Home » Building Your PC » 02 - Hardware
2
CPU Heatsink
Learn how a CPU heatsink cools down your computer system, and how much you need to spend for a CPU heatsink, depending on the unit - whether it will be used as an office computer, gaming computer or media center.
It is a fact of life that CPU’s produce a lot of heat. To cool it down manufacturers, provide you with a heat sink. While those are good, they do not cool as much as a third party solution and are not as quiet. Upgrading to a third party heat sink will lower the temperature of your CPU by as much as 77degrees. However, not all heat sinks are equal and while some are very good others are very bad. Buying a good third party heat sink will cost you between $35 and $50.
- Family/office computer: included one will do the trick but it is too loud for you spend $35 for a quiet one
- all around gaming computer: you can go by with the included one but it is too loud for you spend $35 for a quiet one
- media center: as quiet as possible. Be careful though because media center case might not accept all the heatsink because of the size.
- gaming computer: spend $35 to $50 to keep the CPU cool.