Reducing Server Crashes by Monitoring TemperatureThe primary sources of heat within a computer are the CPU, the GPU, and the hard drive. Systems are designed with heat sinks and internal fans that are usually enough to dissipate the heat from a single computer. In a server room, where multiple computers are operating in a closed environment, the cooling requirements are often too much for the building’s environmental systems to deal with. You will then need a separate server room air conditioner. Computers are designed to transfer the heat they generate into the external environment. When that environment is a room full of computers that are all doing the same thing, normal air conditioning systems may not be able to keep up with the demand for cooling. Keeping the room’s temperature around 72 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal. Monitoring the ambient temperature will help you decide if you need a specialized computer room air conditioner. As a PC reaches its upper temperature limit, the system will force processor intensive applications to slow down, and may even begin shutting down components. As a last resort, the PC will shut off entirely. Such a crash could result in the loss of data, or damage to components. Hard drives are especially sensitive to the effects of heat exposure, says MovinCool. Even small increases in the ambient temperature may shorten a hard drive’s life span, ultimately leading to a crash. Monitoring the system’s internal temperatures will let you know if you need a spot cooler for one particular component.