Excessive heat in your PC can lead to all kinds of problems. Over time, it can cause physical damage to your components and, in the short-term, it can throttle your PC and cause performance issues. There are several reasons this can happen, but luckily, there are quite a few things we can do to try and alleviate this issue.

Best of all, most of the fixes we are going to talk about can be done by anyone, and they are mostly all free! From changing system settings to physically cleaning your PC out, let's take a look at the best 10 ways to reduce the heat in your PC.

10 Lower the ambient temperature in the room

While I know this isn't always possible, it can play a big role in reducing the overall heat in your PC. If the temperature in your room is 80°F, your PC will run hotter, especially under heavier loads. The more your PC is doing, the hotter it will run, so you can give it a lower starting point by reducing the temperature in the area.

If you can, try turning the temperature down in the room with the thermostat. Your PC will output some heat which will warm the room back up. If this is not possible, try using a fan to help blow air around the area. If you are in a room with all the doors and windows shut, try opening the door or cracking a window to let the air flow a bit. You'd be surprised how much this can help.

9 Make sure the PC itself is in a well-ventilated area

Similar to the last point, your PC will need room to breathe. The more airflow it has around it, the cooler it will become in most cases. PCs need airflow to cool them down, even if they are water-cooled, so make sure you're not suffocating it by keeping it in an area with a lot of clutter. If possible, try to have it on top of your desk and away from the wall (or anything else).

If you are forced to keep your PC in a cabinet, try opening the doors when in use. You could also look into creating more ventilation in the rear of the cabinet to improve the overall airflow. As much as airflow in and around the PC is important, having somewhere for the PC to exhaust its hot air output is equally important.

8 Clean out your PC and dust filters

Too many times this goes overlooked. We spend time every day cleaning our houses but somehow forget to clean our PCs. You don't need to do it daily, but every few months is a good starting place. Personally, I aim to clean mine every 6 months, as this allows me to get it ready for the extra summer heat. I've also noticed it tends to collect more dust during the warmer months, so it is always nice to clean it out again when things start to cool off.

Dust filters can even be washed, as long as you let them dry properly before inserting them back into the case. It is also worth opening up your PC case and cleaning the dust out. I wouldn't recommend trying to vacuum it out, but instead, get something that will blow air into the case and have the vacuum on standby to clean up the mess it sends flying out onto your floor. Dust is one of those pesky things that, over time, can build up and increase your PC temps.

7 Sort out your cable management

One PC building challenge is cable management. Most people think cleanly managed cables offer a better overall aesthetic, but there is much more to it than this. Good cable management can also help to reduce overall PC temps for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, if you have cables all over the inside of your PC, they can obstruct the airflow from the fans, which will keep temps higher. Secondly, if there are cables everywhere, they are more likely to collect dust, and as more dust builds up, temps will rise as well. Sorting your cable management doesn't need to be hard. In most cases, you can open up your case and zip-tie your cables out of the way, just try to do it as neatly as possible.

6 Reduce CPU and GPU usage

This can sometimes be as simple as toning down the multitasking a bit. The CPU and GPU are generally the two components that produce the most heat inside a PC. The more your CPU and GPU are being utilized, the more heat they are going to produce, which means more heat in your PC. You will need to measure the TDP of your components, but this can easily be done with free programs such as HWMonitor.

To reduce CPU usage, check how many programs are running. Do you need them all? Try to cut down on the number of open windows you are using, especially if you have a multi-monitor setup. If you are trying to watch Netflix while editing a video and chatting with your friends on social media, try cutting out one or two things and see if it helps.

When it comes to reducing your GPU usage, again just cut back on what you are doing. If you are trying to play games, lower the settings a bit, especially on the textures. If you like to watch videos while you work, turn the resolution down. 4K videos can be quite taxing on some PCs, especially if they are watched in full screen on a secondary monitor.

5 Undervolt your CPU and GPU

This may sound scary at first, but it is really quite easy. There are plenty of guides out there that will help you undervolt your CPU and GPU. More times than not, there is excess power that is going unused which creates more heat that slows down your CPU. Not only will undervolting help reduce its heat, but it can also increase its energy efficiency and even extend its longevity.

You will need to enter the BIOS to undervolt your CPU. You will likely want to lower the voltage in small increments until you are comfortable and happy with it. Luckily, undervolting your GPU can be done with programs such as MSI Afterburner which can also help you monitor and overclock your GPU. Undervolting can be done on most PCs these days and is something most people should learn how to do.

4 Try new fan configurations

Most PC cases come with one or two fans. Generally, there is one at the rear of the case to exhaust the hot air out of the case and another at the front to intake cold air into the case. Nowadays, a lot of cases also have mounting options for more fans, giving you more chances to optimize your airflow. Even if you don't want to add more fans, you can try moving the current fans to different positions to see which works best to help reduce your PC temps.

Depending on your hardware and type of CPU cooler, the fans in your case may not be in the best position. Luckily, it is easy enough as undoing four screws and moving the fan to a new position to test this out. Remember that heat rises, so it's advised to have your exhaust fan at the highest point to help with this. As for your intake, as mentioned, it may depend on your hardware as to where the optimal position is. Try a few things out and monitor your temps while doing so to see what works best for you.

3 Set custom fan curves

If moving the fans doesn't work, you can always try custom fan curves. This will allow you to automate your fans so that when the CPU or GPU reaches a certain temperature, your PC fans can ramp up to quickly help cool things down. This is a great way to get ahead of rising temps and fan noise.

For instance, if your fans are set to come on at 50% when your CPU hits 60℃ to cool your CPU, then when it gets under 60℃ again, the fans will turn off. However, once it hits 60℃ again, they will come back on. Instead, you could set your fans to come on at 25% when your CPU hits 40℃, thus prolonging the need for the fans to ramp up at higher speeds. This is something you will need to play with and see what works best for your needs.

2 Reapply thermal paste

Over time, the thermal paste can dry out and will need to be changed. It's another one of those things that can go overlooked but can make one of the biggest differences. You might change the paste on your CPU or even apply new paste to your GPU, which can reduce temps by 5-10℃ or more!

It's not too hard and can be done in less than an hour, even with no previous experience. You will simply unmount your cooler, clean the old paste off the CPU or GPU, add the new paste, and reattach your cooler. This is a simple preventative maintenance step that everyone should know how to do.

1 Mod your case/remove side panels

If all else fails, you could alter the case itself. You can cut out custom fan mounts or vents to help allow for better airflow. Or, if you are not up for that, you could simply remove the side panel from the case which would allow for more airflow and should help reduce temps.

This may seem a bit extreme, and while it may not leave your PC looking as nice aesthetically, it is easy, and removing your side panel can be done in seconds. Most of the time, there are two thumb screws that can be undone to allow you to remove your side panel and that's it, job done.

Why is it important to reduce the heat inside a PC?

As mentioned, if your components get too hot, it can cause thermal throttling which will affect the performance of your PC. It can also degrade the physical aspect of the components and shorten their lifespan, which no one wants to see either. While it may seem a bit daunting at first, it is well worth looking into.

You don't need to try all of the above suggestions, maybe just a couple of them, and if your PC temps are fine, then that's great. Preventative maintenance such as cleaning out your PC and changing the thermal paste really should be done regularly regardless, and once you've done it once, it only gets easier the next time around! The more you take care of your PC now, the longer it will last you, and the better performance you will enjoy.