The concept of heat dissipation

[jonnyyyl]

Hi!

I am confused about the concept of heat dissipation.

 

I don't understand. If the component, namely GPU or CPU, is very hot, that's because there are many programs working. Therefore, it would be to the hardware's advantage to keep at nice cool temperatures.

 

The part that I don't understand is this: 

If the radiator is very big, is it the case the components are more effectively cooled because the surface area of the heat dissipation is bigger?

 

The heat dissipation makes the area around the exhaust area warmer too. If the radiator is smaller, would the exhaust area be closer to actual CPU temperatures because so much heat is trapped in a smaller area, meaning that having a smaller radiator is result in warmer temperatures IN and OUTside of the case? 

[Sakkura]

2 minutes ago, jonnyyyl said:

The part that I don't understand is this: 

If the radiator is very big, is it the case the components are more effectively cooled because the surface area of the heat dissipation is bigger?

 

The heat dissipation makes the area around the exhaust area warmer too. If the radiator is smaller, would the exhaust area be closer to actual CPU temperatures because so much heat is trapped in a smaller area, meaning that having a smaller radiator is result in warmer temperatures IN and OUTside of the case? 

Yes, with a bigger radiator the components are cooled better because the surface area is bigger and can transfer heat to more air.

 

With a smaller radiator, yeah technically the radiator would be warmer and thus in theory also the air right around it. But it doesn't result in higher temperatures in the rest of the case or outside it. It's heating up a smaller amount of air and thus, even if that air reaches a slightly higher temperature, the overall amount of heat it's given off is actually a little lower.

[jonnyyyl]

So one should always, whenever possible, opt for a bigger case then?!

 

Then what's the point of the mitx line? Or how do people achieve good, very cool temps with AIOs?! 

Most of the cases come with really bad radiator space.

[Quinnbeast]

If your main concern is the best possible cooling solution, a bigger case will get you there more easily and will give you the widest choice of components. But, not everyone has temperatures as an absolute priority. Some people want a smaller case, either for reasons of space restrictions, portability or purely for the cosmetic preference of a smaller form factor.

 

With smaller cases you might have to be more specific about component selection (i.e. an AIO that you *know* will work with your choice of case & components) and have a little more patience in order to achieve the results you want. If you want cool and/or quiet with minimal effort, go large(r).

[Sakkura]

29 minutes ago, jonnyyyl said:

So one should always, whenever possible, opt for a bigger case then?!

A bigger case can help with cooling, but only up to a certain point. With current hardware, there's very little difference between an ATX case or a smaller mATX case. The really small mITX cases can be more of an issue, depending on how power-hungry your components are (that dictates how much heat they generate).

[WoodenMarker]

2 hours ago, jonnyyyl said:

So one should always, whenever possible, opt for a bigger case then?!

Then what's the point of the mitx line? Or how do people achieve good, very cool temps with AIOs?! 

Most of the cases come with really bad radiator space.

Case sizing doesn't directly correlate with how good cooling is. 

The point of mitx is that it's smaller and can fit in smaller spaces.

Cooling efficiency is about how quickly the heat can be moved away from the component. Larger surface areas can conduct more heat more quickly. 

In the case of water cooling, a smaller radiator and air coming out of it would run hotter not because the same heat is being exhausted but because it cannot as quickly cool itself and the component it is running and would thus run hotter. 

Components get hot because of the power they are using and not because of programs. High temperatures can affect the functionality of components and can harm them if too high.

 

2 hours ago, Sakkura said:

the overall amount of heat it's given off is actually a little lower.

The heat generated is the same and is dependent on the components generating the heat. The temps would just be higher because of lower cooling efficiency.

[jonnyyyl]

14 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

Case sizing doesn't directly correlate with how good cooling is. 

 

 

Would good cooling result in higher room/nearby temperatures? 

[Mark77]

A smaller case can actually cool better than a larger case, if a smaller case causes the fans to create more turbulence in the airflow.  Turbulence maximizes the fluid flow rate over individual components, hence maximizing heat transfer from the hot component to the fluid stream flowing over such component. 

 

Ironically this is why it is highly not recommended that people run their computers with the covers off, or in open air.  Confining the airflow in a case increases the flow rate over individual components, moving heat away more efficiently.

 

 

[Sakkura]

15 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

The heat generated is the same and is dependent on the components generating the heat. The temps would just be higher because of lower cooling efficiency.

Nah, modern hardware tends to adjust clocks and voltages depending on temperatures, making their power consumption (and thus heat output) vary a little.

[WoodenMarker]

7 hours ago, jonnyyyl said:

Would good cooling result in higher room/nearby temperatures? 

No, the same heat is still generated. Cooling efficiency affects how quickly the the component is cooled/how cool it runs.