The Apple T2 security chip is a system on a chip (SoC) that is responsible for delivering security and controller functions to Apple’s Intel-based Mac systems.

The T2 chip contains its RAM and is its computer, operating in parallel to and answering queries from the main system with which the user interacts. The T2 chip, in conjunction with a new tool known as the Startup Security Utility on Mac, offers capabilities that make these Macs extra protected or secured.

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about the apple T2 chip. Let’s get started.

What Is the Apple T2 Chip

Apple’s 2nd generation bespoke security silicon chip, the T2, is utilized in Mac products. All it does is make your Mac’s data much safer.

The Apple T2 chip, as a coprocessor, provides the basis for storage encryption, secure boot, and Touch ID. T2’s primary application processor is an Apple A10 version, which is a 64-bit ARMv8.1-A CPU. It, like the A10, is made by TSMC on its 16 nm technology.

Furthermore, it assumes and combines part of the CPU’s duties to improve Mac performance, such as:

• Audio Controller
• System Management Controller
• Audio Controller
• SSD Controller and picture signal processor

Secure Boot Environment

The Apple T2 chip’s principal function is to guarantee that the whole boot mechanism is cryptographically confirmed as authorized and accepted by Apple.

When booted, it will first verify the legality of an operating system (OS). Furthermore, it will make sure that all items engaged in Mac’s starting process, such as the macOS kernel, kernel extensions, and firmware, are verified by Apple.

The T2 chip will also block all 3rd-party software recognized throughout the boot process, preventing an attacker from injecting malicious script at boot to control your Mac. You can boot into macOS after the whole booting procedure has passed Apple’s security check.

Touch ID

The Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the Mac Touch Bar could be used to log in to your Mac system. There is no need to input a password since the T2 chip will recognize your fingerprint.

Whenever you reboot or switch on the device, you must input the password. If you’ve not opened your Mac for more than 48 hours, the T2 chip will not accept the fingerprint, and a password will be required.

If you haven’t used the passcode in 156 hours, or even if you fail to enter the correct biometric five times or haven’t used the fingerprint to log on in the last four hours, the T2 chip didn’t take the fingerprint, and you’ll have to input the password.

Encrypted SSD Storage

The T2 chip has both a crypto engine and an SSD controller, allowing for fast encryption and decryption of data on the SSD. It is difficult to decode data encrypted with the T2 chip without the right password.

If your MacBook is lost or damaged, you can rest certain that your data is safe and secure since no one can access the data unless you enter the correct password.

The primary downside is that you cannot restore lost data and files if you forget the password. The T2 chip can also handle a failed password for numerous tries. After one hour between each try, the last three tries can be performed.

After a certain number of tries, you will be unable to make any more passcode attempts, and any further request to decrypt data will be ignored by the chip. As a result, your data may be lost permanently; thus, you should always backup your data.

Image Signal Processor and Audio Controller

The T2 chip is mostly concerned with security, although it also provides additional functions and features over Macs without this. This is due to the T2’s inclusion of an image signal processor as well as an audio control system.

In the case of video, this includes better tone mapping, face-tracking auto-exposure, exposure control, and automated white balance. To put it another way, your FaceTime videos will appear a lot better.

The audio controller also improves microphone performance for voice recording and video chats, as well as the sound output for Macs with built-in speakers. All versions equipped with T2 chips have this function, which deactivates the mic whenever the lid is shut.

T2 Security Chip Mac Models

Here is how you can verify if your Mac has a T2 security chip:

• First, from the menu bar, choose About This Mac.
• Select System Report, then Controller. It’ll be displayed if your Mac has an AppleT2 chip.

Additional Capabilities

The T2 chip runs the System Management Controller, which controls thermal and power control, recharging, video mode switching, sleep, and so on, as well as the external LED indications on a Mac.

The chip enables always-on Hey Siri capability on select T2-equipped handsets. This allows you to simply summon the assistant without having to push any buttons.

Apple has shown how the T2 may have a big beneficial impact on performance. Users who utilize video apps might see their productivity speed up by 30 times with new HEVC video transcoding.

Security Vulnerabilities

In October 2019, experts speculated that the T2 was impacted by the checkm8 flaw because it was based on the A10 design used in the first iMac Pro in 2016. Rick Mark then modified libimobiledevice to operate with the Apple T2, resulting in an open-source method for recovering the T2 outside of the Apple Configurator and allowing additional development on the T2.

On March 6, 2020, a team of engineers known as the T2 Development Team exploited the T2’s existing checkm8 issue and released the hash of a secure ROM dump as proof of access. The checkra1n team incorporated the changes needed to facilitate jailbreaking the T2 fast.

In October 2020, a physical defect in the chip’s security features was discovered that could be exploited in an unpatched manner, employing a method comparable to jailbreaking the iPhone with an A10 chip because the T2 chip is modeled on the A10 chip.

New rendering technologies such as ray-tracing, which produce real-time reflections, lights, and shadows that are considerably more real than just what we’re conditioned to accept in games, have helped in these giant strides by tech companies such as NVIDIA.

You may not realize that NVIDIA’s features include another one called Deep Learning Super Sampling, or NVIDIA DLSS, which is even more game-changing.

Everything you need to know about NVIDIA DLSS, including how it works and what it can do for your PC games, is right here. Let’s get started!

What is NVIDIA DLSS?

DLSS is a video rendering technology featured by NVIDIA that aims to increase framerates and video quality by drawing frames at a lower resolution than projected.

It utilizes element deep learning (a sort of artificial intelligence) to elevate the frames to seem as crisp as anticipated at the native resolution. For instance, with DLSS, a game’s frames might be produced at 1080p resolution, allowing for greater framerates, then upscaled and delivered at 4K resolution, resulting in crisper visual quality than 1080p.

Image Source: NVIDIA

NVIDIA DLSS is an alternative to other rendering approaches that need an RTX graphics card and game support, such as temporal anti-aliasing (TAA), a post-processing algorithm. DLSS is mainly beneficial to games that operate at lower frame rates or at higher resolutions.

AI rendering on dedicated Tensor Cores provides exceptional performance, allowing you to increase frame rates and maximum graphical settings and resolutions up to 8K.

Here you can see the graph showing the gaming performance with RTX 3080 at 3840 x 2160, Max Graphics settings, DLSS Performance Mode, and Ray Tracing enabled.

Image Source: NVIDIA

DLSS is available in a variety of tastes. However, depending on how DLSS is implemented, this will vary between games. To achieve the greatest outcome, it’s always worth experimenting with different combinations of DLSS and other graphics parameters.

How does the NVIDIA DLSS Work?

NVIDIA’s DLSS instructs a specialized section of your RTX graphics card (20-series and higher) to process a picture and scale it up to your desired resolution. For example, a video game is rendered at a lower resolution (usually 1440p) and then employs its AI algorithm to guess what it would look like if it were rendered at a higher resolution (typically 4K).

