A refrigerator as a PC case: can you cool the computer like this?

Cooling the computer hardware can be a challenge, especially in summer, and a refrigerator as a PC case could help, at least in theory. This practical tip shows you whether this really works and how you can effectively cool your PC even without a refrigerator.

Refrigerator as a PC case: does it really work?

• If the outside temperature rises to over 30 degrees in summer and the computer works under full load, it gets hot not only in the room, but especially in the computer. Many a PC experienced its premature death in midsummer.
• The YouTuber Linus Tech Tips came up with an extremely interesting idea to cool PC hardware even more effectively. Since a refrigerator delivers cold drinks in summer, it should actually be able to cool a PC.
• In practice, however, it looked a little different. After only 10 minutes, the temperature inside rose to 30 degrees Celsius. Since there is no continuous draft in refrigerators, they are not suitable for PC cooling.
• In theory, the project could work with a compressor cooler. These are cool boxes that reach down to -18 degrees Celsius. However, the temperature would always have to be adapted to the performance of the PC. If you switch off the PC but not the cool box, the hardware freezes and is most likely defective. The cool box would not be a really good idea.

Cool your PC properly: the best tips & tricks

In order to test the effectiveness of PC cooling, you need additional tools that show you the temperatures of the graphics card, CPU and Co. In the following CHIP article we present the best temperature tools for Windows.

• Never place your PC directly in front of a wall or a table leg. In the best case, the cooler should be at least 50 cm away from the next object. This is the only way for the draft to spread effectively.
• The same applies to air holes on the front. If there are air holes there, the ventilation sucks in additional air. If objects are in front of the holes, the cooling is disturbed.
• Avoid direct proximity to other heat sources. Heaters, boilers and powerful lamps increase the heat load.
• Always keep the case closed. This is the only way to circulate the air sufficiently. If you have assembled your PC yourself, pay attention to the order inside. You can use cable ties to tidy up the air circulation corridors.
• Also check all existing fans. Over the years, a lot of dust can collect on the fans, the performance will decrease. Use a brush to carefully clean the fan of dust. The vacuum cleaner is not recommended. Alternatively, you can use a hair dryer, however, the fine dust is whirled uncontrollably through the air.