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Adding a heatsink to a component increases the surface area that is exposed to cooling air. In other words the same amount of heat is spread out over a larger area and more air can get to it so the part stays cooler. ==Answer 2, More input == Answer 1 is correct, and my answer is NOT intended as a challenge, but 1 was not responsive in answering the question: The question was "HOW DOES...REMOVE heat...?" Answer 1 explains how the sink gets rid of the heat. The answer to HOW, is--"by CONDUCTION." The heatsink, usually made of aluminium, is very firmly and intimately attached to the component to be cooled, often using a small bolt or screw, or with spring tension built into the construction of the sink. The sink then "draws," in laymen's terminology, the heat from the component into itself. The miniscule "gap" remaining between the two surfaces is resistant to the conduction [transfer] of heat from the component to the sink, so to improve thermal conductivity, a thermally conductive "grease" is applied to the joint before mounting the sink to the component. The heat is then transfered to the sink by CONDUCTION, and by virtue of the sink material, and [as described in answer 1] the greatly increased surface area exposed to the air, the sink releases the heat to the air at a greater rate and volume than the component by itself could.

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Is the heatsink and fan required to cool down the CPU or can i build a computer without any heatsink or fan for the CPU?

A heatsink and fan is required. Without at least a heatsink, the processor would get way too hot in a very short period of time. This overheating of the processor could permanently damage it and render it useless.


What is a computer cooling systems used for?

Computer processors have a lot of electricity flowing through them. They use this electricity to perform calculations needed for doing things like opening programs, reading files, displaying things on your screen, etc. However, computer processors are not completely efficient, a lot of the electricity that they use causes heat to accumulate on different parts of the computer. In some cases the heat can be hot enough to boil water, and melt the parts inside of a computer -- and this is more true for more powerful computer processors like the ones used in desktop and laptop computers. In order to get rid of the heat that certain computer components generate, coolers are needed. Your most typical cooler is a heatsink and fan combo. A heatsink is a big block of metal with fins on it that sucks the heat from the processor and spreads it over a wide area so that the heat can radiate away from your super-hot components and be cooled by the air in your computer case. Fans are typically attached to a heatsink to 'blow' the heat away from the heatsink and processor which allows your computer to cool itself more efficiently so that your valuable computer components are protected from melting.


Why is overclocking not recommended by manufacturers?

In general, the average computer user would not know enough about the computer to safely over-clock it. They would be more likely to overheat or kill components of their systems than to get any noticeable benefit. Also, often computers straight from the manufacturers do not come with a heatsink (internal fan) that would be strong enough to effectively cool the processor if it were to be overclocked.


Is the CPU found on the motherboard?

The CPU is not part of the motherboard but it is placed on the motherboard. The CPU is squared and about a quarter inch square in size. It is placed in the CPU socket. A heatsink/fan is placed on top of the CPU to keep the CPU cool which makes it pretty hard to see because the heatsink/fan covers it when it is in a working computer.


Why did the components inside a computer case keep a processor cold?

The components are usually insulated so the processor can stay pretty cool for a while


What is a CPU cooling fan?

your CPU genrates heat and reqires to be cooled if the cooler or the heatsink is removed from the CPU it will instantly stop responding and can cause physical damage


Diffrentiate between active heatsink and passive heatsink?

In a active heatsink system you have both a heatsink and a fan thus for the most part an active heatsink cools better with one exception. Should the fan fail the active heatsink will quickly overheat. Passive heatsinks relay on transferring heat without the aid of a fan. The advantage here is that a passive heatsink is fail proof and uses 0 electricity, however passive heatsinks don't typical cool as well. Passive heatsinks work great for supporting chips and RAM cooling. They are also found in servers because of the no fail aspect. EnzoTech produces some passive heatsinks you can read a bit more about them here: http://electricalninja.com/


What is a computer casing used for?

It contains all the necessary parts, provides an electrical ground and helps to direct airflow to keep the components cool.


Can the BIOS cause a thermal shutdown to a computer?

Yes. One of the jobs of the BIOS is to monitor the temperatures of various components inside of the computer (like the CPU) and automatically shut the computer down if the heat reaches dangerous limits. This action is done to protect the motherboard and computer components from permanent damage. If your computer is shutting down due to high temperatures, then you should take the following actions: (1) If you have overclocked the computer deliberately, then you should undo those settings or restore default BIOS settings. (2) Ensure all the fans in the computer are spinning when it is powered on. If a fan does not spin then power-off the computer and check the power connections of any fans which are not spinning. If they still don't spin when the computer is powered on again then shut the computer off and replace the fan before using the computer again. (3) If your processor or video card is overheating then turn off the computer, take it outside and use a can of compressed air to blow the dust out of the heatsinks and fans, as dust can collect in the fins of a heatsink and impair its ability to cool your CPU or GPU. (4) If the above does not work, then power-off the computer, unplug it. Then remove the heatsink and fan from the CPU and apply a small amount of thermal paste to the CPU (where it comes in contact with the heat sink). If you do not have thermal paste available, you can sometimes get by with 'jiggling' the heat sink so that the existing thermal paste can tightly bond with the CPU and heat sink -- although you should strongly consider replacing the thermal paste even if this method works.


What are the fan units for in the computer?

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) has a fan. The computer tower usually has one or more fans to keep the interior cool. Some graphic cards and other components may also have a fan.


Which components of a fire must be removed to extinguish a fire?

Cool the burning material, Exclude oxygen, Remove the fuel, Break the chemical reaction


How does a computer tower work?

The computer tower is a large case that contains all of the circuit boards, drives, and internal power connections of the computer. The case provides convenience, protection, and the ability to cool all of the electronic components simultaneously.