Cooling System

Correct Answer: Replace the faulty fan

The best course of action is to replace the faulty fan. A loud noise coming from a fan indicates that it is likely failing or has become damaged. Cleaning the power supply, checking RAM compatibility, or updating the BIOS will not address the issue with the noisy fan. To resolve the problem and prevent potential overheating or further damage to the system, the technician should replace the malfunctioning fan with a compatible replacement.

Correct Answer: Upgrade to a more efficient aftermarket CPU cooler.

Upgrading to a more efficient aftermarket CPU cooler is the best solution to prevent thermal throttling during heavy CPU usage. A better cooler will more effectively dissipate the heat generated by the CPU, keeping temperatures lower and preventing performance throttling. Installing an extra hard drive or adding more RAM will not address the core issue of CPU cooling. Decreasing the fan speed in BIOS would likely exacerbate overheating issues by reducing cooling capacity.

Correct Answer: To absorb and dissipate heat from components

The primary purpose of a heat sink in a computer cooling system is to absorb and dissipate heat from components. This is the correct answer because:

1. Heat sinks are designed to increase the surface area for heat dissipation.
2. They are typically made of materials with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or copper.
3. Heat sinks are attached directly to heat-generating components like CPUs and GPUs.
4. They work passively by conducting heat away from the component and into the surrounding air.

The other answers are incorrect:

Generating cool air for the CPU is not the function of a heat sink. This is typically done by fans or other active cooling methods.

Regulating voltage supplied to the motherboard is the job of the power supply unit (PSU) and voltage regulators, not a heat sink.

Filtering dust particles from the air inside the case is accomplished by dust filters or screens, not by heat sinks. Heat sinks have no air filtration capabilities.

In summary, the heat sink's sole purpose is to efficiently transfer heat away from critical components to maintain safe operating temperatures within the computer system.