Heatwave: how to keep your gaming PC cool this summer

When the thermometer exceeds 30°C in the room, your gaming PC suffers just as much as you do. Fans spinning wildly, a burning-hot case, games stuttering after an hour of play… These are the classic symptoms of a machine struggling against the heat. Good news: a few simple steps are enough to lower temperatures by several degrees, most of which won't cost you a cent. Here is the complete guide.

Why heat causes performance drops

A modern processor or graphics card constantly monitors its own temperature. When it approaches a critical threshold—generally between 85 and 100°C depending on the components—the chip automatically reduces its frequency to protect itself. This is thermal throttling. In practical terms: your graphics card slows down in the middle of a game, and the frame rate collapses precisely when you need it most.

The key point to understand: a component never cools below room temperature. Every additional degree of ambient temperature translates directly into your internal temperatures. A room at 32°C instead of 22°C means about 10°C more on the CPU and GPU, at an equal load. Hence the importance of stacking the odds in your favor.

Step 1: measure before acting

You cannot improve what you do not measure. Install a free monitoring tool like HWiNFO64 or HWMonitor, run your usual game for 20 to 30 minutes, then note the maximum values.

• CPU in-game: below 75°C, everything is fine. Between 75 and 85°C, it's acceptable but could be better. Above 90°C, you need to take action.
• GPU in-game: below 75°C, a healthy situation. Between 75 and 83°C, common on compact models. Above that, check the airflow.
• NVMe SSD: below 70°C under load, nothing to worry about.

Note these values: they will serve as a baseline to measure the effect of each improvement.

Step 2: the big cleaning

Dust is the number one enemy of cooling. It forms an insulating layer on radiators and clogs filters, drastically reducing fan efficiency. A PC that hasn't been cleaned in a year can gain 5 to 10°C with a simple dusting.

The method, with the PC turned off and unplugged:

• Remove the dust filters (front, top, bottom) and wash them with lukewarm water. Dry them completely before putting them back.
• Blow out the CPU and GPU radiators with a can of compressed air, holding the fan blades with a finger to prevent them from spinning freely.
• Use a soft brush on the blades and grilles.
• Take the opportunity to check that all fans are spinning properly when starting up.

Step 3: optimize airflow

Good cooling is based on a simple principle: cool air entering at the front and bottom, hot air exiting at the back and top. A few checks are in order:

• Case placement: avoid enclosed desk cubbies and corners without circulation. Leave at least 15 cm of free space at the back and above, and keep the PC away from radiators… and direct sunlight coming through a window.
• Fan orientation: the curved side with the logo pulls air in; the side with the reinforcements blows air out. A fan mounted backwards can ruin your entire airflow.
• Intake/exhaust balance: ideally, have as many (or slightly more) intake fans as exhaust fans to maintain slight positive pressure, which limits dust entry.
• Cable management: cables dangling in front of fans disrupt circulation. Five minutes of tidying up is often enough.

Step 4: adjust fan curves

By default, many motherboards prioritize silence: fans only speed up very late. In summer, it is better to reverse this logic. Go into the BIOS (Delete or F2 key at startup), "Fan Control" or "Q-Fan" section, and change the profiles from "Silent" to "Standard" or even "Performance" during hot weather. For the graphics card, software like MSI Afterburner allows you to customize the curve: aiming for 60 to 70% speed at 70°C is a good noise/efficiency compromise.

Step 5: software optimizations that cool things down

Two software settings effectively complement mechanical work:

• Limit FPS: if your screen displays 144 Hz, there is no need to let the graphics card calculate 250 frames per second in a low-demand game. Enable an FPS limiter (in-game or via the Nvidia/AMD panel): power consumption—and therefore heat—drops immediately.
• Undervolting: slightly reducing the GPU voltage allows you to maintain performance while significantly lowering heat and noise. We have published a complete GPU undervolting guide that details the step-by-step process.

Step 6: thermal paste, if nothing else works

If after all this your CPU still exceeds 90°C, the thermal paste between the processor and its cooler may have dried out. This is common on machines over 3 or 4 years old. Replacing it costs a few euros and takes about twenty minutes; our thermal paste and CPU cooler tutorial guides you step-by-step.

Good habits for heatwave days

• Play early in the morning or late at night when the room is cooler.
• Close shutters and windows during the day, ventilate at night: your PC benefits from the same advice as you.
• A room fan directed at the case's air intake provides a real gain, without any DIY required.
• Avoid leaving the machine in hibernation in direct sunlight or in an overheated room.
• Monitor temperatures during the first big summer sessions: that is when problems are revealed.

In summary

Cleaning, optimized airflow, adjusted fan curves, and FPS limiting: these four combined actions can help an poorly maintained machine gain 10 to 15°C. Enough to get through the summer serenely, without throttling or the sound of a jet engine next to your desk.

And if you are looking for a machine designed from the start to breathe well—ventilated case, balanced cooling, meticulous assembly—take a look at the DSGate gaming PCs, assembled in France and tested before shipment.