Keeping your data centre cool is important, but don’t just take it from us. This article from BizTech explains why cooling computer equipment and the servers they rely on should be a top priority for all those within the IT sector. Overheating computers, servers and other IT equipment is bad news, leading to unexpected shutdowns, data loss, and hardware damage.
There are a variety of techniques you can use to keep your computer and wider IT infrastructure operating to the highest standards. With the energy efficiency of such practices being questioned however, many will be looking for new practices to cool equipment without overburdening budgets and the planet. Like the office air conditioners we install, your computer cooling practices could be used to lower energy costs.
Here at Macair, we offer cooling solutions for all environments, including small computer rooms and multiple data centres. Cooling technologies may have evolved dramatically in recent years but the humble desktop computer or laptop may need a helping hand to keep cool. In this blog post, we take a closer look at the top ways to keep your computers and other IT equipment cool, even during the impending heights of the great British summertime.
Give it a good clean
Sometimes the simplest maintenance steps are the best. In fact, you’ll be surprised by how much difference a quick and regular clean of your computer will make. Rock Paper Shotgun offers some great advice so you can continue your spring cleaning into summer and beyond:
“Before you worry about upgrades or tweaks, just keeping the poor thing moderately clean will make a huge difference. The great enemy, of course, is dust. It builds up astonishingly quickly and will absolutely knacker the ability of components like fans and heat sinks to keep things cool. Thus, your first step is to de-dust. Things to do include unplugging and shutting down your PC before you begin cleaning. I’d go for a little dismantling, too, to get at tricky to reach places. Make sure all fans and heat sinks have been dusted carefully, including the various vents and ports.”
When cleaning your computer, don’t forget to pay special attention to component cables. Poor cable management can cause excessive dust collection, limited air flow, and subsequent overheating.
Up your fan speed
When it comes to controlling overheating, default fan configurations aren’t always your friend. These ‘one-size-fits-all’ settings can actually contribute to overheating, with PCs running high temperatures suffering devastating consequences as a result of slow moving fans. There are many tools that can be called upon to ensure better control and complete customisation of fan speeds.
Call in the professionals
There are many more methods that can be used to ensure computers and other hardware remain in great working order. For overheating issues that can’t be rectified with computer cleaning, cable management and fan speed adjustment, calling in the professionals will ensure you can optimise your environment and prevent IT disasters from striking.
As well as assisting with cost effective, routine facilities maintenance, we are also approved installers of Airedale and Emerson products, meaning we can deliver the very best computer cooling solutions to all of our customers.
