A cooling device protects the CPU from overheating by dissapating the heat and/or blowing air onto it.

When the CPU overheats, it can make the computer operate unstably and possible crash it. Overheating can also decrease the processor's life span, making a good cooling unit a worthy investment.

There are several types of cooling devices, but this procedure covers only those designed for Socket 7 processors. Most older cooling units were in the form of heatsinks, which are pieces of machined metal with large surface areas from which to dissapate heat. Most modern cooling devices are combinations of heatsinks and fans. They perform much better and are usually priced between $10 and $30. If your CPU runs especially hot, you might want to consider a peltier cooling unit, which uses refrigeration technology to keep the processor safe. These usually cost between $40 and $60.

A Phillips screwdriver and about 25 minutes of time are required to install a CPU cooling device.

Click here for a list of links to cooling device manufacturers.
 

the installation

1. Make sure the computer is turned off.

2. Carefully disconnect all of the cables from the back of your computer, place the computer on a stable working platform, and remove the outer case. Discharge any static electricity from your body by touching the computer's power supply.

3. Depending on the layout of your case and motherboard, you may need to remove the motherboard tray to gain access to the processor (usually only with tower cases). To remove the tray, you may need to remove some screws surrounding it before you pull it out. Either way, once you have access to the processor, proceed to the next step.

4. Remove the new cooling device from its packaging.

5. If thermal grease was included with the cooling unit, spread it on the surface of the CPU that will be touching the cooling unit.

   

6. Attach the metal fastener to one of the tabs on the plastic processor socket, then do the same on the other side.

7. If your cooling unit has a fan or other powered device, plug a free power cable into it. Some cooling devices can be connected directly to the motherboard. If this is the case with your model, see your instruction manual for details.

8. Replace the motherboard tray and the expansion cards if you had to remove them. Then replace the outer case and move the computer back to its original location. Reconnect all of the cables.