Computer Case fans.

Computer Fans

Xigmatek 120mm XLF series fan.

The usual computer case end-users have under their table have a 120mm fan at the back, slots for a 80mm fan at the side and a funky plastic front cover. Thankfully most people have moved onto better cases with better fan compatibilities.

For people who hang around in computer forums notably Overclock.net, fans are a crucial part to a computer especially if it's running precious powerful hardware which need to be protected from overheating.

When I say 'fan' in a computer, people usually think about that thing on the 'motherboard chip'. That is the CPU heatsink and it's not entirely a fan. A case fan attaches onto the case with screws or other methods such as the special rubber isolation mounts which are popular nowadays with fan production companies.



Good things about a fan?

Fans are only there to provide airflow to the hardware inside the computer for the various heatsinks in the computer, such as the CPU heatsink, the usually passive heatsinks on the northbridge, southbridge and Mosfets (the black cube like components which usually are on the left side of the CPU socket and sometimes on the top),
The Heatsinks NEED air to move through the metal fins which dissipate heat through MOVING air.
The Fans displayed are Enermax Apollishes, some look for dazzling looks on their fans.

Is it worthit?

Unlike junk-food, too much of it is NEVER bad; that's if you're an overclocker trying to reach a record-breaker on an i7 980x CPU.

Fans are not always a MUST for a computer, but it is recommended to have atleast ONE fan at the back of your case to extract hot air which may mingle inside your computer case.The guy who built the computer shown on the right truly is crazy, no computer doesn't need that many fans. The average computer case fan costs $12, it can get as low as $3 and can reach $50 if you wish to have all the features a fan can haven such as LED lighting, silence, looks and amount of air the fan pushes.



What to look for when you buy one?

Computer case fans can be bought in most computer stores and vary in price. Most consumers should look for mainly 2 things, NOISE and PRICE. Most people just want a working computer which doesn't make too much noise and  doesn't empty a wallet.

The specifications of a fan can be seen on the company's website or on the packaging of the fan, but these are not always reliable, many statements have been proven wrong such as Coolermaster's claims of 'silence' in some of their fans.

You should also look at compatibility, the common case fan is a 120mm fan, others can be 140mm, 80mm and can get as big as 400mm. You should measure the 'fan holes' in your case which can be distinguished by a circular or square like grille with 4 circular holes on each corner. Use a ruler and measure the distance between 2 holes (not diagonally) and you should round that number off to 40mm, 60mm, 80mm, 92mm, 120mm, 140mm or higher fans which aren't in most computer cases.

If you still are not sure about noise and compatibility and miscellaneous points about case fans you should check out forums such as Overclock.net, the link to it is on the left. They should guide you to which fans are best to buy.