Chapter 7 of 10All chapters
Chapter 7 of 10
Power and cooling
The parts nobody thinks about until they fail.
Power
The supply converts mains electricity to the low voltages components need. Underspecifying it causes crashes under load that look like software faults.
- Efficiency ratings describe waste heat, not capacity.
- Leave headroom above the calculated draw, especially with a large graphics card.
Heat
Silicon slows itself down to stay within a safe temperature. A dusty fan or dried thermal paste is a common reason an older machine feels slower than it did.