Computer cooling

Jacob Roach / DigitalTrends The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the best CPU for gaming, and it’s incredibly efficient, which means for most PC users who aren’t looking to transcode video or create 3D renders, it’s the best CPU overall. As efficient as it is, though, you do still need to cool it, and if you want it to run cool and quiet, you need a relatively capable one. But which is best? You could just buy the best air cooler or AIO cooler available, and that will work absolutely fine. Really well, in fact. But you don’t…

Do you have any clue how much power your PC consumes when you’re playing video games? Or how about when it’s just sitting idly? Whether you’re trying to figure out how to cut down on energy costs, or simply want to know how much toil your PC endures when running Abode Creative Suite, you’ll want to learn how to measure your PC’s power draw. Fortunately, there are several different tools you can use to monitor this important statistic. Some are built right into your operating system, while others will require a…

Installing a CPU cooler might feel a little scary since you're interacting directly with chips and paste and metal and some pretty delicate components. But it doesn't have to be. Once you've done it a few times, changing a CPU cooler is one of the most straightforward PC upgrades you can complete. Here's how to do it. DigitalTrends How to remove an old CPU coolerBefore you can install your new CPU cooler, you need to remove the old one. How you do this will depend on the type of CPU…

If you’re building a PC from scratch, one of the most important things to consider is how your case is going to impact how hot your hardware gets. With how powerful most modern hardware is, the internals of a PC can get very hot, and one of the only ways you can deal with that heat is to pump as much air through your case. Even CPU and GPU radiators work on a similar principle, relying on good airflow over the cooling fins to keep temperatures down as the hardware does its best to turn your PC parts into molten…

Choosing the best CPU cooler for your next build isn't easy. Between liquid and air options, a variety of different form factors, and differences in performance, it's important to choose a cooler that will keep your processor at a reasonable temperature. There is no one-size-fits-all option. To help narrow down your search, we've compiled a list of CPU coolers that will keep every processor nice and cool, including some of the top CPUs. Noctua / Amazon Noctua NH-D15 The best CPU…

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends I’ve never used a laptop quite like the Lenovo Legion 9i. It’s the only laptop I’ve given a perfect score, which you can read about in my Lenovo Legion 9i review, and it puts many of the best gaming laptops to shame. It’s out of reach for most people — it’s certainly too expensive for me — but I didn’t touch another laptop this year that excited me as much as the Legion 9i did. Sure, it’s a powerful laptop, but when you’re spending $3,000 (or more) on a gaming laptop, you expect peak…

Building a PC is not just about picking the best graphics card and processor — you often want it to look good, too. After all, this box of entertainment is going to sit in your space for the next few years, so it’s only natural that you might want it to fit well. Some people hate RGB, and some people swear by it. No matter which camp you’re in, there are ways to transform your PC from bland to interesting, and not all of them involve flashing lights. Here are some options to get inspired. Install some RGB strips Do…

If you’re overclocking your processor, want to bring down noise levels, or just want to increase the longevity of your CPU, then lowering it’s temperature is a great plan. There are a lot of ways you can do it, too, from the easy and cheap to the complicated and costly, and everything in-between. Whatever your reasoning, here’s how to lower your CPU temperatures in a few different ways. Jacob Roach / Digital Trends Take the side panel off If you’ve no time, money, or interest in figuring out why your CPU is a bit…

Lenovo is one of the leading manufacturers when it comes to the best gaming laptops. The company’s commitment to innovation is evident in the raw processing power of the latest chips and the precision cooling systems that ensure peak performance. Even in the design department, Lenovo gaming laptops continue to boast a distinctly industrial look that is universal across its range. They might not be as flashy or flamboyant as something from Asus or Alienware, but there’s a level of sophistication that makes these…

If you're building a computer, you need thermal paste, or heat paste, to ensure that your computer's processor doesn't overheat. It's a gloopy, silvery material that you squirt between the processor and the cooler to fill in all the micro cavities in their surfaces, enabling a more efficient transfer of heat from the processor to the cooler. The best heatpastes work so well they let your processor run harder and faster, at lower temperatures, making your PC quieter in turn. You need to replace the thermal interface…