This is accomplished through the use of anti-aliasing effects and automatic sharpening. Visual artifacts that would not be seen at higher resolutions are also removed, and the features that should be there in a picture are inferred.

In this way, DLSS relieves your graphic card and CPU of the burden of producing a high-resolution visual with features like ray-tracing enabled. By utilizing DLSS, you may potentially increase all of your graphics settings to their utmost without sacrificing performance.

Many gamers like using super-resolution tools and taking in artifacts. It does, however, allow for the development of a whole image while simultaneously acknowledging that there are several flaws and improvements in the form and aesthetic of that image.

The aforementioned system does not represent a significant advancement. NVIDIA promises that DLSS will improve in the months and years ahead. Still, in the right situations, it may provide a significant performance boost without making the game unplayable.

How to Enable NVIDIA DLSS?

It’s simple to enable NVIDIA DLSS in a game that supports it. Simply launch your game of choice, go to the options menu, and select the graphics settings, assuming your NVIDIA drivers are up to date in GeForce Experience. It’s sometimes referred to as video settings.

After this, you may choose between DLSS and RTX. In this case, select DLSS if the game supports it and your GPU is a GeForce RTX 20 or GeForce RTX 30 or higher from NVIDIA.

The DLSS setting may be found in the Graphics tab of the in-game settings in a game like Escape from Tarkov.

Image Source: Devon Ledohowski

Jumping into NVIDIA GeForce Experience is the other way to test if your machine and game can run DLSS. Once you are in, go to the top-left corner of the app, and select the Home tab. Then look for Escape from Tarkov (or any other game) in the Games & Apps section. There’s a selection of several graphics options when you click on the game.

Image Source: Devon Ledohowski

You may pick between Optimize and a small settings tool symbol from the top right corner. You may move a scale between performance and quality if you pick the tool. Experimenting around with these parameters, as well as DLSS, will have an effect on what your graphic card settings do.

NVIDIA DLSS Available in Over 150 Games

NVIDIA DLSS is not supported by all games! Only 150 games as of Feb 2022 support it. However, its inclusion in many of these games improves performance and graphic quality significantly, especially when DLSS 2.0 or newer is used.

Enabling ray-tracing in compatible games even helps alleviate some of the speed loss. The best DLSS implementations we’ve seen so far are found in the following games (among others):

• Martha Is Dead
• Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis
• Death Stranding
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Control
• SCP: Pandemic
• Shadow Warrior 3
• Sifu

Valve Corporation is slowly but steadily enhancing the quality of Linux gaming, years after its disastrous Steam Machines by bringing NVIDIA DLSS to Linux.

The planned Steam Deck portable is based on Linux, and its ProtonDB compatibility layer allows it — and other PCs — to play Windows games.

Valve has now officially integrated support for NVIDIA’s DLSS machine learning temporal upscaling algorithm to ProtonDB, which might result in significant FPS gains and less flicker in videogames that support it.

DLSS Gets Better Over Time

NVIDIA DLSS has the potential to facilitate players who are unable to achieve acceptable frame rates at resolutions higher than 1080p to do so using inference.

DLSS might become the most important feature of NVIDIA’s RTX GPUs in the future. They aren’t quite as strong as we had anticipated, and the ray-tracing effects are nice but have a significant performance impact, but DLSS provides us the best of all worlds: better-looking video games that also perform much better than before.

There are a few methods to do a memory test and verify the health of RAM. Still, as is frequently the case, 3rd-party tools are likely to provide more information than Windows’ convenient but rather easy in-house techniques.

This article will teach you how to check the health of your RAM in several ways. But first, let us review some quick indicators of RAM problems.

RAM Problems Indications

Before you can do anything, you’ll like to be sure you’re howling up the correct tree, so these are a few clear symptoms that your RAM isn’t working properly like:

• PC beeps one or even more times when it boots up.
• PC processing slows down the longer you leave it on.
• Have trouble loading files.
• In System Info, the PC shows less RAM than what you have installed.

Now we can discuss the best methods to check RAM health on Windows.

Health Check by Windows Memory Diagnostic

The Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool is the easiest but least comprehensive way to check your RAM.

• Click Start
• Type in the search bar “mdsched.exe.”
• When requested, restart the computer.
• A diagnostic tool will be launched.

Click F1, then select whether you want to run the Basic, Standard, or Extended tests. This might take some time. During this procedure, you will see a progress bar and a “Status” message informing you whether any errors were discovered.

However, you are not required to watch the process; you may leave your computer and return later to get the results.

Your computer will restart and back to the Desktop when it’s finished. The result will show after you log in. To begin,

• Launch the Event Viewer.
• Select “Event Viewer” from the menu that appears when you right-click the Start button. In Windows 7, enter Windows Key+R,
• then type “eventvwr.msc” into the Run dialogue and hit Enter.
• Go to Windows Logs > System.
• You’ll notice a long list of upcoming events. In the right pane, click “Find.”
  
• Enter “MemoryDiagnostic” into the search box and press “Find Next.”

At the bottom of the window, you’ll see the result as well as extra information about your RAM.

Boot and Run MemTest86

MemTest86 is a great testing tool that you may download and use if you’re seeking the finest one. It runs a broader range of tests and may uncover flaws that the bundled Windows test does not.

The most recent versions of this utility include a premium edition with additional functionality, albeit the free version should suffice. MemTest86 is Microsoft-signed; thus, it will run even on computers with Secure Boot activated.

You might also use the free and open-source MemTest86+ if you’re seeking another choice. We are, however, using MemTest86.

Both are self-contained, bootable gadgets. MemTest86 comes with a USB image that you may copy to a USB drive. To make a bootable USB drive, just execute the EXE file provided with the download as well as provide a spare USB drive.

Please be aware that copying the MemTest86 image to a USB device would delete its contents. Make a backup of any vital files on the disc first.

After you’ve made bootable discs, reboot your pc and instruct it to load from the USB device where you copied the memory test program.

The application will start up and begin analyzing your storage, running via test after test & notifying you if there is a problem. It will continue to conduct tests until you disable it, enabling you to check how memory operates over a longer duration.

Any mistakes will be shown on your screen. When you’re finished, just hit the “Esc” key to quit it and reboot your system.

If tests return errors, it’s very likely that the RAM—at least one of several sticks—is not healthy and is defective and must be replaced.

Physically Checking the RAM

Now, how would you deal with the faults that were discovered during the RAM checkup on your Windows system? Changing the RAM is the last resort, but it’s also worth double-checking that it’s correctly seated in your computer.

Remove the RAM sticks from the Computer one at a time, running the MemTest every session to check if the issues go away. That way, you’ll be able to determine which stick (or slot) was producing the issues.

If you notice that problems appear whenever you insert a particular stick, there is an issue with that stick. If there are issues every time a RAM stick is inserted into a specific slot, that slot may be the root of the issue, and you may need to repair the motherboard.

