When it comes to gaming PCs, most builders are more concerned about the hardware overheating and failing. To successfully keep your computer cool, you must let air enter and safely exit the casing. When constructing your first gaming PC, you may ask how many fans should be installed for optimal ventilation. As there are a variety of PC cases, there is no common answer to your question: how many fans do you need in a PC? However, we will do our best to supply you with adequate information to answer your question.
How Many Case Fans Should You Install In Your PC?
The “three fan rule” requires the usage of at least three distinct fans for the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and overall system cooling. This criterion is adhered to by the majority of popularly accepted PC designs. Your computer’s case needs a total of three fans. Two of these fans should be intake fans located at the front to bring in cool air. Whereas one of these fans should be located at the back to remove warm air. This design generates the ideal airflow to cool the components of your personal computer and disperse a significant amount of warm air.
The case you bought for your computer may not be compatible with this setup, however, because of the wide diversity of forms and sizes available for PC cases. For instance, perhaps it would be better to have one huge intake fan at the front of the case and two smaller exhaust fans at the back. This isn’t always the case, as certain PC cases have top-to-bottom fan configurations for GPU cooling.
The best airflow will combine equal parts of fresh air with exhausted air. Overusing the intake fans on a computer case prevents the exhaust fan from efficiently venting the system, leading to overheating. On the contrary, negative airflow occurs when more exhaust fans are present than intake fans, causing cold air to escape the PC case before it can be circulated internally. Thus, it is essential to strike a balance between positive and negative airflows in your PC case to achieve optimal airflow and keep your components cool.
Effect Of PC Fans On The Temperature Of The PC
If we play around with different fan settings, we can learn a lot about how many fans a computer case needs. We used the YT/Tech YES City standards for this purpose. The benchmark was carried out using an InWin 103 case, an Intel Core i9 9900KS processor, and an ASROCK RX 590 graphics processing unit. There are three bottom fans in total, one each on the sides and in the back of the case.
For CPU
According to the results of the benchmark, the Intel Core i9 9900KS reached an overheating temperature of 88 degrees Celsius despite the absence of any cooling fans. Even the installation of a single exhaust fan was enough to bring a 7 percent drop in temperature. It’s also possible that we’ll see that shutting off the three bottom fans that limit the flow of air to the CPU didn’t have any noticeable effect.
No matter whether of the previous three positions the side panel was in, the temperature reached a maximum of 83 degrees Celsius. This was the case regardless of whether it was open or closed.
If all of the case fans are disabled, the temperature can reach a maximum of 79 degrees Celsius. However, the configuration with 6 x 120mm fans produces the lowest average temperature of 72.3 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, not a lot of development was accomplished in comparison to the norm.
You are now free to proceed with the installation of all of the fans; however, it is important to keep in mind that the performance difference between a single fan and six fans is negligible.
For GPU
When we look at the temperature of the GPU, we can see that by adding even just one exhaust fan to the arrangement, we were able to bring it down from 84 degrees Celsius to 78 degrees Celsius, which is a significant drop. Following that, the temperature did not deviate from 78 degrees Celsius no matter how many times the 120mm test was carried out.
The temperature falls to 77 degrees Celsius with the installation of a second fan, and it falls to 76 degrees Celsius after the installation of a third fan. The removal of the tempered glass panel resulted in a temperature reduction from 76 degrees Celsius to 74 degrees Celsius.
This leads one to believe that there was not a discernible difference in temperature between the room with one fan and the room with six fans. When the tempered glass side panel is removed, however, there is a significant temperature gap is revealed. This is something that should be kept in mind.
This is a common indication that the case is not set up for optimal airflow; hence, it can be used as a proxy for the quality of the airflow in your computer system.
The most important thing to remember is that the temperatures within your computer are affected, if very little, by the fans. It is essential to keep in mind that the particulars of the circumstance will be the deciding factor in determining whether or not this disparity widens. Before making any purchases, you need to determine which fan configuration is the most effective at managing the heat produced by your computer by experimenting with several different options.
Things To Consider While Selecting The Best Fan For The PC
There is a broad variety of choices available to you when it comes to picking out cooling fans for the case of a personal computer. Even though you may be confused at the moment, there are a few things to keep in mind that will make it much simpler for you to make a choice. Because there is such a diverse selection of PC fans on the market, you should have no trouble locating one that not only meets your requirements but also complements your aesthetic sensibilities and financial situation. To a considerable part, it depends on personal taste.
Environment
First, if the environment in which you use your computer is humid, it could lead to excessive temperatures. To avoid this, you would require powerful fans and adequate ventilation. This has a direct impact on your decision when purchasing fans, as some may not perform effectively in extremely humid situations.
