Top 10 Reasons to Use Cooling for Your Gaming PC
Do you know that a modern GPU has around 76 billion transistors that can produce heat up to 300 Watts? The rapid switching on and off of electric signals that generate the gaming graphics that we all love creates heat. The cooling system of a gaming PC removes all the heat. Imagine not removing the heat from the computer; it can have a devastating effect on the hardware.
This article will explore all the reasons for an efficient cooling system in your gaming PC. Factors such as prolonging equipment life, performance boost, protection of investment, fire hazards, and power shortages dominate enough to compel PC cooling system manufacturers to design innovative devices. Let's dive into the top 10 reasons you should use an adequate PC cooling system for gaming.
1. Overclocking CPU: Gaming PC Performance
Playing games takes a toll on the CPU. It has to calculate everything in the game, including the movement of pedestrians and buildings, the effect of gravity and acceleration, and much more. The CPU calculates most of the physics. Increasing the CPU speed means we need to boost the operating frequency of the CPU, which roughly means overclocking the CPU.
Increasing the number of calculations means more power draw and a rise in the chips's heat. Removing the heat is vital to ensure system stability and performance. If the CPU runs within its operating range of less than 80°C, it can be overclocked if the limiting temperatures are not achieved. PC cooling systems allow the CPU to run cooler at higher frequencies while performing more calculations per second. The two main categories of gaming PC coolers are:
- AIO Gaming PC Coolers
- Air Gaming PC Coolers
2. Higher Gaming Frame Rates: GPU Performance Boosts
GPU is the heart of a gaming PC. They are a precious bit of silicon hardware that gamers praise and need. The GPU converts the CPU's calculations into visual wonders that we see on the monitor. Modern games consume the most out of GPUs, and in competitive gaming like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and PUBG, the stakes are much higher. Gamers need ultra-high framerates to stay ahead of the game.
Similar to the CPU, if you need to increase the performance of your GPU, you will need to overclock it, eventually leading to higher power consumption and heat generation. You need an air- or liquid-based PC cooling system to remove the heat. Most graphics cards have an air-based PC cooling system to keep the GPU temperature below 80°C. However, extreme gaming PCs are replaced with custom AIO coolers for higher overclocking.
3. CPU Fail Safe: Emergency Shutdown at High Temperatures
We talked about the effect of overheating on CPU performance. In extreme cases, the CPU will prevent itself from getting overheated through an emergency shutdown. This could mean a sudden computer restart or shutdown; in some cases, it can lead to BYOD in Windows. The temperature at which most CPUs initiate the emergency shutdown is 90-100°C if the PC cooling system is inadequate. The CPU will need a high-end cooling system while using your gaming PC, especially during gaming sessions.
4. SSD Thermal Throttling: Increasing Game Loading Time
Have you ever felt that your data transfer speeds to and from your storage drive are initially high and then start to drop down? That is because its thermal throttling ensures the temperatures do not exceed the operating value. Manufacturers install an inherent feature in SSDs that prevents them from overheating to ensure longevity. It usually occurs at 80°C.
Elongated heatsinks are enough to cool SSDs in gaming PCs. However, they need air to move inside the gaming PC case, which will carry away the heat. Large air-based CPU coolers are a great choice, as they move air over the motherboard, cooling other components.
5. Power Supply Failures: Preventing Hardware Damage
Power supplies keep all your components powered. A typical power supply will come with a single fan that can be RGB or non-RGB. These fans need to operate continuously to cool the gaming PC PSU when it's operating. A high-end gaming PC will consume around 650 watts, so an 850W gaming power supply is essential to keep it powered. An 80 PLUS rating power supply will have 80% efficiency, which means 20% of the power consumed is converted to heat. That heat is around 162 watts if the PC is consuming 650 watts. That is a lot of heat! The components can be damaged if not removed, and equipment failure is inevitable. Therefore, a PC cooling system also incorporates the heat from the PSU.
6. Motherboard Chipset Heating: Malfunctioning Components
The motherboard chipset controls all the data transferred between gaming PC components. This means that during gaming, it needs to allow fetching data between devices like the SSD, CPU, GPU, Audio chipset, and communication devices. The electronic circuit gets heated up while handling such load, so it needs to be removed. Most motherboard chipsets come with a heatsink, while some have active PC cooling systems. Air-based CPU coolers are great for motherboard chipset cooling as they move air over the motherboard from the front of the case to the back.
7. Liquid and Air Cooling: Aesthetics with Performance
We looked at some of the reasons that PC gamers need to consider when choosing a cooling system for their PC. Another reason that is neither performance nor stability-related is aesthetics. Modern liquid PC cooling and air cooling systems come with unique RGB implementation and fierce aesthetics that lift the overall vibe of your gaming rig. Some liquid PC cooling systems come with a customizable display on a water block, while there are air coolers that come with live temperature displays and info screens.
8. Reducing Noise: Cooler and Quieter
Installing a high-end cooling system for your gaming PC is not just about boosting your performance. A great PC cooling system will help lower the noise levels of the fans. For example, a 120mm AIO cooling kit will feature a single fan. It may need to operate at a higher RPM to remove the heat, which can contribute to noise. A 360 liquid cooling system will not require high RPM for heat removal and will run quieter with much better performance.
9. Smaller Gaming PC Case Cooling: Boost Performance
Another trend in gaming PC cases is using a small PC case with a mini-ITX motherboard. The minimal area allowed for component installation is only the initial challenge. The second part is ensuring the cooling system adequately moves the air through the system to avoid the problems we mentioned earlier. PC builders prefer using AIO coolers, which occupy minimal space and provide better PC cooling capability. They take the heat from the CPU and the GPU to the atmosphere without the heat interfering with any other component. However, PC case fans are vital in such cases.
10. Long-Term Cost Saving: Protecting Your Investment
The last and most important reason is protecting your investment. If you want your PC hardware to last a long time, it's essential to keep operating your equipment well within its operating range. Massive temperature changes can cause thermal fatigue, leading to component failure. Investing in an AIO or air-based PC cooling system is vital to system health.
Final Words: Why You Should Cool Your Gaming PC?
Gaming PCs are undoubtedly the leaders in gaming machines. You can put in the latest CPU with ridiculously high cores and a GPU with extraordinary transistors to get the best gaming performance. However, this also means more heat production. Heat removal requires cooling, which can be done through PC case fan coolers, AIO coolers, air coolers, or a custom liquid PC cooling loop. Coolers will allow your system to operate in the optimum temperature range. It can lead to better performance and equipment longevity. In extreme cases, the cooling loop can prevent potential hardware damage. Investing in a good gaming PC cooler is the right way to an ultimate build.
If you want high-end gaming PC coolers, visit the ESGaming website. They offer AIO and air-based PC cooling systems with maximum compatibility. Moreover, their clean looks and premium aesthetics give them the modernistic, contemporary look that everyone craves. We hope you found the post informative! Happy Gaming!