Conclusion: What If your RAM Is Bad?

If your RAM looks to be faulty, you would need to purchase a new RAM module & update your old one. Until then, you might attempt underclocking your RAM to temporarily make your system a bit more stable.

If the diagnostic methods reveal no faults or a clocking-related error, you should examine your RAM’s clock and speed parameters and overclock it to maximize its performance.

If that does not address your problem, the problem you are attempting to identify on your PC may be caused by a failure in another system part, and the RAM might not have been the source of the problem.

When users have difficulties with their PCs, they frequently blame a defective motherboard. But how do you know it’s a motherboard problem and not something else?

How to check the health of my motherboard? This will be the subject of our discussion. Make sure you go through this post to avoid misdiagnosing an issue.

Importance Of Motherboard

We can’t overlook the reality that the motherboard is the most crucial part of a PC since it connects numerous other components such as the central processing unit (CPU), RAM, and input and output devices.

By using the human brain as an example, you can see how vital the motherboard is because, just as the brain maintains balance, the motherboard does the same. That’s why it is essential to check motherboard health.

Ways To Check Health Of Motherboard

The major topic we’re talking about today is how to check motherboard health. Let’s move on to the symptoms of a faulty motherboard.

PCI-E Ports

This is a difficult one to narrow down. If your GPU ceases operating or you see unusual visual abnormalities on the screen (especially when gaming), it might be a defective PCI-E slot or even the GPU itself.

To begin, you should upgrade your GPU drivers & reinstall them if needed to ensure that the issue isn’t simply a software issue with the graphics card. If it fails, try inserting the GPU into a different slot to see whether the issue resurfaces.

If this doesn’t fix the issue, then it is clear that the slot from which you removed it is most likely defective. You might try upgrading your motherboard BIOS to see if that fixes the issue, but if that doesn’t work, you might have to check into a replacement.

RAM Slots

If your system beeps when you switch it on and slows down with time, you might have a RAM issue. However, it is possible that the issue is not with the RAM itself but with the RAM slots.

To test this, open your PC, remove a stick of RAM, and then turn it again on to check whether it functions properly. Continue doing so till your computer fails again. If this happens, try placing the RAM in some other RAM slot.

If the computer starts acting up once more, you realize that the problem is in the RAM stick. If the PC functions normally, you know it’s the RAM slot, and the motherboard is not working properly.

Power Supply Unit

The power supply unit (PSU) is equally critical as the motherboard. Despite this, many users pay little attention to it, even when their machine dies.

Fundamentally, a PSU gives electricity to your computer. If it fails to do so or is out of specification, it can cause lasting system damage. If the load is too large for the PSU, the system’s power supply will be inadequate, causing serious damage to other components.

As a result, you must utilize a high-quality power supply. Consult your motherboard documentation for instructions on how to check the PSU voltage using the BIOS menu. There are additional software utilities available from motherboard makers that can do this function.

If you have another PSU that is known to operate, try it in your system to check if the present PSU is just dead or malfunctioning. Several connected peripherals might cause the system to overload, so detach non-essential components like the optical drive or video card to verify if the computer works smoothly.

If it does work smoothly, then the problem is with the PSU. Alternatively, if it does not work, the motherboard can be at fault.

USB Ports

Examine the gadgets in various ports to determine if they function appropriately. If they do, you realize there’s a problem with the USB slot. You can check for keyboards and mice in multiple ports prior to being discarded.

But don’t start blaming your motherboard yet. Go to Device Manager on your PC, keep scrolling to “Universal Serial Bus controllers,” and see which ports have exclamation marks beside them.

If this is the case, right-click it and select Update Driver.

Although if there’s not an exclamation point (like in the image above), you should attempt the Upgrade Drivers option to be sure. Alternatively, you may right-click each one of the USB port drivers individually and select “Scan for Hardware Changes.”

Lastly, you might try removing each USB driver individually then rebooting your PC to compel it to reinstall them.

If any of these do not help, the issue is most likely with your motherboard’s hardware.

Video Ports (HDMI, VGI, DVI) Not Working

Suppose the multimedia outcomes are also not operating when connected to your motherboard. In that case, the very first thing to keep in mind is that if you’ve got a GPU within your PC, neither of that will work. That’s because, by default, your computer turns off its motherboard access points if there are GPU slots accessible. (This parameter may be changed in the BIOS).

If the problem persists, go to Device Manager, under Monitors, right-click “Nonexclusive PnP Monitor,” and carefully try every option, including “Output for equipment changes, too,” “Update driver software,” and simply “Uninstall gadget.”

Furthermore, when you do uninstall your display, restart the computer to enable it to reload, and then test it to see if it performs. If none of this functions, you’re looking at a damaged motherboard, and it’s a good opportunity to start looking for that assured data.

Blue/Black Screen

The Blue/Black Screen of Death (BSoD) indicates that there is indeed trouble with the mobo, which might be already dead. It’s a malfunction that indicates that your windows have been paused, but the system has a flaw.

In almost all of the cases, it signals an issue with the hardware or the driver, but it might also be the motherboard, so keep that in mind as well.

Burning Smell

If your system frequently gives a burning smell, this might signify a motherboard breakdown.

This smell is recognized when there is excessive overheating, which can be caused by any unsuitable part of the board.

Conclusion

Motherboards are complex, but all these measures will help to check motherboard health. Open your computer to determine whether the problem is with the board or other PC components.

When you do access your system, make certain that all wires, cards, and so on are correctly plugged in since a loose connection causes most issues.

When things move slowly, people often feel helpless to do anything about it. The majority of this is due to their lack of understanding of how their computer works.

It is fitting that you spend a lot of money to buy the best CPU available in the market right now. However, the CPU may work only 10% better than the cheaper alternatives in lower tiers in certain use cases.

In this article, we will help you to understand the CPU performance and what influences it.

Factors Affecting CPU Performance

CPU performance is influenced by a variety of variables. Understanding some of these aspects can aid you in making the best decisions possible while building your own computer.

Here are some major factors that influence CPU performance.

Clock Speed

Each CPU has an internal clock that supplies it with a functional rhythm. The Clock Speed, often known as the Clock Rate, demonstrates the speed with which the CPU can operate.

Depending on the CPU, this will be measured in gigahertz or megahertz. The measurement indicates how many instructions cycles the CPU processes per second.

For example, A 2 GHz CPU can execute two billion computations per second. The greater the clock speed, the quicker the CPU and the more heat created. If the clock rate slows down, it will affect the CPU, and the CPU will give a low performance.

Maximum clock speeds are preloaded in CPUs by default. You may, however, modify them by changing the computer’s BIOS.

Overclocking is the process of manipulating your clock speed to make it speedier than what has been advertised. And you can improve your CPU performance.

Learning more about overclocking, how to overclock a CPU and the requirements that can help get a better CPU remains essential for users looking to boost their computer’s performance.

