How To Tell if CPU Cooler is Working | Best Guide 2023

Many users didn’t know How To Tell If CPU Cooler Is Working, so I wrote this article to help you choose the right one. A CPU cooler is a device that takes heat from the Processor and moves it away from the other parts of the system so that the system can run at the best temperature.

But it’s a little complicated to use, so most people don’t know if their CPU cooler is working right.

So, in this article, I’ll show you some tried-and-true ways to tell if your CPU cooler is working right and how to fix it if it isn’t.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best AM4 CPU , Best CPU for RTX 2080, Best CPU under $300 , and Best Motherboards for i7 9700K.

Let’s get started.

How to Tell if CPU Cooler is Working

If you have a liquid cooler, the quickest way to tell if it is working is to feel the movement and fluid flow. If it buzzes, the cooler is doing its job. But if you have an air cooler, make sure the cooling fan is turning. If so, your cooler is good to go.

Also, make sure that the CPU cooler works with both the CPU and the motherboard.

When figuring out if your CPU cooling is working, you should also look at things like the temperature, the pump, and the water level.

Check the water pump, pipe connections, water level, and type of coolant when using a liquid cooler. If you have an air cooler, all you need to do is make sure the fan, thermal paste, and electrical connection between the cooler and the motherboard are all in the right place.

You don’t even have to take the motherboard out to install the cooler.

So, if you check all of these things and find that everything works right, your CPU cooler is fine. If any of these things aren’t right, then your water cooler isn’t working right.

Since it needs more monitoring and maintenance, the liquid CPU cooler is more sensitive than the air cooler.

So, in the next section, we’ll talk about how to test your liquid cooler to make sure it’s working well.

How to Determine if the Pump is Functioning on Your Liquid Cooler

Checking the pump’s rotational speed, or RPM, is the only sure way to know if the water cooler pump is working (Round Per Minute). This can only be done if the connection to the motor is hooked up to a fan port on the motherboard.

There are other ways to find out if the water pump in the liquid cooler is working. In the next part, we’ll look at these ways.

Here are several ways to tell if your liquid cooler’s pump is working:

Verify Fan RPM

One way to tell if your cooler pump is working well is to look at the fan RPM. During testing, if the fan stays at a steady RPM, it means that your water pump is working well. If it doesn’t, it has a problem that needs to be fixed.

We will use HWMonitor for our testing, which lets us check the fan speed of the water cooler we are using. Let’s look at the directions below in more depth.

Here’s how to check the RPM of a fan:

• You can get HWMonitor from the Internet and put it on your computer.
• Open the app and go to where it says “Fan.”
• Check the CPU Fan’s RPM.

If you check your CPU’s RPM and it matches what the manufacturer said it would be, your water pump is fine.

Test the Pump Physically

You can also check your liquid cooler pump by hand to make sure it’s working well. The process is pretty easy; just look at the way to check in the section below.

Here’s how to look at the pump in person:

• Carefully open the casing to find the pump.
• Turn on your computer and put your finger on the pump.

If you feel vibrations, that means your pump is working right. If you don’t feel any vibrations, it’s likely that your pump is broken and needs to be fixed.

Test the Pump Externally

You can also take your liquid cooler apart and test the pump while it is being powered by something else. Just do what is written in the section below.

Follow the steps below to check the pump from the outside:

• Take the liquid cooler apart. This includes taking apart the pump, heatsink, and radiator.
• Separate the tubes from the heatsink and get rid of all the water.
• Using a 12-volt adaptor, connect the pump to a power source.
• Fill a pot with water and put both ends of the pipe of the pump into the water.
• Start the pump up.

When you turn on the pump, if water starts to flow through it at the speed you want, that means it’s working well and you don’t need to worry.

How Do I Know If My CPU Water Cooler Is Working

Check the noise and the flow of liquid to make sure your Processor water cooler is working well.

If it’s shaking, that means your cooler pump is working. You can also check the temperature of the pump, any leaks, and the water level to see if the cooler is working.

In a hurry? Check out my new post on Best CPU coolers for Ryzen 5 3600

There are other ways to find out how well your CPU water cooler works. Just do what’s written in the steps below.

Here are a few ways to tell whether or not your CPU water cooler is working:

Verify the Temperature

You can also check the temperature of your CPU to see how well your cooler is doing its job. If your CPU temperature goes up more than usual, it means that your water cooler is broken. So, it can’t get rid of the heat from the processor.

For our tests, we will use Core Temp software, which shows both the single-core and multicore temperatures of the processor in one place.

Here’s how to find out how hot or cold it is:

• Get Core Temp from the Internet and put it on your computer.
• Open Core Temp.
• Check the section on the processor.

The temperature of your processor’s cores is shown in the Processor section. Your water cooler is working right if the temperature is normal and there are no signs that it is getting too hot.

Verify the Coolant Level

In a liquid cooler, the coolant level is very important because the coolant absorbs heat from the processor and sends it away through the radiator fans. So, if the coolant level in your cooler is lower than usual, it means it can only hold a small amount of heat.

So, checking the level of coolant in your liquid cooler will tell you how well your CPU is being cooled. Just follow the steps below to find out how much coolant you have.

Here’s what you need to do to check the coolant level:

• Turn off your computer and take it away from where it gets power.
• Take off the side panel of your case.
• Be careful as you open the radiator.
• Check how much coolant is in the reservoir of your cooler.

If the level of coolant in the reservoir is lower than usual, you need to fill it up. If you don’t, your CPU cooler might not work right.

Inspect for Leaks

Most open-loop liquid CPU coolers have a number of different pipes. If one of the pipes leaks, the CPU cooler might stop working, which could hurt the other parts of the computer.

So, if you look for leaks in the pipes, you can tell what’s wrong with your CPU cooler. Just do what’s written down below.

