Basics of Building a Computer (Part 6)

      CPU Coolers

      After you've chosen your processor, you must also pick a cooling fan for it. Don't get these confused with your case fans as they are quite different from each other. These fans sit right on top of the processor to keep it nice and cool while you use your PC. Luckily, it is pretty easy to choose one. Some fans will come with adapters to work with both AMD and Intel processors, but not all, so choose carefully. If you are not certain of the type of fan you should choose, decide based on what your PC is for. If your processor was chosen for gaming purposes, choose a fan with high cfm and a lot of surface area for adequate heat distribution from the CPU. You will notice that some fans may not have a big base with a lot of surface area, which is completely fine as some fans may utilize other ways to distribute the heat, such as multiple cooling pipes or larger fans.
      There is another way to cool your CPU if you really want to make sure that your processor never over-heats during heavy gaming or intense use. Some PC users use a water cooler instead of a fan. These tend to be a lot more expensive than your typical fan, but you will get more bang for your buck. A water cooler (shown below), utilizes water lines to transport cooled water from one or two case fans to the surface of your CPU. The fluid within these lines is generally water, but some really advanced coolers will use a special, easily cooled liquid instead. This is almost never necessary. Water does such a fantastic job that it is not needed.




                                                                Water Cooler


                                          


                                                                  Fan Cooler