Number of Cores

A CPU core is a processor that is present within the CPU. That’s where the CPU processes and executes the user’s set of instructions.

Since all current CPUs have several cores, each of these cores does multiple tasks simultaneously. The time it takes to connect with cache and RAM limits the CPU’s performance in a single-core processor. Waiting for storage accessing results consumes around 75% of CPU time.

Manufacturers have started introducing more multi-core devices to boost the performance of their CPUs. A CPU with several cores may perform noticeably better than a single-core CPU with the same clock speed.

Numerous cores enable PCs to execute multiple tasks at the same time more quickly, increasing efficiency when multitasking or under the requirements of high-end apps and software.

Cache

A cache is a tiny quantity of high-speed random-access memory (RAM) integrated directly into the CPU. It is being used to temporarily store information and instructions that are likely to be reused by the processor. The larger a processor’s cache, the less time it takes to wait for instructions to be retrieved.

Cache memory size differs substantially between older and modern systems. Cache capacities are generally measured in MBs, which is much less than RAM capacities which are commonly defined in GBs.

However, capabilities vary depending on the sort of architecture employed in a computer system. That’s because cache memory is more costly than RAM.

Cache memory, unlike RAM, cannot be readily increased or changed.

Types of Cache

Most current computers system has three layers of cache, with some adding a fourth. Cache memory serves as a means of transferring data and instructions from the slowest cache (L3/L4) to the sharpest cache (L1).

• Level 1 cache: The smallest and sharpest cache, the L1 cache, is part of each core’s circuitry. Four L1 caches would be present in a quad-core CPU.
• Level 2 cache: It is frequently shared between cores. It is slower than the L1 cache and has a bigger capacity. L2 cache, like L1 cache, is frequently an element of the core of modern systems.
• Level 3 cache: It is weaker than the L2 cache, although it is bigger. It is located on or near the CPU on the motherboard.
• Level 4 cache: it is seen in newer systems. This, like Level 3, is put on or beside the processor.

Malware

One of the most effective methods to improve PC performance is to remove malware. Malware, viruses, and spyware may watch your actions, take control of your system, and cause a lot of new problems that slow it down.

Anything undesirable and harmful will have a negative impact on performance, therefore invest in a strong antivirus to protect your computer from such threats.

It will significantly benefit you in the long term. Make sure you check your system a minimum of once a week to keep your antivirus up to date and eliminate any unwanted garbage that is harming your computer’s performance.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth, also known as memory bandwidth, refers to the processor’s capacity to read and comprehend data from storage. It gauges the CPU’s pace in terms of how quickly it can collect and store data. This is commonly stated in gigabytes per second (GB/s).

Most CPUs nowadays can handle up to 40GB/s of bandwidth, which indicates that the higher the bandwidth, the quicker the CPU can read and store data.

Heat

As we continue to assign more tasks to our CPU, it will produce more heat, and it is one of the big problems of the CPU. The CPU cooler which comes with your computer is actually referred to as the stock CPU cooler. Most individuals can use it since their PC does not have a high load.

Suppose you use your computer for animation, gaming, design, or a large coding project. In that case, you may require a better cooling system. These often include a large heatsink that can keep your CPU cooler. It can also improve the performance of your CPU.

If you don’t set up the best CPU cooling system, it can cause some problems. For example, when CPUs get too hot, they might start acting strangely, such as throwing errors, locking up, or even burning up. Installing an insufficient cooling system can lead to a significant and very costly failure of your computer.

In short, if you use your PC for a big project and you also want a better CPU performance, then you will need a powerful CPU cooler so that your CPU will not be damaged.

For sure, a fully-equipped desktop computer will provide you with the best options when it comes to customizing your experience, but you can now upgrade your laptop to have the capability of a full-tower system.

If you are using your laptop for gaming or work, you may find that you want a boost in performance that integrated graphics simply cannot deliver. That’s where an eGPU comes in handy.

What is an eGPU? Is eGPU worth it? Is it too early to invest in one now? Let’s take a look.

What is an eGPU?

An eGPU, which stands for external graphics processing unit, is an external graphics card that attaches to your device through a single wire. The power will then be transferred from your laptop’s internal GPU to the external graphics card.

A graphics processing unit (GPU) is the component of your device that creates the visuals on your screen. You may now have your graphics card reside outside of the casing and connect to the motherboard with a single wire, thanks to recent enhancements to device connectivity, such as the USB-C connection.

eGPUs works the best on systems that can’t take a traditional graphics card. Many low-cost PCs and laptops are sold without a graphics card.

How Do eGPUs Work?

In most circumstances, an external GPU will be connected via a dock. An external GPU port connects to your computer through a PCIe slot for the graphics card and commonly a Thunderbolt or USB-C cable.

Installing the card, drivers, restarting, and installing any custom software is all it takes to use a dock.

After you’ve set it up, your computer will send graphics requests to the external GPU rather than the one that came with your machine. Because laptops, on the whole, don’t have much graphical processing power, this technique should theoretically result in superior graphics performance.

Keep in mind that while you may utilize an external GPU on your desktop, laptops are far more prevalent. You gain more extraordinary graphics performance by using a larger, more powerful card. Perhaps even enough to play a few visually demanding games.

How eGPUs Look Today?

If you look at GPUs right now, you’ll see that they’re usually sold as enclosures. These are boxes that have a connection cable and dedicated power but don’t have a graphics card.

The product will display a list of compatible cards, allowing you to change them and select the one you wish to use. Some will even have several GPU compartments for even greater processing capacity.

As a result, selling an eGPU nowadays is more about selling a box for a graphics card than selling a graphics card in a box.

Is it Worth Buying an eGPU?

eGPUs are excellent at filling their niche. The issue is that the niche is far smaller than you may expect. If your laptop is having trouble playing the newest games, an eGPU might be able to help. A new PC, on the other hand, will do the same job as well.

As a result, anyone adopting an eGPU must weigh the benefits of doing so against the cost of purchasing new hardware.

There are, however, a few niches that meet the criteria. For example, suppose a buddy offers you their old GPU. In that case, you may use an eGPU case to connect it to a laptop without having to acquire all of the other components.

An eGPU is ideal if you want to utilize your laptop for graphically intense games. Instead of dragging around a heavy laptop designed exclusively for gaming, you may operate your machine as a portable device during the day. The eGPU will provide higher frame rates and smoother gameplay.

If you deal with special effects, editing, rendering, color grading, or animation, an eGPU is also a good choice. It can aid in the improvement of operations while also showing visuals of more excellent quality.

An eGPU can reduce the burden of updating technology by providing a significant power boost to laptops.

However, as previously stated, these are sporadic instances. It’s not about whether an eGPU performs a good job; it’s about if it’s the best match for the job. It’s worth investing in an eGPU if it’s the only option to reach your objectives. However, there is frequently a better and less expensive option that you may utilize instead.

