It seems something simple and sometimes we don't even realize it, but the fans are one of the key pieces when it comes to building a PC. They are the biggest ones in charge of catching the hot air that give off the heatsinks and radiators of the CPUs, the RAM memory, the graphics card and the SSDs; and move it out. In this way, a correct cooling factor is achieved, and we prevent components from being damaged by suffering heat that they are not designed to withstand.
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How do PC fans cool?
You have to understand the PC as a box whose components generate heat. For example, the power supply generates heat, somewhat minimal thanks to its Active PFC; as well as the RAM memory, the graphics card, the CPU and even the SSD if it is of the M.2 Pcie Gen 5 type, since if they are of the new generation and very intense, they will somehow generate heat.
As components are used, some heat is generated in the components which, if passively dissipated, will already cool the device itself. But they don't themselves cool the PC, since it is building up in the PC tower. That's why manufacturers promote a lot
How does a passive heatsink work?
A passive heatsink is a heatsink that, through contact with the running device, absorbs heat to prevent it from overheating. Then through an outside with a greater surface area in contact with the air by having grooves, allows heat to be expelled without the use of fans. This form of cooling is widely used in low consumption devices, as a way to maintain certain levels of heat.
It has been used a lot in the NVMe M.2 SSD, but with the Gen 5, it has been seen that they have a higher consumption and generate much more heat, so the passive heatsinks either have to be larger and no longer fit into the smallest form factors, and even have to use active cooling with a fan.
Is it necessary to install fans with a passive CPU cooler?
It is always advisable to install fans, so that the heatsink does not end up accumulating hot air inside the PC. A passive heatsink is an adapter radiator to the size of the PC, which has no
Do you have to clean the dust from the computer fans?
Whenever possible, you have to try to clean the fans of the dust that can accumulate in them. This is whether the tower has a dust filter or not. Especially if you live on the lower floors of urban cities, as these are areas where more dust accumulates. To clean the dust from the fans, we recommend turning off the PC and disconnecting it from the power to avoid electrical problems.
To clean dust from the fans, we recommend using a dry microfiber cloth, which collects dust efficiently, and gently wiping with kitchen paper with isopropyl alcohol. At no time do you use anything that carries water, since any residual water that is not dried efficiently can ooze or evaporate and damage the internal components of the PC. The use of isopropyl alcohol is because by evaporating on its own at room temperature outside of its container, it does not leave a dry residue such as minerals or dust that can trap water. In addition, since it evaporates quickly and at any temperature, when it is assembled there will be no liquid that can fall on the components and damage them.
Do computer fans suffer more in summer?
It is not that they suffer more, since PC fans are designed to withstand high temperatures. However, it will be notable that in heat waves, which are increasingly going to be more common, long and intense; the fans will make more noise because they have to move more air to cool the components.
Keep in mind that the air used by fans to move air and cool is ambient air. This is why, in the heyday of cryptocurrency mining operations, Siberia was a popular location because the natural cold allows it to help better cool large equipment full of mining racks and rigs with motherboards and graphics cards running constantly.
How to remove a computer fan?
Removing a PC fan is very simple. First of all, after disconnecting the PC from the electrical current, you have to open the two side panels of the tower, or open the box to be able to disconnect easily and without pulling, the power cables from the motherboard. Depends on the fan you have, it may have one or two connection cables, one for normal motherboard power, and another to connect to the RGB controllers, which can either be part of the motherboard or using an external controller. if the equipment is several years old.
Once we disconnected the two power cables from the fan, we unscrew the four screws that the fans usually have, from the outside of the tower. Once unscrewed, we can remove the fan that we are going to replace. We will do the same if we want to clean it.
How to mount a new fan on a PC?
First of all, you must make sure that the fans you want to install, either adding or replacing an existing fan, have to fit into the PC, either with space or with power connectors. If your motherboard or power supply isn't powerful enough, or the tower you're using isn't big enough, you may not be able to install certain fan models correctly.
To install it, First we must have a space in which to install a fan, either because our tower is large and we can install more or because we have removed a fan. First, we check in which direction the moving blades are going to rotate to move the air, and if we are going to place the fan in the front or in the rear or upper part.
Before modifying any part of the PC, we must disconnect it from the electrical current. Once done, we place the fan with the four screws in the space we want. Once the screws are in place so that the fan is securely attached, we connect the fans to the corresponding power and RGB connectors.
Which way do PC fans have to go?
It is recommended, above all, that the front of the PC has the fans that suck air from the outside to the inside of the tower. Then, rear and top fans should blow hot air out. This is because, by mixing them, an air eddy can be created that does not cool properly. In addition, it follows the basic physics concept that hot air tends to rise, so cold air is collected from the front, and hot air exits through the upper cavities of the PC tower.
How to know in which direction a PC fan moves?
The fans, if connected correctly, will move just like a fan, like the ones you take out in the summer when it's hot. If they rotate correctly, you will see the slit side rotate causing air to move in or out, and moving air to one side moves air in to the other.
If it is a fan from the front, the fan must collect air from outside and introduce it inside. If it is a rear or top side fan, the fan should draw in air from the inside and blow it out of the chassis.
Why do some PC fans have connectors with three pins and others with four?
The fans that have four pins have three connectors for their normal operation and that transmit power, while the fourth pin is the one that collects signals from the motherboard to regulate the speed and adjust according to the cooling that the system is receiving. If a fan does not have four pins but three, it will not be speed regulated.
Why do some PC fans have two connectors and others one?
All PC fans have at least one connector, the power connector. If you have two, one of them is the RGB connector. That connector makes one pin receive power, and the other three receive electricity signals to make the desired color on the fans using red light, green light, and blue light.
Do we have to connect the fans of a liquid cooling?
Yes, you always have to connect the radiators of the liquid cooling, because otherwise, the heat will simply be accumulating in the radiator and could be a problem. The fans are always installed on the inside side, oriented to expel the air from the radiator outside the case. They do not suck in the hot air, but rather push it, taking in the cold air that enters through the front, and expelling it so that the CPU can be cooled correctly.
