Top cooling solutions for a PC in an extremely warm environment
Top cooling solutions for a PC in an extremely warm environment
Hello everyone, I'm Ivan from Italy. We're currently experiencing extremely high temperatures. My room reaches around 86°F (30°C), and my PC gets very hot. It's not that hot, but it's warmer than when the temperature is between 20-22°C. As a technician, I replace thermal paste on both the CPU and GPU every month or so. The GPU stays between 60-70°C during gameplay, while the CPU idles at about 60°C. In early June, before the heat, it was 40-45°C when idle. My main concern is whether a Cooler Master AIO 120 can help lower my CPU and possibly the GPU temperatures since the AIO removes all CPU heat directly from my case. Thanks for your help!
Avoid spending on 120mm AIOs. It seems your case fans aren't running fast enough. Regardless, the temps aren't that high. If you're concerned, consider using FanControl with a more intense fan curve.
120 AIOs are completely useless. Avoid purchasing them. I’m not sure if they’d surpass the esports pair. Any AIO under 240mm is wasteful. (And some air coolers perform just as well or better than most 240 AIOs.) Remember this: coolers depend on "temperature change relative to ambient." If you raise your ambient by 10 degrees, your CPU temperature will behave the same way.
Switching thermal paste and cooling methods won’t fix the issue, as your PC will still produce the same heat. Any standard solution just moves it into your room. To truly reduce heat, you’ll need air conditioning to expel it outside or an outdoor water cooling radiator to carry the warmth away. (Your temperatures might drop slightly with this approach, but you’ll only be able to lower water temps to ambient without a refrigeration system.)
Avoid changing thermal paste often because it usually stays good for years. Frequent replacement increases the chance of harming components. Your GPU temperatures are manageable, but an idle CPU at 60°C (which is higher than usual) isn't typical—your 5900X usually runs around 43°C with a 27°C room temperature. Don’t share your gaming and load CPU temps with others. For improved performance, upgrade to a better air cooler or a 240mm+ AIO, and add fans to ensure proper airflow.
It's tough to respond to everyone at once! First of all, thank you all! I own an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 running at 4.2GHz OC. I play sports games like NBA and FIFA, so I've chosen to stick with what I have instead of buying anything new. My plan is to get air conditioning for my room because the PC is really struggling in this hot weather—even the owner is affected. When it gets cooler, my PC performs better. Thanks again!
I update the thermal paste every few months, I’m confident in my approach, and I’ve never encountered any problems.
If your computer(s) are heating the room up by 8-10C over ambient room temperature, perhaps just find a way to vent the heat with a fan rather than an AC unit (which will consume a lot of power and be noisier than a fan). If you can vent the hot air and the ambient temperature is comfortable, fans might work!