{
  "id": 51231,
  "title": "der8auer tests PC chimney effect, dropping CPU temps by 19°C with a 110cm 3D-printed tower",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/der8auer-tests-pc-chimney-effect-dropping-cpu-temps-by-19-c-with-a",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-02T16:08:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechSpot",
    "slug": "techspot",
    "url": "https://www.techspot.com/news/113323-der8auer-tests-pc-chimney-effect-dropping-cpu-temps.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "German overclocker der8auer tested the chimney effect, a theory that claims certain case designs provide cooling benefits similar to a chimney. The theory is based on the idea that hot air rises and a tall channel can drag in cool air, creating a cooling effect. However, der8auer discovered that the chimney effect isn't as simple as it seems. Hot air rises as a result of convection, which occurs around any warm object, not just in tall channels. A normal case doesn't have much height to work with, making the effect much weaker. To test the chimney effect, der8auer built a 110cm 3D-printed tower and placed a water loop inside it. The tower was designed to mimic the pressure difference created by a chimney, but the results showed that the water temperature dropped by nearly 19°C, from around 90°C to 71°C. While the chimney effect does provide some cooling benefits, fans are still the more practical option as they don't require a full meter of vertical clearance above the desk.",
  "summary": "Building one meant understanding what a chimney actually does, which isn't quite what the forum posts assume. Hot air rising is just convection, and it happens around anything warm. A chimney works because that rising air is trapped inside a tall channel, so as it climbs it drags cool air... Read Entire Article",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}