1.5 HEAT SINK & FAN (HSF)

A heat sink is used to keep the CPU cool and prevent it from overheating. The fan is used to keep the heat sink itself cool because if it overheats then it won’t be able to do it’s job. This usually occurs when the CPU is running on high-capacity for a long amount of time or if the air surrounding the CPU is generally hot. The fan pushes cold air onto the heat sink which in turn pushes away hot air from the heat sink and CPU. The CPU has an inbuilt thermometer to keep track of how hot the CPU is. If the CPU gets too hot, the fan will speed up to help keep it cool.