manufacturers include thermal grease with the cooler. If there is such a paste, then apply it, if not, then buy it yourself. There is no need to save on this point, it is better to buy a tube of high-quality thermal paste, where there will also be a special brush for application. Expensive thermal grease lasts longer and provides better CPU cooling.

List of popular manufacturers

The following companies are most popular in the Russian and international markets:

Also, when buying a cooler, do not forget to check the warranty. The minimum warranty period must be at least 12 months from the date of purchase. Knowing all the features of the characteristics of coolers for your computer, it will not be difficult for you to make the right choice.