1.Keep your PC well-ventilated
Having good ventilation is an important factor in keeping your motherboard cool. As the components in your PC generate heat, it will build up and result in high temperatures if there is limited space for air to move.
To ensure that your motherboard does not overheat, look for ways to keep the air moving around your computer. Fans, either built into the case or added as an aftermarket solution, can help to draw the hot air away from the components and outside of the case.
If your set-up allows it, placing your tower on the floor can provide an improved airflow as a large volume of air is likely to be drawn into the open side of the tower.
2. Keep dust and dirt away
A common cause of overheating is when dust and dirt accumulate inside the PC. Dirt can accumulate on the inner fan blades in your computer, resulting in dropped efficiency and increased noise.
Excess dust can also block air vents, meaning air can’t circulate properly and leading to higher temperatures inside your tower. Keeping your PC clean and dust-free by using an air compressor or compressed air can help to prevent dust and debris from causing your motherboard to overheat.
3. Check thermal paste
Thermal paste works similarly to grease in that it helps to spread heat away from the processor and into the heatsink.
Using the right amount of thermal paste is critical in order to ensure optimum performance for your processor. If the paste is not applied correctly, the processor will be running at higher temperatures than optimal and cause your motherboard to overheat.
It is best practice to re-apply thermal paste every two years to keep your motherboard from overheating.
4. Upgrade your cooling system
If you have assembled your own PC or have bought a pre-built machine, chances are it comes with basic cooling solutions such as stock fans and low-end coolers. However, these may not be enough to keep your components running at their best and prevent your motherboard from overheating.
Upgrading to a more efficient cooling system can greatly reduce the risk of your motherboard overheating. Investing in better cooling fans with larger blades, liquid coolers and even copper heatsinks can reduce the temperature by several degrees and improve the overall performance of your PC.
5. Monitor temperature
Keeping track of the temperature of your components is one of the most effective ways to prevent your motherboard from overheating. There are a variety of software tools available which allow you to monitor the temperatures in real-time and get warnings if any of your components reach an unsafe level.
In addition to software tools, there are also physical sensors available which can be installed inside your PC, enabling you to get an accurate reading of all the temperatures inside your tower.
By monitoring and keeping track of the temperature of your components, you can respond appropriately and make necessary changes to keep your PC at optimal operating temperature.
6. Install temperature regulators
Temperature regulators are devices which provide protection against overheating by adjusting the fan speeds based on the temperature. The idea is to automatically reduce the speed of the fans when the temperature drops below a certain threshold and to increase the speed when the temperature rises above this threshold.
Temperature regulators are an easy and convenient way to keep your motherboard from overheating and can be easily installed in your PC.
7. Power Supply Unit (PSU)
The power supply unit (PSU) is the heart of the PC and is responsible for providing the power to all the components. Overclocking your processor or adding new components to your PC can put a strain on the PSU and result in higher temperatures for your motherboard and other components.
Using a PSU with sufficient wattage for your build will help to keep the temperature of your motherboard within a safe range and reduce the risk of it overheating.
It is also important to only use a reliable and branded power supply, as cheap and low-quality power supplies can be more prone to failure and generate high temperatures.
8. BIOS settings
Checking the BIOS settings on your motherboard can help you to adjust the fan speeds and other settings which can help to keep your motherboard temperatures within a safe range. You can also enable the ‘thermal throttling’ option which can help to slow down the processor’s clock speed when temperatures reach a certain threshold.
Of course, it is important to understand what each setting does before making any changes, as incorrect adjustments may cause further issues.
9. Keep your hard drive cool
Hard drives contain mechanical components which produce heat and, if left unchecked, can cause your motherboard to overheat. To prevent this from happening, make sure to position your hard drive away from any other components and ensure that it has plenty of space for air to circulate.
If you have multiple hard drives installed in your computer, try to spread them out to allow more airflow and reduce the risk of your motherboard overheating.
10. Shift the workload
Certain tasks require more resources than others and can generate a lot of heat. When working on intensive applications such as video editing, gaming, or while rendering images, it is important to make sure that your PC has enough time to cool down in between tasks to avoid your motherboard from overheating.
Try to spread out the workload throughout the day and give your motherboard enough time to cool down. This will help to keep your components running at their best and reduce the risk of your motherboard overheating.