106 JULY2020|COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE389
WHAT?
Upgradingthecoolingforspecificcomponentsisworthwhile,butone
ofthecheapestandquickest–yetstillverypractical–PCmodsisto
improve cooling forthe entire system at once.This can be achieved
with case fans, which
you’ve probably
already seen in your
PC, as cases tend to
come with at least
one fanpre-installed.
WHY?
Even as the CPU and
GPU cooler (if you
have adedicated
graphics card) cool
down their respective
CPU WATERCOOLING
WHAT?
Watercoolers,orliquidcoolers,areamoreefficientalternativeto
thebasicopen-aircoolersthatarecommonlybundledwithCPUs.
Insteadofroutingheatfromthechiptotheradiatorwithshort
metalpipes,pumpedliquidcyclestheheatawaytoapotentially
much larger radiator,more effectivelydispersing it.
Open-loop watercooling systems are highly customisable but
require great care and skill to set up.Weinstead recommend
all-in-one (AIO) watercoolers, where the pump,liquid and radiator
are already connected.
WHY?
Since watercoolers are usually better than air coolers at keeping
CPU temperatures down, theycan enable greater performance.
M ffii ntcoolingmeanstheprocessor
ertoitshighestclockspeeds
rheating, and if you want to
our PC, agood watercooler
you reach higher speeds.
atercoolerscanalsomakeyour
AIOmodelsliketheNZXTKraken
oler Master MasterLiquid ML240L
e240mm-long radiators cooled
,sonotonlyistheheatspread
ersurfaceareathanasmallair
additionalfansmeanstheydon’t
dto run as fast –and, therefore,
loud –asasingle fanwould.
HOW?
First,removethePC’smotherboard–it’seasiertoperform as many
installation steps outside of the case as possible –and take off the
existing aircooler.Clean the CPU and reapply thermal pasteifyour
new cooler doesn’t have any pre-applied.
Attach the fans to the watercooler’s radiator,thenuse the
included mounting brackets to affix the pump to the CPU. Different
manufacturers use different mounts, so just follow any written
instructions, and make sure any power cables are plugged into
the appropriatemotherboard pin headers. Then, reinstall the
motherboard with the pump attached, and install the radiator
(with fans attached) on to your case’s empty fanmounts.
⬅Cooler Master’s MasterLiquid
ML240L RGB V2 is agreat choice
Moreefficie
can run close
without over
overclock yo
shouldhelp
Often, wa
PC quieter.A
X53 and Coo
RGB V2 have
bydual fans,
overagreate
cooler,buta
need
as
⬆All-in-one watercoolers can boost your PC’s performance and make it
quieter to run, and are easy to fit
CASEFANS
➡Case fans suck in cold
air from the front and blow
hot air out of thechassis
