The PC Doctor's Fix-it-Yourself Guide- P18: A technical director for a UK-based computer company who teaches such courses as Caring for Your PC has developed prescriptions for treating sick PCs. Arguing the benefits of fixing it yourself rather than relying on experts, his mission is to empower users with trouble- shooting and safe repair skills. | CHAPTER 7 The PC Case and the Power Supply 149 quickly and read the temperature. For safety make sure that the thermometer you use goes high enough not to be damaged 100 C 212 F . This will give you a general idea of the case temperature. If you can splurge on an electronic thermometer with a sensor that you can place in the case and keep the display outside. Many of the high-end multimeters have this feature. PC DOCTOR S ORDER Take care great when using glass thermometers inside a PC. Make sure that they have a high enough temperature range to prevent damage to them and handle them with care. Some thermometers contain the liquid metal mercury which is both poisonous and electrically conductive. This means spills can be badfor both you and your PC. Case temperatures in excess of 50 C 122 F are worthy of further investigation while CPU temperatures in the region of 70-90 C 158-195 F depending on the processor should be investigated with an eye to reducing them. FIX-IT-YOURSELF HOME REMEDY Information on the appropriate temperature for your processor can be found on the relevant manufacturer s website . Take a look in their datasheets section under their products and all the thermal specifications will be listed. However if you stay in the regions specified above you won I go wrong. Bear in mind that system temperature can vary based on the ambient air temperature as well as the amount of airflow into the room that the PC works in. Also if the PC is in a sunny window the summer temperatures will be higher still. Improving the Cooling System If your system is running too hot don t panic Just like pretty much anything else on your system the cooling system can be upgraded. 1. First check that the case is complete and that there are no gaps or slot covers missing. Any gaps between case panels or missing slot covers can seriously disrupt the airflow inside a case. Remedy these issues and check the temperature again. 2. Give the system a good .
