Cooling fans are important for any computer. If you are assembling a PC system with all the modern components, at least one cooling fan is necessary. When you surf online you would find a number of varieties & brands in cooling fans such as Fanuc cooling fans and more.
But as a beginner, it is important to cut through the marketing jargon and select the right product for your computer. This guide would explain all such things in detail to help you choose the right cooling fans for your computer system.
Consider Size & Placement
One of the first concerns is their size. Because it depends on the overall system size. Most modern systems use 80, 120, Or 140 mm fans. In some exceptional cases, CPU coolers use from 40 to 200mm. So, to choose the right cooling fan, look at the system size in the manual, online or otherwise, you can measure it from hole to hole.
On the basis of that, you can consider the place where you would want to mount the fan. Vertically mounted fans are common for intake and exhaust. However, many modern cases also allow horizontal mounting as well. It causes a direct effect on the type of bearing you use.
Bearing Type
Coming to the bearing, it's a small piece(s) of metal that stays between the stationary frame of the fan and the spinning part. So, if you ever wondered why there was a rattling sound coming from the system, it was probably bearing pieces. These bearings are very important as it is the mechanism on which cooling fans spin on.
Types of Bearings:
Sleeve Bearings are affordable but they might cause noise. Possibly they can prematurely wear out if mounted horizontally.
Rifle bearings: They are probably the cheapest fluid dynamic bearings. Fit for most case fans. Also, they are the cheapest solution for long-term horizontal mounts.
Ball bearings: They are expensive, heavy-duty fan bearings suitable for tough environments.
Maglev bearings: These bearing provide a balance of power, security, and minimized noise. Best for high-performance environments.
The Application
Most of the computer cooling fans are designed for either of the two purposes: Airflow or static pressure. Air fans evacuate as much air as possible from one place to another place. They have a grille or light mesh which allows the air to move freely and easily. And on the other hand, you have static pressure cooling fans which are used to push the air out through obstacles such as CPU heatsink. For example, Fanuc cooling fans push the air through obstacles. Fanuc is among top brands for cooling fans and you can always search for Fanuc parts to get quality products.
In most of the PC builders, it is important to choose a fan with good quality focusing on long-term reliability.
Header Connection Types
Almost all the types of fans come in 3-pin or 4-pin varieties. That also means that the wire which connects the fan to the motherboard has either three prongs or four prongs as a connection point. The connectors on 3-pin models carry three types of signals: Power, ground, and a speed sensor. They speed up or slow down with the variation of DC current on the power pin. As a result of it, 3-pins fans often run at full speed or might be achieving low speeds because of undervolting. The fourth pin on 4-pin connectors allows Pulse Width Modulation(PWM). It adds another electronic signal that controls the fan speed. It is important to note that 3-pin fans would work in 4-pin motherland headers but it won't have a PWM feature.
Pro tip: Buy 12V fan for a desktop PC. Generally, 5V fans are for routers and other small computing devices.
RGB and Fan Controllers
RGB. They are a hot favorite of most people. Most of these RGB fans come with two plugs, one for power and another for RGB addressing. You can easily plug them both into relevant places on your motherboard. Controllers can simplify the process by the daisy chaining of multiple RGB fans. There are plenty of fans with non-controllable color lighting and PWM versions are easy to control by any of the basic internal fan controllers.
If all these details are overwhelming for you, or you just want to find an adequately cool PC with minimal hurdles it is important to focus on reputable brand names. Fanuc selling Fanuc parts and Fanuc cooling fans, Corsair, CryoRid, Fractal, etc. are among top brands. Also, don't forget to check the review score.