External GPUs Are Only Going to Get Better

The Thunderbolt/USB-C bandwidth problem isn’t going away on its own. External GPU hardware and software will continue to develop, and external GPUs will almost certainly improve as well.

External GPUs have piqued the curiosity of many individuals. Hardware companies also want to get their GPUs into the hands of as many people as possible. As a result, they have a solid motivation to upgrade the technology continuously.

If you’re looking for an eGPU, the current lineup lets you mix and match graphics cards to customize your system. However, before you purchase one, think about if buying a new system would be a better option. After all, eGPUs are quite expensive.

If your computer already has a graphics card, and you want to figure out what’s slowing down its performance, you can do it by running a GPU stress test.

Conclusion

eGPU setups are a terrific option to enhance your outdated or lower-powered laptop with a GPU capable of rendering, gaming, and any other GPU-intensive activities you have in mind.

They are, nonetheless, exceptionally situational.

When you consider the entire expenditures of an eGPU system, it’s sometimes wiser to just save up and acquire a whole new laptop or desktop.

However, if you have the funds and a process that would benefit from it, an eGPU can boost your productivity significantly.

PC components wear out. Because replacement parts can be costly, it makes perfect sense to get the most out of each one you have.

The essential thing you can do is keep your PC components in good working order. Good maintenance practices are the foundation and culmination of a long-lasting PC, especially when you construct it yourself.

This post will discuss one of PC’s most essential components: a power supply unit (PSU). What is a PSU? How long does a PSU last? Read on to find out!

What is a PSU?

The power supply unit (PSU) of the computer converts the alternating current (AC) mains supply voltage, 220-240 volts, into various regulated, low voltage direct current (DC) outputs required by the computer’s components.

In some circumstances, a voltage selection switch may be included, allowing the user to pick a voltage based on their geographic region (the United States, for example, 120 volts).

A bunch of cables emanates from the front of the PSU within the box. The cables are frequently color-coded and grouped according to the type of device to which they will be attached.

Although the power supply unit has been used in a variety of forms in the past, some of which were rather large and massive, most desktop computers currently utilize power supplies that correspond to the standard ATX configuration. A typical power supply is depicted in the image below.

How Long Does a PSU Last?

We need to break things down into individual components to answer how long power supply units last properly. It will allow us to provide a comprehensive explanation.

Most people use power supplies until they fail. However, it is better to take action sooner rather than later to boost the odds of your PC running properly for longer. You can check what PSU do you have.

Every five years, a computer’s power supply should be replaced. A power source will most certainly become less efficient over this period, perhaps causing a device to become problematic.

The principal culprits are aged capacitors and other components, heat, power surges, and other mechanical pressures.

Like any other electronic equipment, power supply units are composed of a circuit board having components arranged and affixed on it.

A cooling fan keeps components cold inside the power supply’s metal housing, which is unusual for a power supply. Let’s discuss each component one by one.

Capacitor

Like semiconductors, this is arguably one of the most prevalent components that causes electronic problems. The capacitance value of these components changes as they age, affecting the efficiency of your power supply in comparison to its initial design.

Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are the most often used capacitor in power supply. These capacitors are comprised of pure aluminum foil with a dielectric of aluminum oxide.

An electrolytic capacitor’s projected lifespan is a difficult topic to answer. The capacitor, however, can no longer give the appropriate capacitance value once the electrolytes have evaporated past a certain threshold.

Computer power supplies are tested, especially for gamers or other industries that require the computer to work hard for long periods of time. It means that the temperature at which capacitors function will most likely be more significant than in standard applications.

As a result, it is believed that the lifetime will be less than the average of 10 to 20 years.

Depending on the circuit design, when capacitor values start to deviate, other components such as semiconductors and resistors may run hotter. As a result, their life expectancy is reduced.

Resistors

Another component whose value might change as it ages is the typical carbon resistor. Resistors can gradually rise in value when heat transfers from electrical to thermal.

Although this increase may not have the same detrimental effect as a capacitor, it can still produce anomalies, such as computer parts with a depleted supply, to name one example.

This deteriorating effect can be increased when a resistor’s power rating becomes too insufficient for the job at hand.

It can happen when circuits are constructed incorrectly and a value is chosen incorrectly, causing the component to have a reduced lifespan.

Integrated Circuits

The lifetime of integrated circuits varies. It’s due to a variety of factors. The length of time you can anticipate a component to endure is mainly determined by how hot it becomes over time.

A component like this might sometimes only survive a short time due to poor manufacturing standards. Reputable IC makers aid the cause, but they aren’t the primary factor in determining its longevity.

The longevity of an integrated circuit is affected by factors such as the circuit’s design. It determines how well a supply line is rounded, how steady a voltage supply line remains under varied situations, and how much load the IC must handle.

Integrated circuits have a very long life span under the right conditions.

Inductors, Transformers and Coil

Coils, inductors, and transformers are the most dependable components in a power supply unit.

Enamel-coated copper wires are wrapped around a plastic, ferrite, or magnetic core in coils, inductors, and transformers. Without a core, certain inductors wound with bigger gauge wire may be made and connected onto a PCB.

Unless they have been physically damaged, they are not the most probable components to cause a computer’s power supply to fail.

Cooling Fans

When a cooling fan in a power supply unit stops operating, its lifespan is significantly reduced.

When fans grow old, the bearing inside them might stop working. The fan will either not spin at all or will spin extremely slowly. This is the worst-case situation, and as fans age, they frequently get noisier and use more power.

However, if the fan slows down sufficiently, cooling for the power supply may be affected. A cooling fan’s typical lifespan is roughly three and a half years.

Conclusion

There are a lot of factors to consider when determining how long does PSU lasts. Given the unpredictability of some components, determining dying power supply signs is hugely challenging.

Some components, such as capacitors, may begin to degrade after five years and will no longer perform as effectively as they once did.

While the power supply may function normally, the typical user will be unaware of the system’s lesser effects.

Given the low cost of a computer power supply in most computers, replacing it with a new one appears to be a wise move.

When we use the PC for an extended amount of time, the PSU, or power supply unit, becomes hot. PSU efficiency is essential.

Now, it is a scientific concept that heat energy created within any device simply indicates that half of the energy delivered to the system or appliance is squandered as heat, as it is generated from the same power source that we use to operate the system.

The ideal remedy in such a situation is to turn off the system or install an air circulation or air conditioning system in that region to cool it, but in order to know when the PSU gets hot, we need a functioning technique to monitor the PSU temperature, which you can achieve by reading on.

Check PSU Temp

Use these tips to monitor or check PSU temperature:

Computer Will Shut Down

The finest feature of our system’s power supply unit is that it will immediately shut down the system if it overheats. Simply put, all computer systems are intended to turn off when the temperature of those components rises over a level that can’t be monitored using the software.

Use a Temperature Monitoring App

Although there are no programs that can directly monitor PSU heat, there are certainly plenty that can assist us in measuring CPU temperature, hard disk temperature, and, of course, graphics card temperature.

