Air Cooling FAQ

What is the purpose of a case fan? To supply a flow of air through the cabinet - usually from front to back. Common recommendations would be front/low intake, rear/high exhaust. The fresh air flowing through the case cools many components that may overheat in an enclosed area.

What is a noisy case fan? A fan noise of around 30db is considered to be bearable. Louder is usually annoying. Smaller fans need to spin faster to generate the same airflow as larger fans , and are therefore usually louder. Delta Extreme TFB1212GHE are generally considered to be the noisiest. They can be upto 65db depending on fan grills etc.

What is an HSF? A HSF is a Heatsink and Fan combination. They are generally found on CPU's and sometimes on chipsets. The heatsink is a metal block which makes contact with a heat-generating processor. This block usually has radiating fins, enabling air to cool it and in turn the chip it is resting on.

What's an average temperature range? That all depends on what's inside your computer. It varies, although the safe range is considered to be below 65 degrees. Once it passes 65 degrees, you know your air cooling isn't working properly. Some beasty systems can function with air cooling and stay at ~40-45 degrees, depending on fan placement.

More information can be found in the general Air-Cooling section.