A computer fan is any fan inside, or attached to, a computer case used for active cooling. Fans are used to draw cooler air into the case from the outside, expel warm air from inside and move air across a heat sink to cool a particular component.
Is cooling fan necessary for PC?
Having airflow in your case is helpful to keep components a bit cooler. Having exhaust fans is important for keeping hot air out because heat only makes your PC hot, obviously, and it can cause components to downclock to stay within safe operating temperatures, and in extreme cases, it makes your components shut off.
Computers work in conditions of elevated temperatures very often. When you hear the PC noise growth this means in most cases an increase in the operating temperature. This phenomenon has a completely logical explanation – the temperature inside the computer case rises and to reduce it, the existing cooler fans in the case should work at higher a speed, which causes a rise in the noise background. This issue is especially acute in those PC owners who only have “regular” coolers. Let’s consider the possibilities and features of choosing a computer case cooling fan, which will help to improve all cooling system of PC.
Contents:
Before proceeding to the review of the parameters of internal case coolers, we must take into account the fact that in the PC there are already such coolers: a CPU fan and a Power supply cooler. If you have a new and powerful discrete graphics card, then it also has a separate fan.
Why do you need a separate case fan?
First of all, it helps to organize the correct cooling of entire computer.
Fans on each separate device correspond only to the cooling of this device and hot air is diverted only from a separate element, but at the same time it nevertheless accumulates within the PC case.
The main task of a case fan is to remove such a hot air outside the PC (in this case, we are talking about coolers working on the hood).
By the way, a similar function for laptops can be performed with a special cooling pad.
When you need to buy an airflow cooling fan for the system case, look at the following specifications:
1. Diameter of the case fan (sizes).
The most popular models of case fans have 80 (8cm), 90-92 (9-9.2cm), 120 mm (12cm) or 140 mm (14 cm) diameter.
We will immediately say that a larger system fan for the computer (120 mm) will be more efficient and quieter than smaller.
A 140mm, 120 mm or 92mm case cooling fan can be the best variant to buy.
However, when choosing such a fan it is necessary to consider the possibility of its installation in the case. That is, you need to look at the case of your PC, find in it a place to install the fans (it’s mostly on the back and side panels) and just measure what the cooler will fit there.
Well, and if you do not want to mess with the ruler – just read the manual to your case, there should be indicated – what cooler fans can be installed on it.
2. Type of connection.
Most computer case fans are connected through the following types of connectors:
- 4 pin. This is the most “cool” type of connection. A cooling fan connects to the 4 pin motherboard connector. A fan speed control can be provided depending on the temperature with this connection.
- 3 pin. This type also connects to the 4 pin motherboard connector (though only 3 pin will be used). In this case, the connection can also be made by adjusting the rotational speed by changing the voltage at the outlet of the connection, but such regulation is in most cases purely symbolic.
- Molex. Molex fans do not connect to the motherboard, but directly to the power supply and work without adjusting the rotational speed.
There are also models of case fans with a combined connection method, such as molex + 3 pin.
For a purchase, of course, it’s better to have a 4 pin fan, but if it’s so bad for money, then you can take propellers with other types of connectivity.
3. Fan frequency of rotation and noise.
A fan speed depends on the airflow strength that it can create and, accordingly, the cooling efficiency of the computer.
However, large indicators of the rotation speed lead to the fact that the cooler starts to make a lot of noise. Here you need to look for a reasonable ratio of the speed of rotation/noisiness to choose a silent fan, but with a high productivity.
Average speed indicator for fans with a diameter of 80 mm is 2000 – 2700 rpm, 90-92 mm – 1300-2500 rpm, 120 mm – 800 – 1600 rpm.
If the PC fan has higher rotation speeds than those written above, its noise will most likely not be comfortable.
A fan noise is measured in Decibels and its value for a really quiet fan should not exceed 30-35 dB for “small” fans and 20-25 dB for “large” pc fans.
4. Bearing type.
The type of a fan bearing depends on the lifetime of a device, as well as its noise level.
There are the following basic types of a cooler fan bearing for a computer case:
- Sliding bearing. Cheapest type of bearings, characterized by relatively short work life and average volume.
- Ball bearing. Such a fan has a considerably higher lifetime compared to sliding bearings, but also slightly higher noise characteristics.
- Hydrodynamic (liquid) bearing. A liquid cooling fan bearing is the most durable, since their construction involves self-lubrication.
If we talk about how much a case cooler for a computer is, then you we need to focus on the price from $3 for the cheapest models and up to $25-30 for flagship propellers.
When choosing a computer case cooling fan you can pay attention to such manufacturers of fans as Cooler Master, Zalman, Xilence, from the more expensive – Noctua fans.
Does cooling fan improve performance?
Internal laptop fans support faster speeds; however, the fans themselves don’t make the computer faster. … The CPU and GPU are the two biggest heat producing components inside the laptop: they can produce enough heat without cooling to break themselves.
In a situation whereby,the cooling fan is having problem,when starting the computer, the following error appears on the screen:”The system has detected that a cooling fan is not operating correctly.Continued operation is not recommended and may cause unpredictable behavior that could result in random shutdown, data loss or possible system damage”. The system will shut down in 15 seconds. To prevent shutdown and continue operation, press the Enter key now.System Fan (90b)In addition to this error, the system fan may spin faster and become louder.This error indicates that a problem exists related to the heat removal system. One of two possible events is occurring:
- The system fan is not spinning or not spinning properly.
- The temperature inside the case is too high and the fan cannot spin fast enough to remove the heat.
This error message occurs to help prevent costly damage to the computer.To fix this error, use the following steps:
- If you notice that the system fan spins and is blowing warm air from the computer, clean the exterior vents to remove dust buildup by blowing air through the vent openings. Do this while the computer is off. Dust can accumulate inside the vent opening and around internal cooling components, preventing the removal of heat. After dust has been removed, try turning on the computer to see if the error goes away. if not, continue to the next step.For more information on reducing heat inside your computer, see Reducing Heat Inside the PC.
- Perform a hard reset. Performing a hard reset can reset recorded thermal values in memory and enable you to use the computer again — even if only for a short time to access and save any important files before service. For information on performing a hard reset, see Use Hard Reset to Resolve Hardware and Software Issues.
- In some cases, updating the BIOS may help prevent this error from occurring. For information on how to update your BIOS, see Updating the BIOS.
- Have the computer serviced to clean internal components and replace the system fan if necessary. Ensure that the following items are addressed during servicing:
- Thoroughly remove dust from all internal cooling components.
- Ensure that wires from the system and CPU fans are connected to the motherboard securely.
- Ensure that the system fan blades spin correctly, and that the fan is not producing loud noises. If not working correctly, replace the system fan.
- Remove old thermal compound from integrated circuits and heat sinks, and replace with new thermal compound.
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