Follow the steps below to check for leaks in an AIO cooler:

• Take off the panel on the side of your case.
• Keep a tissue or paper towel in your hand.
• Look for a mark on the pipe where water has dripped.

If you find any leaks in the pipe, you must fix them right away. If you don’t, your CPU cooler could fail and hurt the other parts around it.

How to Fix the CPU Cooler if it is Not Working

If the CPU cooler isn’t working right, the power cord that goes from the fan to the motherboard should be checked. Users can also try reconnecting the fan heatsink cable and brushing off any dust that has gathered on all the parts.

Before you can fix the CPU cooler, you will need a few tools. These tools are a screwdriver, an empty tray, a 12-volt battery, and a cleaning brush. To start fixing something, just follow the steps below.

If the CPU cooler isn’t working, here’s how to fix it:

• Put your computer to sleep.
• Remove it from all sources of power.
• Pull the pump out of the radiator and take apart the cooler.
• Pump the coolant out of it and clean it.
• Use a screwdriver to open the backplate of the pump.

• Clean the parts inside the pump and put them back together.

• Check the pipes to see if they are leaking.

• Replace the pipe that is leaking.
• Put the cooler back together.
• Put the pump back into your computer.
• Start up your machine.

Now that your computer is on, check how hot the CPU is. If your CPU’s temperature is the same as what the manufacturer said it would be, the CPU cooler is working as it should.

On the other hand, if your CPU temperature is higher than usual, it means that your cooler is broken and you need to get a new one.

How to Reset My CPU Cooler

To reset your air cooler, take the fan connector off the fan header, pull up the push pins, and turn the push pins 90 degrees in the clockwise direction. All of the parts of a liquid cooler must be taken apart and cleaned. After that, they have to put their cooler back together.

Putting in a CPU cooler is easy; just read the instructions below to find out how.

This section explains how to reset the CPU cooler:

• Take the fan connector off of the fan header on the CPU cooler.
• Turn the push pins 90 degrees counterclockwise to get rid of them.
• Using rubbing alcohol and a brush, clean all of the parts.
• Turn the push pins 90 degrees clockwise to put them back in place.

Note: If you have an air CPU cooler, do these things.

• Remove the pump from the radiator and take apart your liquid cooler.
• Use a cleaning brush and a cloth to clean all the inside parts.
• Check the pipes for leaks and replace the ones that do.
• Put the cooler back together.
• Fill the pump with coolant and carefully put it on the motherboard.

Note: These instructions are for the liquid cooler.

Check to see if the CPU cooler is still working right after you’ve reset it. If it’s not working well enough, you can either repeat the steps above or buy a new CPU cooler.

How to increase the Lifespan of Your CPU Cooler

To make a CPU cooler last longer, use crystal pipes instead of regular pipes, dye-colored liquid as the coolant, and a filter to keep dust and dirt out. Users can also keep a regular cleaning schedule for their CPU cooler to make it last longer.

A user can do certain things to make a CPU cooler last longer. These steps are easy to do; just follow the steps in the next section.

Here’s how to make your CPU cooler last longer:

Use Filter

Users can put filters in CPU coolers to keep dust and dirt from getting into the cooler. The main problem is dust and dirt, which can get into the fan and other parts that keep the computer cool.

So, CPU coolers have to work harder to get rid of the heat from the CPU. Because they have to do more, they might not live as long. Users should use a filter on the CPU cooler to make it last longer.

Utilize Crystal Pipes

Users can also use crystal pipes instead of regular tubes because crystal pipes let the user see the level and condition of the coolant. The person using the system can easily see if any dirt or trash is going through the pipes.

Users can keep the quality of the coolant high from the start so that they can see clearly. This helps the cooler last longer.

Use Dye Instead of Food Color

Dye can be used by users to change the color of their coolant rather than food coloring, which is another option. Because food coloring is made from edible components that might grow bacteria and other creatures, there is a potential for contamination.

The cooling system may be harmed as a result of these bacteria’s destructive potential.

Why You Shouldn’t Water Cool Your PC

It’s not a good idea to cool your PC with water because leaks are always possible, especially if you’re using a custom loop.

A pump, radiator, pipes, and coolant are all parts of a custom loop. If the parts aren’t put together right, there is always a chance that a leak will happen.Energy use is another reason why you shouldn’t use a water cooler for your PC.

A liquid CPU cooler uses more power than a standard air CPU cooler.So, if the user uses a low-power supply, the liquid cooler might slow down the system because it doesn’t have enough power.

Also, because liquid coolers have a heavy radiator, a pump, and many fans, they make more noise than air coolers. These parts make a lot of noise, which can be annoying to people who use them.

How to Check Pump RPM PC

Go to the BIOS of your computer to check the pump RPM. Then, go to the monitor option in your BIOS and choose the Fan Info option.

This part tells you about the RPM of your pump (Round Per Minute). Now, check to see if they match up with what the company said.

Easy steps can be taken to check the pump’s RPM. Just do what’s written down below.

Here’s what you need to do to check pump RPM:

• To get into the BIOS, press F2 or DEL.
• Go to the option in your BIOS called “Monitor.”

Note: These options differ depending on the type of motherboard:

• Choose the option for “Fan Info.”

• Check the RPM of your pump using the Fan Info.

If your pump’s RPM is lower than usual, it means it isn’t working well enough and needs to be fixed.

Conclusion

It is essential for the effectiveness and longevity of the computer to have a CPU cooler that is operating correctly. This will also enable the user to extract the maximum amount of performance from the computer.

Thus, in this article, I will illustrate how to identify whether or not your CPU cooler is operational, as well as how to fix it if it isn’t working properly.

In the event that you have anything to say regarding this matter, please feel free to leave your comment in the space that can be found below.

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