Editing Computer cooling (section)

==Damage prevention==
Because high temperatures can significantly reduce life span or cause permanent damage to components, and the heat output of components can sometimes exceed the computer's cooling capacity, manufacturers often take additional precautions to ensure that temperatures remain within safe limits. A computer with [[Sensor#Thermal|thermal sensors]] integrated in the CPU, motherboard, chipset, or GPU can shut itself down when high temperatures are detected to prevent permanent damage, although this may not completely guarantee long-term safe operation. Before an overheating component reaches this point, it may be "throttled" until temperatures fall below a safe point using [[dynamic frequency scaling]] technology. Throttling reduces the operating frequency and voltage of an integrated circuit or disables non-essential features of the chip to reduce heat output, often at the cost of slightly or significantly reduced performance. For desktop and notebook computers, throttling is often controlled at the [[BIOS]] level. Throttling is also commonly used to manage temperatures in smartphones and tablets, where components are packed tightly together with little to no active cooling, and with additional heat transferred from the hand of the user.<ref name="Qualcomm throttling">{{cite web|url=http://www.qualcomm.com/media/blog/2012/06/04/snapdragon-s4-processor-coolest-kid-block|title=Snapdragon S4 Processor: Coolest Kid on the Block|access-date=19 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514090135/http://www.qualcomm.com/media/blog/2012/06/04/snapdragon-s4-processor-coolest-kid-block|archive-date=14 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

The user can also perform several tasks in order to preemptively prevent damage from happening. They can perform a visual inspection of the cooler and case fans. If any of them are not spinning correctly, it is likely that they will need to be replaced. The user should also clean the fans thoroughly, since dust and debris can increase the ambient case temperature and impact fan performance. The best way to do so is with compressed air in an open space. Another preemptive technique to prevent damage is to replace the thermal paste regularly. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-22 |title=CPU Overheating – What Causes It & What Can You Do About It? |url=https://valbyte.com/cpu-overheating/ |access-date=2022-12-16 |language=en-US}}</ref>