Since we started to venture into building our own computers, an awful lot of things have come to light. Particularly when it concerns the problems of cooling an overclocked P.C. belonging to a not - too - careful younger member of the family.

This immediately rules out the possibility of water-cooling; the consequences could be disasterous! So, we're left with the case full of fans option. What a din! Does this work, you may well ask? In short, partially! But the CPU needs a major heat sink to avoid an overheat shut-down.

This is where I start thinking! As hot air rises, the top of the case requires expulsion fans to keep the case cooler by sucking cool air upwards. Then I realise that cases have been designed the wrong way up! Not only that, but power supplies are also venting the wrong way. They suck in cold air, which is then pre-heated before entering the top of the case.

Which would surely defeat the primary objective - to cool the case internals, hence assisting to cool the CPU! Though we haven't put this theory to the test yet, I feel it could produce noticeable benefits, particularly when used in conjunction with a neat gadget like the 5.25 bay cooler fan that I discovered recently. Available from Qtec retailers or the Qtec site, this handy gizmo might be the answer to our lad's overheating problems in part. Or standing the caes on it's head!