Fans also require clean, dust-free bearings to perform correctly, so if you’re in a dusty area where PC components could rust quickly, you may want to consider purchasing a dust-proof fan to keep your PC clean.
Budget
Like any other product, PC fans come at a variety of pricing points, with more expensive models offering more advanced functions.
The RPMs of low-end fans will be lower. Likewise, the noise they produce may also be higher, than those of their more expensive counterparts. Furthermore, if gaming noise is a key concern, this could have an immediate impact on your budget, as low-end fans often lack controlled RPMs, always running at full power and causing all that noise.
High-end fans, on the other hand, are often quieter and allow for stealth operation by automatically altering their RPM to run quietly and efficiently. Premium fans have better RPMs and noise levels, and their RGB illumination is a nice bonus.
Although there is not much of a difference in performance alone, features like variable RPM, silent operation, and anti-vibration pads can be very helpful.
Inexperienced builders frequently go overboard on fans, so it’s important to think carefully about whether you need them before shelling out the cash.
Aesthetics
Constructing a PC is heavily influenced by aesthetics and personalization. There’s no denying that adding RGB fans takes your PC’s aesthetic to a whole new level. On the other hand, there are drawbacks to buying RGB-lit fans, such as a higher price, extra cabling, and header compatibility worries.
Considering that companies like Corsair and 1st Player charge premium prices for such parts, the way your PC looks has the potential to greatly affect your overall spending. As a result, it is up to you to decide if the aesthetics are important enough to warrant a price increase.
Design And Type of Case
There could be anywhere from two to 10 fan mounts available, depending on the case you choose. There is at least two fan mounting holes in even the cheapest PC chassis.
You shouldn’t, however, rush to put fans in your case in every possible opening. Three fans may do the job of six in cooling your computer.
Depending on the sort of case you have, you may need to try out different fan configurations to find the optimal solution. If extra fans are not lowering the temperature, save money for other PC parts.
Diameter
The diameter of the fan is an important consideration when shopping for a case fan. The longer the fan’s blades rotate, the more air they will move. There are typically three sizes of case fans to choose from.
Cooling fans with a 120mm diameter are common. The reason is the high RPMs they can produce while having to spin smaller fins. Also, unless you want to spend a few extra bucks on quieter ones, this will make more noise. Whatever their purpose, they successfully achieve it by improving the quality of the airflow in both directions.
The 140mm fans are a good compromise. They’re louder than the 120mm fans. But, have a larger surface area and allow more air to enter or leave the system. Also, their rotational speeds (RPMs) are between those of 120mm fans and those of 200mm fans.
200 mm fans have the highest airflow and surface area, but they use the most power and operate slowly. They’re the priciest option, but they do a great job as intake fans. We recommend using two of these intake fans in conjunction with a 140mm exhaust fan.
RPM
In general, the majority of cooling fans have between 900 and 1000 RPM. It is ideal for maintaining a balance between noise and performance. However, controlled RPMs are preferable since they automatically decrease fan speed when components are not operating at high temperatures. This increases the price but lessens the noise levels.
Higher RPM increases airflow and performance, but it also increases energy consumption and reduces the fan’s lifespan. The greater the fan’s RPM, the more force it generates to rotate its fins, which strains the motor.
Ideally, you want a fan whose RPM may be adjusted according to the needs of the components. This is because continuous operation at high rates can reduce the fan’s lifespan. Adjustable RPM fans are more expensive, but they are a worthwhile investment because they last considerably longer.
Bearing
The final component that requires careful consideration is the bearing type. There are numerous types of bearings for PC fans made by various manufacturers. They must be considered because they can extend or shorten the lifespan of your fans. The three most prevalent types of fan bearings are the ball bearing, the fluid bearing, and the maglev bearing.
Ball bearings are pricey and the most popular form of bearing. The reason is that they are durable and last far longer than other varieties. They create more noise, but their performance and dependability are exceptional.
Case fans with fluid bearings are the least expensive alternative. But, they are also susceptible to dust buildup, reducing their lifespan. If they stopped working, a thorough cleaning would be required.
Maglev bearing is gaining in popularity as it is more recent than other bearing types. It is pricey, silent, and high-performing, but it will also last the longest.
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Conclusion
When it comes to building PCs, the number of required fans is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. However, they are still essential for delivering adequate ventilation in your system to extend the life of your PC components.
In this article, we addressed the subject of how many case fans a computer should have. Also, we have outlined the factors you should examine before making a purchase. In the majority of instances, the optimal fan arrangement consists of two intakes and one exhaust fan. After then, the temperature difference is typically no longer worth the additional expense.