The temperature of the CPU core is linked to the temperature of the power supply.

Check the Temperature of Exhaust Air Using a Thermometer

The ideal technique to check the PSU temperature is to open the CPU cabinet and examine it personally, but you may not always be able to do so.

In these circumstances, you may easily bring a thermometer near the exhaust unit and measure the temperature of exhaust air, which will be the same for your system’s PSU.

During Gaming

When you play high-end graphics games on your PC, it’s only natural for your system to experience hangs and temperature spikes.

If your computer’s RAM is less than the designated RAM limit for playing the game, your system’s PSU is likely to overheat, and if you’re running numerous apps at the same time, the PSU temperature is still likely to rise due to the lack of free RAM.

Hold Your Hand in front of the Fan

Every computer has room for a CPU fan on the rear section, which may be found at any position on the back portion of your laptop base.

You may verify if the system has heated up by bringing your hand right after this spot. To keep your system temperature under control, you can utilize a CPU cooling pad.

App to Monitor the Motherboard

The temperature of your PSU is also linked to the temperature of your computer’s motherboard, either directly or indirectly.

On the internet, there is an application called Motherboard Monitor that can be downloaded and used to monitor PSU temperature by monitoring the motherboard temperature.

Recovering From an Overheated Power Supply

First, check what PSU do you have. Two power supplies are housed in a storage enclosure. A built-in temperature sensor is included in each power supply to protect it from overheating. The fans in the power supply maintain a reasonable operating temperature inside the storage enclosure under typical operation settings, with ambient air temperatures ranging from 10°C to 40°C (50°F to 104°F).

The power supply turns off automatically when the interior temperature reaches 65°C (149°F). If both power sources fail due to overheating, the storage enclosure will be powerless, and all LEDs will be turned off.

Overheating of a power supply can be caused by the following factors:

• A room with an exceptionally high temperature
• In the power supply, there was a fan failure
• Circuitry in the power supply that is defective
• Vents that are clogged
• Other devices in the setup or rack fail

The system-error LED and the overtemperature LEDs on the front bezel light up if a fan failure causes overheating. The power supply’s fault LED may also be illuminated. The positions of the LEDs on a storage enclosure may be seen by checking the LEDs.

Remove all rack panels immediately to assist in lowering the rack air temperature and prevent damage to system components when the power sources automatically shut down.

Conclusion

How long a PSU can last is vital to determine. PSU failure might result in a slew of issues. A severely damaged power supply would prevent the machine from booting at all.

The power supply’s cooling fans might fail to provide adequate cooling, causing the CPU temperature to rise to unsafe levels.

Blue screens of death (BSoD), frequent computer crashes, storage failure, inability to start the software, hard disc reading difficulties, and other minor issues are all typical problems linked with the PSU.

If these issues recur regularly, the power supply should be checked first, and if it is faulty, better replace it.

We’ll show you how to determine which power supply you have in the following instructions. Methods will cover how to check your power supply with and without removing your side panel, as well as several essential recommendations that will help you make a more educated hardware buy.

What PSU Do You Need?

The power supply unit you purchase must be adequate for your system. Test it to make sure that it is.

Suppose you intend to update your computer components to something more powerful, you should get a power supply with a larger wattage and rated capacity.

Remember that your motherboard and other pricey components may be destroyed if you don’t utilize a top-quality power supply unit.

The best time to assess your power supply is shortly before an upgrade. New generations of hardware or even a same-gen update frequently require a significant amount of more power to function efficiently.

For example, switching from a 2060Ti to a 3060Ti will naturally demand roughly 50-100 extra watts of electricity.

This is often the case with any hardware change, so knowing what you’re working with in terms of watts is critical.

Check out the PSU calculator to see how much watts your new gear will take.

How To Check What PSU I have?

Here’s how to find out the power supply unit you have on your PC:

Power Supply Label

There is a printed layout or a label sticker on every power supply unit with the specs and the model number.

You will simply need to open the PC case and find out the written level on the PSU to verify this label on your PC power supply.

Suppose your power supply is hidden under a PSU cover. In that case, you’ll have to remove it to learn about its specifications and, more importantly, its model number.

To remove your PC’s power supply, you may need to loosen some screws. Before touching your computer, detach it from the power source and switch off the power supply.

Now that you’ve removed your power supply unit, closely examine its body to see whether it has any labels, such as the one seen below.

Image Source: Tech Spot

The certified ratings, model number, and characteristics of your power supply may be found here. This is the quickest and most accurate way to determine the wattage of your power supply.

Check the Manufacturer’s Website

This second method would work only if your computer was bought as a prebuilt.

In this case, the website where you purchased the PC should offer a complete components list that you may use to determine which PSU you have.

This method makes life a lot easier when determining the wattage of your power source. It’s also useful because the power supply on most prebuilt PCs isn’t labeled.

So, search for your computer’s model on the internet. It will verify the wattage of your power supply.

On the Box

You can examine the model and specifications of PSU on the pass apply box if you have it.

Inspecting the power supply’s box is the most straightforward approach to determine the wattage, model number, and other necessary details.

Hopefully, one of the three ways listed above has assisted you in determining what power supply you have.

Conclusion

Finally, the simplest approach to find out what PSU you have is to remove the panel from your chassis. However, we appreciate that not everyone has that privilege; therefore, other options must be considered.

Most people want to know how long does a PSU lasts. Always check your PSU if you want to upgrade, overclock, or make sure it has enough power. It has the potential to save you time, money, and a great deal of worry.

If your PC’s existing power supply is dying, don’t lose time and replace it as soon as feasible.

If you are using your PC for gaming, animation, design, or even a major coding project, you might need a better CPU cooler. These tend to have a large heatsink which can make your CPU quieter. It can also increase the efficiency of your CPU.

If you just bought a new PC and you are not planning to place it under heavy load, then you may not need a dedicated CPU cooler at all. Stock Coolers can typically last for a few years, but if you’re looking to squeeze every last bit of performance, you will need a better cooler.

Or, it may be the case your old machine can’t handle your everyday load as well anymore. In that case, upgrading isn’t on the table for you currently, investing in a good CPU cooler could be just the upgrade you’re looking for to help your PC cope better without breaking the bank.

So, from deafening blowiematrons and silent coolers to hunks of metal almost as heavy as your computer case that you can slap to your motherboard, here are some things to look at to help make the best choice for you.

Step 1 – Heat generated by your CPU

Figuring out how much heat is generated by your processor can allow you to quickly determine the size and type of cooler you will need. If you still have the packaging your CPU came in, you may be able to confirm the Thermal Design Power of the processor from either the user manual or any attached pamphlet. However, if this is not the case, you have two options; Use your CPU model or Use CPU-Z. CPU manufacturers usually call this value the TDP of the processor.

