Computer in Front of Air Conditioner?

[jeanpave]

Would it be okay to place a PC right in front of a room/window air conditioning unit?

The computer may be getting too hot occasionally.
And no, there's no willingness to spend any more money on this damn computer that cost more than 1000 bucks over 3 years ago.

Is there a specific safe(r) distance?

Does orientation of PC (i.e. facing the AC or the opposite way,) make any difference?

I'm curious what the experts here have to say. Because I wouldn't think placing an AC near a closed computer (- with its casing unopened -) should damage anything. But then I'm no expert, so I thought I should ask around.

Thanks.

[Dougster]

If your computer is getting too hot occasionally (you need to be more specific as to what is really happening), it may
need to be just cleaned out. Did you open up the case? It maybe just dust buildup or possibly a bad CPU fan.

Sitting it next to an air conditioner will make little difference, if any.

[enim]

I never tried that experiment before - a Computer in Front of Air Conditioner. The fact for me is computer worked ok anywhere in air-conditioned room,but, I got sick (catch cold) in front of air-conditioner.

You have to more specific.
What kind of CPUs and what kind of cooling system do you have?
(Most of the desktop should normally work OK even without AC.)

[Dougster]

If you spent > $1000 just 3 years ago it might be advantageous to spend just a little time and money on it just
for some basic maintenance. If your computer has otherwise performed well it doesn't make sense to throw the
baby out with the bathwater.

[jeanpave]

I did open it up, and it was very hot in there, but I don't know how to fix that!...

I cleaned out whatever dust there was inside - not too much - to the best of my abilities, did some wiping, some blowing, etc., but I've got no way of knowing whether maybe the case cooling system crapped out on me or anything!

I mean, if the fans in there no longer spin properly, or something - maybe it's not just dust - the cool air from the AC should help, no?

I'm not going to take this computer to a specialist, leave it there, pay the guy a small fortune, carry it back home, and so on, break my back, etc., for something like this. No way am I paying for this!
In such a case, I would use the "baby", as Dougster put it, until it no longer works at all, and then yes, throw it out with the "bathwater" when 100% unusable.
That's one of the main reasons I'll never have a car. The maintenance would kill me, financially and mentally. It would just annoy me to no end. (You never have to do maintenance like this on your TV, for heaven's sake!)

As for enim's questions: AMD Phenom 1090T or something like that and I have no idea what kind of cooling there is inside. I'm not well-documented as far as that goes. I could tell you the name of the case, but I wouldn't know its model, or anything else, either. Does that help?
I'm just curious, though, you smart people on here actually know what kind of cooling is needed if you know the CPU??? (You're not going to hack me or anything, if you're asking for such seemingly unrelated information, haha? 'Cause I'm writing this on another computer. LOL I'm just joking. Nobody get offended, please. But, seriously, you think the makers of this particular computer did not give me a good-enough case to handle the cooling of that CPU inside? They're the ones that built it, not me...)


EDIT: P.S. Is it me, or are these arseholes clearly making computers less and less durable, even when expensive as hell? I still have a computer running Windows 95, just fine, and a more than a couple of computers from the turn of the millennium running in practically tip-top shape. What are we paying for, these days, crap that needs replacing every 2-3 years?? (I can't help but think somebody should run amok one of these days and teach these people that we can only take so much abuse.)

[jeanpave]

How about if I open up the sides of the computer and allow the cool air to blow on the parts inside?

Would that be dangerous?
The computer should get cool then, but is that a good-enough way of doing it?

[redwudz]

There wouldn't be a problem blowing AC air into the PC. Or just using a desk fan to blow air into it. But that seems a bit of an extreme way to solve a problem.

If that's a 1090T AMD, then it's a 125W CPU. It does take a bit of cooling as that is in the upper range of CPU wattages.
But the stock cooler that should have came with the CPU is usually sufficient unless you are overclocking, which I doubt.

How hot is it? I would try a program like HWinfo and post the results here. http://www.hwinfo.com/download.php (The 32 bit one to the left side.)
That might tell us how hot and what is producing the heat. Most commonly it's the CPU or the video card.

And if the PC runs 'much' cooler with the side cover off, that usually means you aren't blowing enough air into or out of the case. Better case fans would help.
If it runs about the same temperature with the side cover off, then it's the components or their coolers at fault.
CPUs run up to 70C with no problems. 90C will usually cause them to shut or slow down'. A CPU under full load should be running about 40C to 50C with good cooling. Lower at idle.

Video cards commonly run 50C to 70C with no problems. That's mostly normal. Large, fast video cards produce more heat than small or lower power ones.

[Atticus Draco]

How about if I open up the sides of the computer and allow the cool air to blow on the parts inside?

Would that be dangerous?
The computer should get cool then, but is that a good-enough way of doing it?

DRY ICE jean!
that's what you need,, DRY ICE!!
just pack that baby hard too!

