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Opinions vary, because while negative pressure technically creates a cooler environment inside the case, it also leads to unfiltered air entering through nooks and crannies in the case. Even if you try to design a system with neutral pressure, you’ll very likely end up with a system that operates at slightly positive or slightly negative pressure. In theory, neutral PC case pressure is viewed to be optimal, but as stated, it’s very hard to achieve. If it’s negative, you have negative pressure.īut which is best? What should you aim for? If the value is positive, you have positive pressure. The value you calculated tells you about the kind of pressure you have. The air pressure in your case is calculated as CFM_in – CFM_out.Add all of the CFM specs of your exhaust fans.Add all of the CFM specs of your intake fans.Here’s an easy way to determine the pressure of your case: This happens when there is less air coming into the case than going out. Negative Pressure occurs when the air pressure inside the case is less than the air pressure outside the case. In practice, neutral pressure is difficult to achieve. Neutral Pressure occurs when the air pressure inside the case is equal to the air pressure outside the case, meaning that the airflow in equals the airflow out. This happens when there is more air coming into the case than going out. Positive Pressure occurs when the air pressure inside the case is greater than the air pressure outside the case. The pressure inside your case can be in one of three states: positive, neutral, or negative.
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If you’re confused about different fan types and their abilities, we also have a guide to the pros, cons, and differences of CPU fans versus chassis fans. Now that we know a bit more about fans, we can talk about how they are used to create air pressure in the case. If your system features water cooling, you may want to look into them though. One note about static pressure optimized fans is that their benefits are widely disputed for air-cooled systems. This is sometimes desirable for airflow-restricted areas such as large heat sinks with a lot of fins.
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Fins optimized for airflow are typically quieter, whereas fins optimized for static pressure provide more force to move air. So think about larger fans as being quieter fans.įin Type: Fins are generally optimized for one of two things: airflow or static pressure. The reason that this is desirable is that a fan operating at a lower RPM is generally quieter than a fan operating at a higher RPM. The important feature of larger fans is that they can move the same CFM of air as a smaller fan, but at less RPM than the smaller fan. The higher the CFM, the more cooling power a fan has.įan Size: you may think that a larger fan is a more powerful fan, but this is not necessarily true. Obviously, the higher the RPM spec a fan has, the faster it can spin.ĬFM: This stands for cubic feet per minute, and indicates the volume of air a fan can move each minute. RPM: This stands for revolutions per minute, and is a measure of how many times per minute the fan blade makes one complete rotation. If you’re interested in other cooling systems and wonder if they’re worth it, also check out this guide. Now that we have some guidelines for the placement and direction of fans, let’s talk about some of the key parameters that define fan performance. You can improve airflow by adding an intake fan to either this side vent or to the front of the case, provided there is a fan mount point there.įinally, if your case has a fan mount point on the top, this should be for exhaust, since warm air rises. Many computer cases contain only these two fans and rely on cool air naturally entering through a side vent as the intake. Take a look at this guide if you’re wondering how hot your CPU can safely run. Just about every computer case has a fan in the back panel this should be an exhaust fan.Īdditionally, the fan mounted to your CPU should be configured as an exhaust fan so that it directs the hot air generated by your CPU away from it. Next, we’ll talk about general recommendations for fan location and airflow direction. If the fan has a protective grill, it will be on the side of the fan where air exits.If present, this arrow indicates the direction of airflow through the fan. If you feel air blowing on your hand, the fan is an exhaust. There are a few ways you can determine the airflow direction of any fan:
Best pc case for airflow how to#
7 Final Recommendations How to Determine Fan Airflow DirectionĪ computer case fan can either be an intake, meaning it sucks air into the case, or an exhaust, meaning it blows air out of the case.