Hardware Does cold make your computer faster?

[Dig Gil]

I've heard that one computer works more efficiently if carrying a good fan, and I've also noticed that heavy applications get lag when the computer is working for a long time until the fans start pushing hot air out of my laptop.
So I though: "What if I got a way of keeping my computer cold, would it run faster?"

 

[Epsilon]

In about six months (given your location), you can do what I do, and keep your windows open in the wintertime. :lol:

I'm a very cold-weather sort of person though, so YMMV.

 

[Bj]

My old laptop always overheated. I could easily tell when it was overheating because it would be so slow for the most simple of programs and sometimes auto shutdown.

Occasionally the batteries light would blink orange showing it will not charge because the battery was to hot.

I bought a lap fan that helped that problem. The one I have is from Walmart at about ~$20.

 

[Sunhillow]

Hi Dig Gil,

coldness does not make you computer faster, but it prevents it from overheating. Modern mainboards will slow down the CPU if it gets too hot or even perform a shutdown before the heat can damage the processor.

So cooling your computer does not make it any faster, but when you keep it cool, you may use a higher clock rate without the risk of damage.

 

[pete.dakota]

A computer will slow down when it gets too hot. But it won't run 'faster' if it's cooler. I.e, you can't increase the performance of your PC by, say, running it out of a fridge.

 

[garyw]

A computer will slow down when it gets too hot. But it won't run 'faster' if it's cooler. I.e, you can't increase the performance of your PC by, say, running it out of a fridge.

Yes it will. The optimum temperature for a motherboard is about -138C. At that temperature electrical resistance is lowered meaning the electrical pulses can move around the motherboard that much quicker.

It own't do much good for other components such as the PSU or harddrive. I'm trying to find the articles that talked about this but it was several years ago now........

 

[pete.dakota]

Yes it will. The optimum temperature for a motherboard is about -138C. At that temperature electrical resistance is lowered meaning the electrical pulses can move around the motherboard that much quicker.

It own't do much good for other components such as the PSU or harddrive. I'm trying to find the articles that talked about this but it was several years ago now........

OK, sorry, here's a do-over.

"REALISTICALLY, your computer won't run faster if it's colder."

Happy?

 

[TSPenguin]

Yes it will. The optimum temperature for a motherboard is about -138C. At that temperature electrical resistance is lowered meaning the electrical pulses can move around the motherboard that much quicker.

Erm, might be, but that won't make it run faster, only generate less excess heat. All components are clocked, meaning they wait for their turn to send data anyways. On a good balanced systems that means they'll just wait longer...

 

[Kaito]

Yes it will. The optimum temperature for a motherboard is about -138C. At that temperature electrical resistance is lowered meaning the electrical pulses can move around the motherboard that much quicker.

You're thinking Super Conductors. Unless a motherboard has superconducting material in it, it wont do squat.

 

[Woo482]

if you use Liquid Nitrogen on your CPU you can over clock it at lot more that will allow you to run faster

 

[pete.dakota]

if you use Liquid Nitrogen on your CPU you can over clock it at lot more that will allow you to run faster

I hope you don't mean a direct application?

 

[Andy44]

Sometimes I apply liquid nitrogen to my brain and overclock it. But think not works I don't knagdaasfhdfiaefbsdfksdf.........[reboot].....hey, does anyone have a donut?

 

[pete.dakota]

Maybe that's what an ice-cream headache is?

By eating ice-cream too quickly, you reduce the temperature of your head - and so your brain - allowing it to work more efficiently. However as we have yet to evolve to harness the true power of our minds, the increase in performance gives us a headache and renders us useless for several seconds.

No doubt that's it.

 

[MajorTom]

Sometimes I apply liquid nitrogen to my brain and overclock it. But think not works I don't knagdaasfhdfiaefbsdfksdf.........[reboot].....hey, does anyone have a donut?

Andy! You OK buddy?

(Need to be extra careful when you emulate Jearl Walker...)

 

[garyw]

OK, sorry, here's a do-over.

"REALISTICALLY, your computer won't run faster if it's colder."

Happy?

1. Calm down.
2. I should have added the comment that a chilled motherboard can be overclocked by a lot more than your regular PC.

You know, sometimes I think I shouldn't comment at all.

Happy?


-----Post Added-----


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1872410.stm
http://news.cnet.com/2009-1040-253289.html
http://www.octools.com/ramil/newscientist/faster.htm

 

[Kaito]

Maybe that's what an ice-cream headache is?

By eating ice-cream too quickly, you reduce the temperature of your head - and so your brain - allowing it to work more efficiently. However as we have yet to evolve to harness the true power of our minds, the increase in performance gives us a headache and renders us useless for several seconds.

No doubt that's it.

i lol'd.

In reality, an ice-cream headache is this: the cold ice cream contracts the blood vessels, limiting the blood flow. But, because of our high body temperature, the vessels expand to larger then they were before, allowing much more blood to the brain. This sudden increase in blood is what causes the headache.

Or, you know, you can just get rid of the fan all together and submerge your computer in Vegetable oil...

 

[tblaxland]

Or, you know, you can just get rid of the fan all together and submerge your computer in Vegetable oil...

I've seen that before. Nice and quite, and if you add some blue lights it looks pretty cool too...

 

[TSPenguin]

You can even use Water.
Of course it would have to be pure H2O without any contaminations, but it works

 

[Hielor]

You can even use Water.
Of course it would have to be pure H2O without any contaminations, but it works

They mentioned in the video that they attempted to use DI H2O and it didn't work, so...yeah.

 

[darian]

I asked this question before in another forum. Actually it was a flight sim forum. Looks like my question has been answered and from my own experience I kinda thought a PC would run faster if it were colder but yeah that's truly non sense I see. In fact over cooling the PC will make it run slower even corrupt the graphics. I put an external fan right by my PC to try and super cool it but what a mistake. The textures started flickering with the pattern of the fan wind. I was getting pissed off cause I thought I did permanent damage but after removing the fan it went back to normal.