How's your computer's environment?

Recently, I wrote about how to clean up your computer to keep it running smoothly. Something I didn't write about was that your computer's environment can also affect its performance. The goal is to keep the environment clean, cool, and at the proper height. Here are some of our tips for a better computing environment.

Tip One: Keeping the environment clean of dust and dirt will help keep the inside of the computer from getting coated in dirt. This will help the computer to run at an optimal temperature and preserve the life of the internal components.

Tip Two: Keeping the computer in a cool if not cold area can be helpful. Even when the room is clean, if the temperature is too hot, the computer could start to overheat.

Tip Three: The final tip is to keep the computer at the proper height. Since heat rises, having some "head room" above the computer will give the heat generated by the computer a place to go. However, this does not mean that the floor is the optimal location for the computer. The computer's optimal location would be on a shelf to avoid both heat build up and potential water or flooding issues. If possible, place an external fan near the computer to create even better circulation.

Obviously, the weather can not always be controlled and often the computer has to go in the hot warehouse because there is no other room. However, implementing some of these techniques can help to reduce the day to day wear and tear on your server, thus saving time and money!