Quote:
Originally Posted by Fantasysci5
I really have no idea what the heat sink fans are. We dusted out everything we could, without taking anything out (besides the main CPU fan over the processor).
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Sorry, my bad, should've been clearer. Did I understand correctly you managed to remove the fan assembly above the CPU heatsink? Kudos to you, it's tricky. Immediately below the fan, you will notice a set of f
ins (ie. blades) trought which the air is forced downwards by the fan and let escape sideways. This set of fins is known as a heatsink.
The fan does not blow air directly on the CPU. Instead, the CPU itself is hidden under the heatsink and is in contact with it through thermal paste. In this way that heat can be
conducted from the CPU to the sink, and the air flowing through the fins
convects the heat away from the whole assembly. Dust settling between the fins can seriously impair the heat convection properties of the assembly, which is why care should be taken to remove any dust (which eventually settles and becomes dirt/grime proper) from between the fins.
Goes without saying that all this must be done taking proper care not to bend and/or damage the fins themselves, or alter their layout and distance one from the other!
