How far away from any walls should the vents and fan be?

My computer has one fan and two vents on it (left side and front side). There is a wall behind it and on the left of it. How far away from the walls should it be? I've been reading online and now that I think about it, my computer might be too close to the walls. I'm not getting any overheating problems but I still kind of worry about it. The answers I have found seem to be mixed, so what do you guys think?

If you're not getting any overheating problems, then you don't need to worry about it. There's no set rule about how much space you need for air to flow since each situation will be different from the others.

I like to maintain 4" to 6" from walls but that isn't always possible. My printer is supposed to be 6" from any walls on all sides but my back is only 4" from the curtains and the left side is only an inch from a wall but it has never shown any signs of overheating. For most computers, just a couple of inches would be enough unless the computer tended to run hot anyway.

If you are still concerned (you do tend to be a bit of a worry wart), install a CPU temperature monitor, such as Core Temp, so you can watch your core temperatures.

Ok, thanks for the answers. So, unless I notice the fan spinning hard, I shouldn't worry? And yes, I am a worry wart. (Maybe I should make my title that?) Thanks for answering anyway.

I would use a CPU monitor rather than just watching the fan. Your computer could be doing just fine while the fan is spinning hard.

Ok, thanks. :)

Computer0304 said:

Ok, thanks for the answers. So, unless I notice the fan spinning hard, I shouldn't worry? And yes, I am a worry wart. (Maybe I should make my title that?) Thanks for answering anyway.

Mine is at 5 inches 1/2 from the wall ont the right sided panel. One thing is that i have placed my PC Case in a manner that it receives the room airflow, so Left Panel which have a 200mm Fan is constantly exposed to airflow. I do not put my computer in an angle of the room.

NoN said:

Computer0304 said:

Ok, thanks for the answers. So, unless I notice the fan spinning hard, I shouldn't worry? And yes, I am a worry wart. (Maybe I should make my title that?) Thanks for answering anyway.

Mine is at 5 inches 1/2 from the wall ont the right sided panel. One thing is that i have placed my PC Case in a manner that it receives the room airflow, so Left Panel which have a 200mm Fan is constantly exposed to airflow. I do not put my computer in an angle of the room.

It isn't an angle of the room, the desk next to the desk with the computer on it has a wooden panel coming up from the desk.

The people who run into trouble are those who have a desk with an enclosed hutch to hide the computer. Even with them, it's not the proximity to the side of the desk that causes trouble but the fact that the hot air has nowhere to go after leaving the case. (And maybe precious little cool air flowing in.)

Do what Lady Fitzgerald suggested and run a temperature monitor. Rather than measuring inches of clearance you'll be measuring the actual temperature of the CPU, which is what really matters. :)