How to Detect and Fix Overheating Computer

Causes of overheating
Overheating may be due to bad cooling design—this rarely occur nowadays. Gaming also triggers overheating. Severely multi-tasking the computer makes the CPU operate at high capacity and this generates a huge amount of heat in the process. Using your computer in a high temperature environment adds up to the heat energy an average computer produces already and can lead to overheating as well.

Signs of overheating

At high temperature, fail safe software, shuts down your computer to prevent damage. Blue Screen and frequent memory errors are some of other symptoms of an overheating computer. A simple sign to look out for is constant or frequent fan operation. You can also use a program like Speedfan to monitor your CPU and video card temperatures.

Dangers of Overheating
Overheating can damage your motherboard or any other vital system components such as your cpu or your video card. Also, a hot computer usually runs slower than a cooler computer. Keeping your computer from overheating can also keep the computer from slowing down.

How to Fix an Overheating Computer
The best way to fix an overheating computer is by reporting such problem to the manufacturer. That is, if you're still under a warranty. A warranty is suppose to protect you, the costumer, from any problem you may encounter while making good use of your computer over a given period of time. In severe cases, your computer manufacturer will either fix the problem or get you a new machine.

If you're using a laptop, a laptop cooler may serve a good purpose. Laptop coolers are electrically powered devices that consist of a fan and seat for your laptop. For desktops, some people prefer removing the cover of the casing. While this might improve ventilation, it's not a good way to fight computer overheating as it exposes the internal components of your computer to dust.

You can also disassemble and clean up clogged air vents and pathways of your computer. This is delicate, especially to people of less computer experience, as this exercise may affect the functionality of a computer. You can check out our guide on how to clean your computer for help with this. The best thing to do, if you're under a warranty, is to report to the nearest manufacturer's servicing centre around you. It's important to note, disassembling your computer or any other electronic product, under warranty, could terminate the warranty agreement.

Before you disassemble your computer, here're some few useful tips: First, try reducing screen brightness. This may help. In addition, there're software programs that can be of help too. If you're using DELL, you may want to control the thermal management by using precision fan control utility. Other free software programs are also available online. It's important to add, these software programs are written by people who have no link whatsoever to any computer manufacturer in the world, so it makes common sense to exercise caution with these and only used highly trusted and recommended software.

Defference Windows 32 bit and 64 bit

Windows 7, Vista, XP: 32-bit vs. 64-bit
The way a CPU handles information is measured in bits. The two options available now are 32-bit and 64-bit. There are 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows that are only compatible to 32-bit and 64-bit processors respectively. Put differently, a 64-bit version of Windows operating system only works for a computer that has 64-bit processor. The 64-bit handles a larger amount of RAM compared to 32-bit. A 32-bit version of Windows has a rough limit of about 3.2 GB of memory. To verify which version of Windows is on your computer, click on start--> right-click computer--> properties.

When we compare 32-bit to 64-bit, for 64-bit, we are talking about more memory accessibility, enhanced security features, and management. A 64-bit Windows version does not support 16-bit programs like 32-bit does. Majority of device drivers are written for 32-bit, therefore it is difficult to find programs written for 64-bit. This makes it a bit of a tough decision when trying to choose between the two operating systems.

PatchGuard or Kernel Patch Protection feature, that is only available in 64-bit, helps to protect against malicious programs from tampering with the Windows kernel. These malicious programs make systems unstable by changing some aspects of computer kernel. It is the job of PatchGuard to ensure that this does not happen. Kernel Patch protection is not available in 32-bit.

The 64-bit Windows also has the following security features: mandatory driver signing, removal of 16-bit subsystem, support for DEP, removal of 32-bit drivers. 64-bit does not only comes with enhanced security features but also increases memory support and performance far beyond what 32-bit has to offer. One major disadvantage of 64-bit program is that not all hardware devices are compatible with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Vista. All supported device drivers must be digitally sign. Bottom line, it is difficult to find programs written specifically for 64-bit. Lastly, upgrading from 32-bit versions of any Windows to the 64-bit version of Windows is not possible at this point.

The way of the future is 64-bit for sure. However, you need to make the choice based on what type of software and hardware you are running. If your software and hardware is not supported by or will not run well in 64-bit, then you need to go with the 32-bit version. However, if you can, it is probably better to lean towards the 64-bit version of Windows due to the expanded memory capabilities, the increased security, and the fact that 64-bit software is the way of the future.