If you don’t know your CPU model, use CPU-Z to find the model number. Once you know your CPU model, you can find it here (Helpful tip: Use Ctrl + F). This is what you can expect to see when looking at processor data on the website:

A quick Google search of your CPU model will lead you to the manufacturer’s website with the listed information in no time. You’ll see a rounded figure for the amount of heat your CPU outputs on its default settings listed here like this:

Now to determine the size you need, let’s consider the Core i7-11700K. Since its TDP is around 125W, a large cooler will be required.

For CPUs that have TDPs ranging between 50W and 70W, medium-sized coolers will give you the best performance for your money.

For CPUs that have TDPs less than 50W, smaller coolers will be the most reasonable choice, and you may even want to stick to the Stock Cooler.

Here are some suggestions for good low profile coolers. Your stock cooler will generally be designed to handle most of your CPU heat, but if you see your CPU temps constantly staying above 70 degrees while you’re working on your computer or you notice the fan ramping up and your computer slowing down, it means your cooling system cannot handle all the heat your processor throws at it.

Using the TDP as a reference figure to opt for an appropriate system cooler can ensure that your new cooling system is matched to the CPU heat output. It enables your system to perform better and avoid thermal throttling, prolonging the life of silicon in your machine.

Step 2 – Check if you may be overclocking

There are two quick ways to check this;

Firstly, you can enter BIOS settings. Check for the base clock, multiplier, and CPU VCORE properties. If these do not match the defaults, you are overclocking.

If you do not want to restart your computer or mess with the BIOS, you can use CPU-Z. It will give you a value for core speed in MHz, so move the decimal three places to the right to read it in GHz, the unit generally used.

Now to see the actual speed, you need your computer to get into action. The easiest way is to run Prime 95. It will calculate values for trillions of primes in the time it took you to read this paragraph. It will let you know the actual speed of your PC.

If you are overlocking, you may want to avoid your stock cooler, as getting a liquid cooler or something with similar heat dissipation characteristics would suit you better than an air cooler.

Stock coolers are not something you should overclock on. Manufacturers design stock coolers to just about match your default TDP. Overclocking your processor is going to make it pull more power from the wall, increasing your thermal output by a lot as well.

Opting for a beefier cooler is almost necessary when going for even light overclocking. If you fail to provide sufficient cooling, your computer can perform worse and even be unstable, crashing if pushed even slightly since your cooler can not keep up with your processor.

If you’re planning to go for moderate to intense overclocking, opting for a water cooler becomes a necessity. Even the sizeable air coolers on the market will fail to run at an amount to dissipate heat effectively.

Liquid coolers typically rely on the water running in a loop to take the heat away from your processor and throw it out using a radiator mounted somewhere on your case. Water cooling can be a little harder to pull off than traditional air cooling, but these AIO options come preassembled and can make the task a lot easier if you decide to go that route.

Step 3 – 3-pin or 4-pin

When shopping for computer fans, you will come across 3-pin and 4-pin options.

4-pin fan options allow for much finer control over your fan RPM, the speed at which it spins, based on how hot your computer is running. It translates into your computer being quieter when you’re pushing it as hard and the fans only ramping up to full speed when they need to.

While there are companies that offer fans branded as being silent, the fan always has some noise to it, and depending on the ambient sound level in your work environment, you may notice even the most silent of CPU fans. If you work in a loud environment, CPU fan noise might not be an upsetting factor.

There is another advantage 4-pin fans have as well since they’re not pushed to their limit 4-pin CPU fans usually have longer lives. This choice is also partially decided by your motherboard though, not all boards support 4-pin headers, so before you make the distinction, double-checking if your board supports 4-pin headers is a must.

3-pin fans are usually cheaper, and every motherboard will support 3-pin fans so if you’re on a tight budget and want a quick and easy option without going overboard or are looking to replace your CPU fan after the older one died, the 3-pin fans are a cheaper and safer bet.

Step 4 – Choosing a good thermal compound

Having a shiny new fan isn’t all you need.

Fans sit directly on your CPU, but they need a layer of thermal compound to go in between to ensure good thermal contact. Choosing the correct thermal compound is necessary to ensure your new fan performs as well as it should.

A good rule of thumb is to not cheap out too intensely on the thermal compound. Options like the Arctic Silver 5 or offerings from Thermaltake or a well-known name can’t go wrong but make sure it’s not cheap enough to raise some eyebrows, which usually means it’s no good.

If your computer worked fine before with just the stock cooler and you’re seeing it running hotter now, you might not need a new cooler. Give your fan and computer case a good dusting off and check the thermal paste. If it looks cracked or dried out, a fresh new tube of this stuff might be the only thing you need to get your computer working like it used to again.

Conclusion

There is no hard and set rule for picking something like a CPU cooler. A stock cooler might be enough for one use case on a given processor and might be inadequate for someone else using the same processor if they decide to use it for a substantial workload or overclock it. It depends on what you need.

In general, the way to making a good choice is to know how much heat your CPU outputs. Overshooting the target just slightly can never hurt and can ensure your computer fares better even on warmer days or when you push it a little more than usual.

Being aware of the novelties other than just picking any CPU cooler off the shelf, like making sure you have a good thermal paste, is necessary to squeeze every last drop of performance out of your investment.

As long as you keep your computer case from getting clogged up with dust, ensure your thermal paste is fresh, and don’t push your processor beyond the limits it was designed to go, even the stock cooler should fare well against the test of time.

Investing in a beefier cooler might make it easier on your current processor, and the effort is not wasted with more efficient processors. TDPs have remained relatively similar the past couple of generations, so a good cooler you buy today might be good enough for your next computer as well.

It is a good investment if you make sure you have good research and your use case makes it necessary. No matter what fan you go for, making sure it isn’t clogged by dust and refreshing the thermal compound every couple of months can keep your computer cool and keep it going a lot longer.

If you are tech-savvy or are simply into computers, you are probably more than aware of your entire PC’s hardware, including the graphics card. However, there is also the possibility you aren’t. You may like to play, and generally have a nice time, but you don’t get bothered with such details. However, there are occasions when knowing your graphics card may be important, for example, to check game compatibility.

Certain GPUs can play certain games, while others can’t. Some of the graphics cards support higher resolutions on certain games, while other support lower ones. Simply, knowing what type of graphics you have inside of your computer may give you a better insight into what games you should play and what you should avoid. Also, you might find out that maybe it is time to change your GPU.

Therefore, knowing how to find the type of graphics you have on your Windows 10 is pretty important, and the way to do it is presented in the following text.

How to Check Graphics Card on Windows 10

There are numerous ways you can discover your GPU on Windows 10 and here, you are going to be introduced to the most common ones.

How to Check Graphics Card on Windows 10 with the Help of Task Manager

One of the easiest and more preferred is with the help of Task Manager:

1. In this process, you are required to go to Start, right-click it

   

   and select “Task Manager” from the drop-down menu.



2. When the “Task Manager” opens, go to the “Performance” tab

   

   and you should see the name of the graphics card installed in the bottom left corner of it.

