What is a cooler and why is it needed?

One of the most important components of the PC, which is needed not so much for efficient, as for the uninterrupted operation of all devices, is the cooling system. It does not matter whether the office computer or a powerful gaming laptop - reliable air removal from elements prone to heat, will significantly extend the life of any component. About what is a cooler, it will be discussed in the article.

Introduction

Today's level of electronics development allows the user to choose between several cooling methods, but the main ones are air fans installed on aluminum or copper radiators.

What is a cooler? A screw mounted on an electric motor and connected to a radiator is called a cooler. Material, design, mass, development process - all this depends only on the manufacturer and no standards are not regulated. The quality of heat removal affects many parameters: size, rotation speed, shape of the blades.

I must say that if you do not notice the failure of the cooling system in time, the equipment will overheat, which will lead to its breakage.

Replacing or repairing the cooler

Since the foregoing implies the consequence that the number of coolers for a computer is huge, many are wondering whether it is possible to repair or replace this part of the PC. Actual it becomes most often in the summer, as the average temperature in the room rises.

To buy and install a new cooler, you do not need to have special skills. It is enough to be able to unscrew a few bolts. Of course, before carrying out any actions of this nature, you should read the instructions.

I must say that not every fan in a PC can be replaced. For example, often installing a new screw on a video card or processor is not possible. On these devices, the entire cooling system should be changed immediately.

If you do not need technical skills to replace the fan, then you need to study the information about the main parameters of this type of devices.

Device

In order to better understand what a cooler is, it is worthwhile to get acquainted with its device in detail. As it was said earlier, this element consists of a radiator and a screw. The radiator is a few soldered in a special order of metal plates.

The fan also includes:

• Frame or body;
• Impeller;
• engine.

The body is used as a frame for fixing the cooler to the cooled device. An electric motor is also mounted on the frame (usually in its center). For the manufacture of the case, materials such as plastic, rubber, and sometimes metal are used. The latter is rarely used due to the increase in the weight of the frame, the high cost of production, and the weak noise-canceling properties.

The impeller is attached to the engine. It is often called a screw. The impeller looks like several blades mounted symmetrically and at the same angle relative to the axis of rotation. In the center there is a round fixture. When the impeller rotates, it captures hot air and forms a constant directed flow. Because of this effect, the radiator cools.

What is a cooler and what kind of engines are installed on it?

For the production of computer coolers, electric motors operating on direct current are used. In total, there are two types: axial and centrifugal.

Axial motors are installed in regular PCs and laptops. Their design is simple, but the price is not high. You can meet an axial engine almost everywhere: on motherboards, processors, video cards, inside power supplies.

The centrifugal electric motor is a bit more complicated. In it, the rotor itself consists of blades, so its inner part is an impeller. Through special openings in the cooling system housing, the engine sucks in air and directs it to the radiator. In general, centrifugal coolers are in high-end video cards, servers, laptops.

Characteristics

The main characteristics of coolers include:

• Air flow created by the impeller;
• Engine speed;
• noise level.

The speed of the cooler is the same as the speed of its rotation. This parameter affects only the noise level. However, it is worthwhile to know that the smaller the sweep of the blades, the more revolutions you need to make a screw to remove heat.

The air flow is measured in feet per square meter per minute (CFM). This is the main parameter of the screw performance. It is he who primarily affects the efficiency of the cooling system. But do not chase the big numbers. With an increase in the CFM index, the noise level also increases. Almost always it is worth giving preference to the cooler, the size of which is larger, and CFM is smaller.

Noise is measured in decibels. This parameter is difficult to influence. It depends on the overall design of the device, the installation site, the type of bearings, working conditions, size, manufacturing quality, service life.

Water cooler

Coolers are called not only products for cooling parts of PCs. Recently, very popular devices are coolers for water. They are used to cool or heat the liquid. In addition to changing the water temperature, the cooler can dispense it, filter it, and gas it. These units are usually installed in offices or small shops.

Water coolers are often called coolers. This is fundamentally wrong. The distributor only filters the liquid and feeds it through the tap. These devices can often be found in hospitals or schools.

What coolers are there? Typically, similar units are divided by the installation method. Desktop - compact and light. Are located on a table or stand. A desktop cooler is best for a small room.

Floor devices, as the name implies, are located on the floor. Their size is quite large. In addition to the basic functionality can be equipped with a refrigerator to store a small amount of products.

Cooling of water can be carried out electronically or by compressor. The first is cheaper and easier to repair. The basis of such a device is the Peltier element. The liquid thus cools down slowly and not less than up to 10 degrees. This shortcoming is especially noticeable in the summer.

The principle of operation of the compressor cooling method is completely analogous to a conventional refrigerator. The biggest disadvantage of such units is the high cost and complexity of repair.