why is heat bad for hardware

Kalium · Post by **Kalium** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 6:06 am

Well, there's another side to cooling. Superconductivity.

the Black Monarch · Post by **the Black Monarch** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 4:39 pm

bum wrote:WTMOTHERF ? ok wait, so theoreticaly, if a cpu we're cooled to -274C (persumed absolute zero) then it could have limitless speed, or to be more precise, it could run at the speed of light (300,000 km per second or 186420 miles per second, which is the presumed speed limit of the universe) and thierfor be the most powerful single processor possible. i know this is all very theoretical and i could be missing alot of info as i ramble about on this, but, disregarding the dificulty of the task and conflicts with other physical forces, would what i just sujested be possible ?

The speed at which electrons move through the wires has absolutely nothing to do with how quickly transistors can switch on or off

oldwrench · Post by **oldwrench** » Sat Jun 26, 2004 11:27 am

The problem with heat is thermal runaway. All electrical components have some resistance, resistance causes heat, heat increases the resistance of a component requiring higher current that causes more heat, and so on. Transistors are semiconductors and therefore have more resistance causing more heat, at a certain temperature the silicon itself fails and you see the majic smoke come out. You cannot put the majic smoke back in so you just have to replace the part.

I learned this way back when radios had vacuum tubes, and hand wired chassis.

Cooling is always good. I tried duct taping an old furnace blower to the side of the case, (perhaps a bit of overkill) plenty of cfm of airflow, it never even got warm, but I had a hard time trying to keep discs in the drives, they kept flying out.

Jnzk · Post by **Jnzk** » Sat Jun 26, 2004 12:23 pm

oldwrench wrote:Transistors are semiconductors and therefore have more resistance causing more heat, at a certain temperature the silicon itself fails and you see the majic smoke come out. You cannot put the majic smoke back in so you just have to replace the part.

Now THIS is how physics should be explained!

the Black Monarch · Post by **the Black Monarch** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:25 pm

For the record, the time to pull the plug is when you first smell something burning, not after you figure out where the smell is coming from. I learned that the hard way...

DaNuKa_SAN · Post by **DaNuKa_SAN** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 1:44 am

it would also be handy to have a can of spray coolant nearby to cool the roasting componenet^^ itll prevent further damage^^...
not necessarily nitrogen though cuz that does cause alot of condensation...

shirohamada · Post by **shirohamada** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:16 am

thermal expansion ?

i would, that coolant technique is handy, but don't over do it in one go.

Mirumoto_Chris · Post by **Mirumoto_Chris** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:23 am

shirohamada wrote:thermal expansion ?

i would, that coolant technique is handy, but don't over do it in one go.

"Thermal expansion.. how embarrassing." - Shinji Ikari

On-topic: A simple, 'common sense' type suggestion - make sure you have sufficient clearance around your box for the fans to operate. If your computer is flush against the wall/desk/ect. then all the fans in the world will do you no good.

An easy to do, but also an easy thing to forget.I had to remind several people in college.

Corran · Post by **Corran** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:58 am

Mirumoto_Chris wrote:A simple, 'common sense' type suggestion - make sure you have sufficient clearance around your box for the fans to operate. If your computer is flush against the wall/desk/ect. then all the fans in the world will do you no good.

An easy to do, but also an easy thing to forget.I had to remind several people in college.

As long as there is clearance on two sides (The front and back) then that is enough. The point of case fans is to pull air through the case from one side to the other, cooling the equipment in the process. Of course, you don't need a heater flush with your case though.

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 10:56 am

Corran wrote:
Mirumoto_Chris wrote:A simple, 'common sense' type suggestion - make sure you have sufficient clearance around your box for the fans to operate. If your computer is flush against the wall/desk/ect. then all the fans in the world will do you no good.

An easy to do, but also an easy thing to forget.I had to remind several people in college.
As long as there is clearance on two sides (The front and back) then that is enough. The point of case fans is to pull air through the case from one side to the other, cooling the equipment in the process. Of course, you don't need a heater flush with your case though.

For some reason, on my computer, there's no vents on the front -- just the side and back. (Of course, I also don't have a case fan, just the fan in the power source and on the CPU.)

And while I'm at it, congrats to Corran for finally getting your SN changed.