If you’re using one of the best gaming desktops, chances are that you know those things can run pretty hot — and ambient temperature certainly doesn’t help here. High temperatures can result in thermal throttling, costing you precious performance. In a worst-case scenario, high temps could even damage your components.
Fortunately, there are ways to keep your PC cool, even during a heatwave. I’m a PC builder with 20 years of experience, and this is what I do to keep my desktop happy while gaming on hot days.
1. Optimize your airflow
One of the biggest factors in PC building is optimizing your airflow within the chassis. If you’ve packed your computer with some top-tier components, those things generate a lot of heat when under heavy load. Letting that hot air dissipate the right way is key to keeping your PC happy during the summer.
Ideally, your PC should follow a front-to-back, bottom-to-top airflow pattern. That means cool air enters from the front and bottom of the case, while exhaust fans push hot air out through the back and top. If your fans are fighting each other, for example, two intakes blowing directly into each other, you’ll end up with turbulence and hotspots instead of smooth airflow. Using dust filters, keeping cables tidy, and leaving some breathing room around your case also help ensure air can flow without obstruction.
Even if you didn’t plan out your build with this in mind, it’s never too late to shift some fans around. Check out the in-depth guide my colleague Kunal Khullar wrote on optimizing the airflow in your PC case — it tells you everything you need to know to lower your temperatures with that method.
2. Switch to liquid cooling
If you own one of the best processors, your best bet in lowering temps might be to buy an all-in-one (AIO) cooler instead of an air cooler. This is more involved and pricier than just moving some intake and exhaust fans around, but it can also shave off a good few degrees Celsius, which doesn’t sound like much, but is a lot in PC temperatures.
Air cooling has come a long way, but when the temperature outside is pushing past comfort levels, liquid cooling is hard to beat. Instead of relying on fans alone, an all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler uses a pump, tubes, and a radiator to transfer heat away from your CPU (and in some cases, your GPU) much more efficiently. The larger surface area of the radiator allows for better dissipation, which is especially helpful when your room feels like an oven.
Liquid cooling gets a bad rep for being hard to install and difficult to maintain, but that’s just a popular PC building myth. You’re not building a custom loop here — which is a liquid cooler you install all by yourself, each tube and part all on its own. AIO coolers are maintenance-free and easy to install, so it’s definitely worth looking into if you’re struggling with temperatures.
3. Undervolt your CPU
If your CPU is having a hard time, so is your entire PC. Thermal throttling due to processor overheating will lower your performance in just about everything you do, from gaming to casually browsing the web to read this very article. Moreover, if the heat becomes unbearable, your PC will just straight up crash. This is why keeping your CPU nice and cool is crucial.
Modern CPUs are used to temps up to 90-95 degrees Celsius; anything above that, and some will throttle. Fortunately, there’s an easy software-based fix to this problem: undervolting your processor.
While intimidating at first glance, undervolting isn’t difficult, and the end result is often great. The goal is not to lower your performance, but the curb temperatures, lower voltage (which your CPU didn’t need in the first place), and keep your PC nice and snappy. It’ll consume less power, generate less heat, and perhaps even become quieter if the fans no longer need to work overtime. Definitely give it a try — this is one of the first things I do when I buy a new CPU.
4. Clean your PC and refresh thermal paste
Alright, own up to it — when’s the last time you thoroughly cleaned the inside of your PC?
For me, it’s not been too long, but only because I had to take photos of my GPU. If not for that, my chassis would’ve been pretty dusty indeed. But I know I can do better, and I know my PC would thank me for it.
Dust is one of the biggest enemies of airflow, and during a heatwave, a clogged filter or dust-coated heatsink can push your components over the edge. Over time, dust builds up on case fans, CPU and GPU coolers, and even inside the power supply, acting like a blanket that traps heat. Cleaning it out can instantly drop your temperatures by several degrees.
Start with the basics: power down your system, unplug it, and open up the case. Use a can of compressed air (or an electric duster if you have one) to blow out fans and heatsinks, making sure you hold the fans in place so they don’t spin wildly. Wipe down filters and make sure intakes and exhausts aren’t blocked.
You can be a little extra and also remove individual components, such as the GPU, and give them a thorough clean too. However, if you’re not comfortable with it, that’s fine — just freeing your PC from all that dust should help.
Another more advanced tip is to replace thermal paste. Many people will tell you that you should do this once every six to 12 months, but in reality, even a couple of years is fine. Check on it and see its condition, and refresh it when you see fit. We have a guide on refreshing thermal paste, so give that a quick look.
5. Undervolt your GPU (and cap your frame rates)
Undervolting your GPU may not be as impactful on temperatures as undervolting the CPU. All of the best graphics cards (and even those that are not-so-best) have their own, built-in fans and heatsinks. However, the heat they generate still ends up inside your PC case, so if you can make them run cooler without losing performance, then why not?
Much like with your CPU, dialing back the voltage on your GPU reduces the amount of power it draws, which translates directly into lower heat output. The beauty of GPU undervolting is that you usually don’t have to give up performance to get those cooler temps; in some cases, you can even gain stability and smoother frame rates because the card isn’t bouncing up against thermal or power limits as often.
My favorite software for undervolting your GPU (which, by the way, I wrote a really useful guide on that a while back, so please do check it out) is MSI Afterburner. It’s very easy to use. Remember that undervolting, be it the CPU or the GPU, is an art and not a precise science. There’s a lot of trial and error involved, and it’s important to take it slow and not overdo it. This’ll help you avoid crashes, lower your temperatures, and enjoy your PC even during the hottest of days.
