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#21
It seems that there are as many cooling preferences as fan makes and models. I think the absolute minimum number of case fans should be two, one intake and one exhaust.
It seems that there are as many cooling preferences as fan makes and models. I think the absolute minimum number of case fans should be two, one intake and one exhaust.
^ 2 is certainly a good recommendation and like you said an intake and exhaust. This new box where I am going to only start with 1 fan, is a file server, with a low power Core i3-2100t, I will be using onboard video, no extra cards, 2 hard drives and a 430 watt corsair power supply. This thing won't be able to make much heat. If I do have an issue, I plan to add a single intake to the front.
pparks1, I can understand the use of just one fan to exhaust and just let the air flow in to fill the low pressure area. Like you mentioned a server wont have near the temps to contend with that most of our OC's enthusiast rigs will.
Zepher, Nice balance of air flow and quiet in your rig.
2 Noctua 120mm intake in the front. 1 Noctua 120mm exhaust in the back. 1 140mm Noctua on top. 1 120mm Noctua PWM on the CPU cooler. There's a fan in the PSU. I have a custom radiator on the GPU, so that one's gone. That's 6. Almost silent, and always good temps. A Guy
I have just the one ! apart from the inbuilt PSU, graphics and stock CPU coolers.
I had 2 but decided the case ventilation was sufficient to try and make things quieter, so took the front bottom in fan out of the case, not a single change in temps.
BTW I play a lot of very recent games too.
Thank goodness we're just discussing case fans and all this can be kept civil ! I have filled every available spot with a silent or speed controlled fan. But I do admire and really want to build and powerful minimalist rig off of a micro-atx platform but even when you begin going small, heat and air flow do become a concern....maybe more so.
One is sufficient. Just make it big enough.
The fan can be the side panel.
360mm Silent Case Fan - Blue LED at Xoxide!