JayzTwoCents had a recent video on how to keep your PC from heating up your game room.
- He explained how hot air move from the PC into the room.
- He had tips for reducing heat without reducing performance.
- He even suggested opening the window and/or door to let fresh air in.
But there was one scenario he didn’t cover in his video. How to deflect heat away from you when your PC sits underneath your desk. I got a $5 USD solution that you may already have in your home.
THE PROBLEM
When a PC sits underneath a desk, hot air rises from the top of the case to hit the underside of the desk. The hot air spreads out in all direction from there. Since I sit to the left of my editing PC, the heat can be noticeable when I play FortNite or render video files. I needed something to deflect hot air to the right of the PC without hitting the underside of the desk.
An air deflector for air vents.
If your home has central heating and air conditioning, most rooms have an air vent. An air deflector is a clear plastic cover with a 90-degree curve and two magnets to attach to the air vent. If you already have air deflectors in your home, you can reuse one for your PC.
THE SOLUTION
I got an air deflector from Amazon for $5 USD. You can also find air deflectors at Home Depot for a few dollars cheaper. They also come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and prices. I got a narrow air deflector for my Cougar MX330-G ATX case. You can get a wide air deflector if you have a wide case.
The air deflector is adjustable from 10″ to 14″. With a pair of Arctic 120mm PWM fans in the top panel, the air deflector extended to 12″ and covered 75% of the air vent. The deflected air flow is enough to push past the exposed portion of the air vent.
The air deflector I got had a strong magnet and a weak magnet. The strong magnet held the air deflector in place on one side. The weak magnet let the air deflector move around a little on the other side. I don’t know if that is by design or luck of magnetic draw.
THE RESULT
Since I installed the air deflector, I no longer feel the heat coming off my editing PC. If I play FortNite or render video files for an extended period, I do feel the room temperature rising. Like a frog sitting in a pot of boiling water, it takes a while to notice.