Dry ice,, a table fan,, window air conditioner,, and the freezer door of the refrigerator wide open,,
that oughtta cool that pesky S.o.B. down!
Make sure, you get 'em all pointed to your computer

and if all else fails,, fill that bathtub up with cold water
yeah

[bendixG15]

The computer may be getting too hot occasionally.

Why do you say it may be getting too hot ?? Is it slowing down, shutting off , just what ??

You have a computer that normally runs hot.

[Nelson37]

Getting any condensation from the cold air inside the case could be very, very bad. Likely to accumulate when the PC is off, then activate the smoke chips when turned on.

Get some actual numbers from a free program as mentioned. Real numbers are useful to diagnose a potential problem, rough guesses from someone who is not very knowledgeable are not.

And, YES, the CPU type tells us smart folks a Dramatic amount about the needed cooling. A lot more than "seems kinda hot".

It is very likely that the solution to your problem is a fan that costs less than $10.00, or could be free if you know where to look.

[jman98]

How about if I open up the sides of the computer and allow the cool air to blow on the parts inside?

Would that be dangerous?
The computer should get cool then, but is that a good-enough way of doing it?

You can do this. It's not dangerous but as pointed out, having to do that is a sign that your case has air flow issues that you might be able to solve without having to remove the sides.

[usually_quiet]

How about if I open up the sides of the computer and allow the cool air to blow on the parts inside?

Would that be dangerous?
The computer should get cool then, but is that a good-enough way of doing it?

There is always the possibility of something falling into the case or blowing in and causing damage, but you can try that. However, if something has gone wrong with the CPU cooler it won't help much, if at all.

[jeanpave]

How about if I open up the sides of the computer and allow the cool air to blow on the parts inside?

Would that be dangerous?
The computer should get cool then, but is that a good-enough way of doing it?

DRY ICE jean!
that's what you need,, DRY ICE!!
just pack that baby hard too!

Dry ice,, a table fan,, window air conditioner,, and the freezer door of the refrigerator wide open,,
that oughtta cool that pesky S.o.B. down!
Make sure, you get 'em all pointed to your computer

and if all else fails,, fill that bathtub up with cold water
yeah

Ha, ha, you're quite the joker! Nice.

That made me a little more relaxed. And I guess I needed that.

[jeanpave]

The computer may be getting too hot occasionally.

Why do you say it may be getting too hot ?? Is it slowing down, shutting off , just what ??

You have a computer that normally runs hot.

If I keep running editing programs that work with large files, for a long time, and have these programs working with files from across multiple external drives - and yes these are those stupid HDDs that turn off and you gotta wait for them to turn back on each time you access them after a pause longer than a few minutes -, I keep getting interrupted by blue screens of errors (saying that they're dumping some information - such screens last like 2 seconds -) followed by immediate reboot.

And, on top of that, of course I know it's running quite hot because I opened up the case and a lot of heat was evident. I couldn't tell you how many degrees exactly, but I'd bet it was more than 50 Celsius (=122 Fahrenheit).

[jeanpave]

There is always the possibility of something falling into the case or blowing in and causing damage, but you can try that.

Thank you very much, usually_quiet. It appears that the consensus is it's not dangerous so I'll probably do it if I experience any more shutdowns (and I know I will eventually).

However, if something has gone wrong with the CPU cooler it won't help much, if at all.

See, this is what pisses me off about big companies nowadays. They're seemingly selling us stuff that will break (sooner and sooner) on purpose. You pay more than a grand for a stupid computer because you think it's going to be top of the line, and then some damn thing breaks inside that costs you another arm and leg. (Well, ****'em, I'm never going to spend any more money on this PC.)

[jeanpave]

Getting any condensation from the cold air inside the case could be very, very bad. Likely to accumulate when the PC is off, then activate the smoke chips when turned on.

Oh, damn, I just noticed your post.

What does that mean, Nelson37? What are smoke chips? And can you give an actual example of "very, very bad"?

You know, I wouldn't have the AC blow on the PC when the PC is off, by the way.

[jeanpave]

There wouldn't be a problem blowing AC air into the PC. Or just using a desk fan to blow air into it. But that seems a bit of an extreme way to solve a problem.

If that's a 1090T AMD, then it's a 125W CPU. It does take a bit of cooling as that is in the upper range of CPU wattages.
But the stock cooler that should have came with the CPU is usually sufficient unless you are overclocking, which I doubt.

How hot is it? I would try a program like HWinfo and post the results here. http://www.hwinfo.com/download.php (The 32 bit one to the left side.)
That might tell us how hot and what is producing the heat. Most commonly it's the CPU or the video card.

And if the PC runs 'much' cooler with the side cover off, that usually means you aren't blowing enough air into or out of the case. Better case fans would help.
If it runs about the same temperature with the side cover off, then it's the components or their coolers at fault.
CPUs run up to 70C with no problems. 90C will usually cause them to shut or slow down'. A CPU under full load should be running about 40C to 50C with good cooling. Lower at idle.

Video cards commonly run 50C to 70C with no problems. That's mostly normal. Large, fast video cards produce more heat than small or lower power ones.