How to Check Graphics Card on Windows 10 through DirectX Diagnostic Tool

Another way you can discover your GPU type is through the DirectX Diagnostic Tool:

1. This process requires that you activate the “Run” command, by pressing “Windows key” + R on your keyboard and typing “dxdiag” in the blank field, and pressing “OK”.



2. Go to the “Display” tab and you will have the type of the GPU installed on your computer next to the “Name”.

How to Check Graphics Card on Windows 10 through Control Panel

The last way that is going to be presented in this guide is with the help of the “Control Panel”:

1. This is probably the longest of the three and it requires that you enter Control Panel, which can be achieved by typing “Control Panel” in the Search box

   

   and left-clicking it when it appears in the results.



2. After that, go to “Hardware and Sound”

   

   and select “Device Manager”.



3. If you are not logged in as the Administrator, the pop-up window, with the information that you will not be allowed to make changes, will appear, and you should just press “OK”.



4. Once you do, find the “Display adapters” among the listed devices in the “Device Manager”,

   

   expand them and you will have your computer’s graphics model written on the screen.

In all this evolution, one component of the PC has survived. It’s the PC fan. The PC fan remains the primary method to cool down your PCs and laptops. Although other cooling methods have come about, most PCs still use a fan to prevent overheating.

Companies nowadays are allowing their customers to build customized PCs. You get to pick everything from the memory and processor to the components that will help the PC case airflow. It’s the latter that we will be looking at today.

Why do We Need Desktop PC Airflow?

If you are building your PC for the first time, you should keep in mind the importance of desktop PC airflow. Most components in a PC, for example, a CPU, GPU, etc., have specified temperature ranges in which they operate.

All these components generate constant heat, which gets stored inside the PC case. This heat circulates inside the PC and must be removed, as it can warm up the other components like the motherboard, processor, etc. This can, in turn, slow down your computer big time and affect its overall performance.

The desktop PC airflow needs optimization, and this PC airflow guide will help you set up and choose a PC fan for airflow and proper cooling of your desktop PC.

PC Case Airflow and Ventilation

When you are setting up a PC fan, your main aim is to configure how the air will flow inside the case. As such, make sure that you select the best case within your budget. The PC fan installed should move the cool air inside the case, and it should ventilate out the unwanted hot air causing all the trouble.

The primary gauge to measure the pressure of the air inside a PC case is a cubic foot per minute rating shortly used as a CFM rating. A higher rating is preferred, and you can check PC case fans online.

Types of PC Airflow Configuration

There are essentially three main types of desktop PC airflow configuration. We will start by developing an understanding of these types to configure PC cooling and figure out which one is the best fit for the PC airflow optimization in a case.

Two key terms are used here for explaining these three types to make them easy to understand for a layman. The main focus here is PC fan airflow direction.

• Intake fans: Its blowing side faces the inside of the PC case, as it mainly takes the air from outside to blow it inside the PC case.
• Exhaust fans: Its blowing side is installed to the wall of the case. It mainly takes the air inside the case and blows it outward, removing stagnant air inside the PC case.

Image Source: A Guide to Intake/Exhaust Fans and Airflow for Your Desktop Computer – MakeTechEasier

Positive Air Pressure

When the Intake fan blows more fresh air inside the PC case than the exhaust fan blowing stagnant air out, this air pressure inside the PC is known as positive air pressure. It mainly happens when you have installed more intake fans than exhaust fans, or the intake fans have a higher rate of airflow comparatively.

At first glance, having positive air pressure is a good thing, but you can find yourself with a lot of stagnant air inside the case if enough external air movements do not occur.

It could increase the temperature of your PC case, damaging the internal components along the way.

Negative Air Pressure

When the exhaust fan blows outside more stagnant air from the PC case than the intake fan blowing fresh air inside, such air pressure inside the PC is known as negative air pressure. It mainly happens when you have installed more exhaust fans than intake fans, or the exhaust fans have a higher rate of airflow comparatively.

Again, at first look, this seems like an effective way of cooling down your PC. But it can also increase the number of dust particles inside the PC case and adding a filter to tackle the dust particles is particularly difficult.

This diagram captures the difference between positive air pressure and negative air pressure.

Image Source: Corsair Obsidian 750D Case: Well Built For Water Cooling – Page 2 | HotHardware

Neutral Air Pressure

When the intake and exhaust fan blow the same amount of air inside the PC case, you have a neutral air pressure. It happens more or less with an equal amount of intake and exhaust fan installed in a PC case.

It is considered the best airflow pressure for a PC case because of its balanced nature. The air pressure and temperature are more suitable for all the components inside a PC case to work efficiently.

A comparison table illustrating some salient features of the three types shown below:

Proper Fan Positioning is Paramount

We have already established that the air travels in from one side of the PC case and goes out from the other side. The PC fan can be an intake or exhaust, depending upon the position of the fan or how it is mounted.

You can install a fan in four sections of the PC case: front, back, top, and bottom. The front and bottom sections mainly occupy the intake fans and draw the fresh air inside to pass through the heated components.

While the top and backside occupy the exhaust fans mainly because the hot air goes upwards and draws it outside to keep it away from internal components. So, proper fan positioning is vital for PC airflow optimization.

Dust is the Quiet Hunter

If you live in a dry and dusty environment, or you smoke in the room where you have set up your PC, then your PC is in extra trouble. It is essential to protect your PC from dust. Otherwise, no PC fan can protect your internal components from getting roughed up and lose their potency.

It is vital to install a removable air filter in your PC case and make sure the air passes in and out through it. It is important to blow the dust off all the components inside the case. Cleaning the filter every once in a while, is also essential to keep it running at the optimal requirement to increase the airflow and cooling power.

Cable Management and Other Obstructions for the PC Airflow

Ideally, it is better to have no obstructions (like cables) in the path of air and let it move freely. It will enable the intake and exhaust fan to work more efficiently for the PC case airflow and effectively cooling down all the components.

Some of the cables inside the PC case like the unused power supply cables, cause the hindrance. Cable management is not given much importance by PC users, but an organized case interior is most certainly a big help. The interior of the PC case will look smooth and tidy and helps in PC airflow optimization.

Small Word on Water Cooling

Water cooling is more expensive, yet it is not necessarily an effective method. For your understanding, and to put things in a simple perspective, water-cooled components have little effect on the internal airflow of the PC case. They may make your PC run cooler, but there is also the added risk that goes along with water coolers.

One big problem for water coolers is the pump. Not only does that add additional noise and cost, but it also adds a point of failure and a nasty one too. The water-cooler pumps are more likely to fail than a PC fan, and when they do, it is more catastrophic for your PC and much harder to detect.

Now, if your PC fan stops, then you can probably see that it is not spinning. You can slap a case fan on there until a new one arrives. But a water cooler will remain undetected for a while, and it might be too late by the time you detect a problem.