Thank you, redwudz.

Okay, I got the program. What info do you want?

I'm not sure where to look for how much heat and what is producing it. Where exactly does it say that?





EDIT:
But in the meantime, if it might help, I can post the last two notifications I got, through Windows, right after each of the last two forced reboots:

I] - Thursday

"Windows has recovered from an unexpected shutdown

Windows can check online for a solution to the problem the next time you go online.

Check later Cancel

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 1000007e
BCP1: FFFFFFFFC0000005
BCP2: FFFFF800030B0F0F
BCP3: FFFFF8800318A6A8
BCP4: FFFFF88003189F10
OS Version: 6_1_7600
Service Pack: 0_0
Product: 256_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\052914-15428-01.dmp
C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-43711-0.sysdata.xml

Read our privacy statement online:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104288&clcid=0x0409

If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
C:\Windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt"


II] - Friday

"Windows has recovered from an unexpected shutdown

Windows can check online for a solution to the problem the next time you go online.

Check later Cancel

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 1a
BCP1: 0000000000003452
BCP2: 000007FEFE1F8000
BCP3: FFFFF700010846C8
BCP4: 0000000000000000
OS Version: 6_1_7600
Service Pack: 0_0
Product: 256_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\053014-29811-01.dmp
C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-40139-0.sysdata.xml

Read our privacy statement online:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104288&clcid=0x0409

If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
C:\Windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt"


Do these explain anything?

[Cornucopia]

Just find out what the BCCodes and the BCP addresses mean.

What!? You don't know what they mean? Just look in your Code Books...You don't have any code books? I'll give you one for a dollar, $12 for a set of 10.
What!? It says in the Code Book to "refer to the Master Code Book"? YOU DON'T HAVE A MASTER CODE BOOK!?...$1.
RZBXPL...How should I know what that means, look in your Breeders' Guide...

But seriously, it only explains something when we know the exact feature set of your MOBO/CPU/MEM combo and compare that to the list of known codes. Even then, it might still be vague what's really going on. So stop waiting until it gets to the BSOD stage. IT SHOULD NEVER GET THAT BAD! If it is, it's because your setup is very precarious (compared to everyone else's normal setup).

Have you run Redwudz's suggested app yet? It should give you some clear indications (having used a similar one in the past): e.g. "CPU Temp=xx°C". Not much need to "figure out" what that means. If it's hot, it's hot - TOO HOT for your PC's good.

Not to beat a dead horse or act like an old crone, but this is one of those times where the phrases: "penny-wise and pound-foolish" or "a stitch in time saves nine" seems to ring a bell.

And I can say that from experience earned the hard way.

Scott

[usually_quiet]

The computer may be getting too hot occasionally.

Why do you say it may be getting too hot ?? Is it slowing down, shutting off , just what ??

You have a computer that normally runs hot.

If I keep running editing programs that work with large files, for a long time, and have these programs working with files from across multiple external drives - and yes these are those stupid HDDs that turn off and you gotta wait for them to turn back on each time you access them after a pause longer than a few minutes -, I keep getting interrupted by blue screens of errors (saying that they're dumping some information - such screens last like 2 seconds -) followed by immediate reboot.

And, on top of that, of course I know it's running quite hot because I opened up the case and a lot of heat was evident. I couldn't tell you how many degrees exactly, but I'd bet it was more than 50 Celsius (=122 Fahrenheit).

If the air inside the case itself is 50 degrees Celcius and it was not anywhere near that hot previously, then something has changed. Either something in the case is producing a lot more heat, or the exhaust fans aren't doing their job. Did you hold your hand in front of the PSU exhaust in the rear of the case to see if it is blowing air? When you had the case open did you turn on the computer and check to see that all the fans were spinning, and spinning very, very fast?

If an exhaust fan has burned out and you would rather use your PC with the side panel off than make the effort to replace a $10 fan then that's your business. If the PSU fan is no longer working, then you will have to either replace the PSU or replace the entire PC when it dies, because the PSU will die.

[Cornucopia]

And that, my friends, is another example of "cutting off one's nose to spite their face". (In this case the anger is fixated on the WD drives and PC repair engineers).

What you may not realize is that just like in the real everyday world, there are "macroclimates" and "microclimates". Your overall room macroclimate might have a temperature of just less than 20°C and be perfectly comfortable for you, where you would expect the PC to be working just fine, but the individual elements of the PC also have "microclimates" immediately surrounding them, especially since many times they are built up against a structure (PC's cabinet). This microclimate is different from the macroclimate, because air flow patterns aren't universal & monolithic.
So when your microclimate near your PowerSupply, GPU, CPU or HDD (the 4 biggest heat producers in you PC) aren't INDIVIDUALLY catered to (usually in the form of a fan, but also including "refrigeration"), they will get much hotter than the surrounding macroclimate (>40-50°C).

THIS IS WHAT KILLS YOUR PC's parts.

Don't believe me? Then I guess you will find out the hard way, too.

Scott