How many fans?

[Shrek]

My last PC had just two fans

• 1 for the CPU
• 1 for the power supply

while the GPU was passive.


My new PC now has 10 fans,

• 3 for intake
• 3 for exhaust (up from 1)
• 1 for the CPU
• 2 for the video card
• 1 for the power supply

Seems a bit excessive to me, although I am happy with how silent it is.

How many is typical?

 

[freeagent]

My case has 3, my AIO has 3, my GPU has 3, my PSU 1 fan, not 3.

Edit:

2x 200x38 intake
1x 140x38 exhaust
AIO is exhaust

 

[oxrufiioxo]

10 here 7 T30-120 and 3 ML 120 Pro... 6 intake and 4 exhaust because I prefer positive pressure setups. The whole point is I can run them much lower RPM which equals less noise vs running 3 intake 3 exhaust for the same temps.

 

[InVasMani]

Just a meager 16 fans...if you include CPU/GPU/PSU. If I wanted to get a bit clever I could put another 3 on top with fan adapter on the inside of the case since I got 3 on the top outside. It's pretty unneeded, but it would circulate air thru the case that much more quickly and get some of the heat away from the memory dimm's faster with more spin to win performance.

 

[de.das.dude]

My case = 4
AIO = 4
GPU = 2
PSU = 1

More fans usually means less noise as they can run slower and quieter.

 

[Frick]

Uhhh 8 I think
Intake - 2
Exhaust - 1 (maybe 2 I have genuinely forgotten)
CPU - 1
GPU - 3
PSU - 1

 

[Bobaganoosh]

I have 14 lol. Only 10 in the case though. They all move pretty slow, and the PSU one may never move at all, I'm really not sure. Actually, I think there's one in my motherboard's VRM as well, but I only hear it when I boot the system, so that's 11/15 total. The 4 outside the case are on the MO-RA3.

Basically, if you have space for it, more fans at lower speed means quieter cooling. Less fans can cool the same space if they're running faster, which means louder cooling. Oversimplification? Sure, but it's mostly true.

 

[Tomgang]

I´ll say it really depends on how big the pc is and how much cooling it needs depending on how much heat is being generated inside the case.

My pc or PC´s as i have two systems in the same case. So i have more fans than most systems have. I have in total 24 fans in my case if every single thing with a fan is calculated for.

CPU coolers: 3
VRM Cooler: 1
GPU´S: 6
NVMe SSD heatsink: 3
PSU: 1
Case: 10

 

[Sithaer]

Currently I have:
intake 3
exhaust 3
CPU 1
GPU 3
PSU 1
Kind of overkill for my system but I just don't like to leave fan mounts empty. 'my case came with 3 intake and 1 exhaust'
I run them at a relatively low RPM controlled via BIOS and the controller built in my case so my loudest part is pretty much my GPU when I play a taxing game or my single HDD when I'm doing light stuff like browsing or watching a movie,etc but in general its still a pretty silent system I would say.

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

How ever many places you have for fans is how many you need

 

[N/A]

6 intakes P14 double decker. 5V
4 CPU 5V P12
3 GP zerof
1 PSU zerof

 

[Veseleil]

All of them.

 

[rtwjunkie]

I don’t think there is a typical number. Each system’s needs are different. I have 3 140mm intake (2 front, 1 bottom), and 2 140mm exhaust (1 rear, one top). The CPU has a 120 mm, and the GPU has 2.

Technically 8 in total.

 

[Caring1]

One less than most, as I refuse to have an unnecessary rear mounted fan

 

[malons]

I have 10:
3 x 120mm radiator 1
3 x 120mm radiator 2
3 x 140mm front intake
1 x 140mm back exhaust

 

[Nathaaab]

Currently got 5:
3 for GPU,
1 for PSU,
and 2x140mm for CPU

 

[Arctucas]

I also believe there is no 'typical'.

Each chassis will allow a different number of fans to be installed, and then there are various radiator/air cooler options.

My old Thermaltake Xaser VI had provisions for five fans.

My current open frame chassis has no fans (except the PSU, which I would not count as a 'chassis fan'), while my exterior radiators have a total of twenty four 140mm fans.

 

[Ruru]

Main PC

3 in AIO (intake in front)
3 case fans (on top and rear)
3 in GPU cooler
1 in PSU

Media PC

2 in AIO (exhaust on top)
4 case fans (on front and rear)
2 in GPU cooler
1 in PSU

I also believe there is no 'typical'.

Each chassis will allow a different number of fans to be installed, and then there are various radiator/air cooler options.

My old Thermaltake Xaser VI had provisions for five fans.

My current open frame chassis has no fans (except the PSU, which I would not count as a 'chassis fan'), while my exterior radiators have a total of twenty four 140mm fans.

Yeah, and I'd use without a doubt less fans if I'd had a less power hungry system. I guess it's better to go overkill with the airflow for a power-hungry gaming PC.

 

[Crazybc]

4- 140 mm intakes and 1- 140mm exhaust along with the 3 exhaust on the AIO they are 120 mm . Keeps everything nice and cool

 

[theFOoL]

2 on cpu HSK
4 on case (1 rear 3 front "would have 3 top but you know ah ha)
1 in video card
1 psu rosewill 630w

 

[harm9963]

PSU 135 mm fan , GPU 3 fans - AIO VRM fan -RAM fan - 6 Noctua A14 3000 RPM -case 6 Noctua A14 3000 rpm , running custom fan curve ASUS app - MSI fan curve as well , 18 fans in all .
MB is fanless .

 

[Anth0789]

3 x 120MM In the front pushing air in
2 x 120MM on the bottom pushing air up
1 x 120MM rear pushing air out
2 x 120MM for the AIO pushing air out.

 

[ShrimpBrime]

Well, a few people like me maybe. Not sure if they are fans or not....

Open bench, counting the cpu cooler and psu would be 2 fans then add the gpu, could be 1 fan or 3 fans depending on what's installed...

If running the chilled water loop, just the psu and gpu have fans.

Case fans = None at all. (Assuming that's the focus here, case fans only??) Who knows. Got my submissions in, take it as you will.

 

[dirtyferret]

typically i uses two in front, one rear exhaust and one roof exhaust
I keep the front roof open so the air cooler can pull in cooler air from the top
the whole system runs silent with cool temps

 

[stahlhart]

13700K / RTX 4090 build: 3 120mm in and 3 120mm out (push-pull) on 360mm CPU radiator, 2 120mm on 240mm GPU radiator, 1 120mm out in back, 1 80mm standing on PSU shroud for m.2 SSDs.
12600K / RTX 3070Ti build: 3 120mm in, 3 120mm on CPU radiator, 1 120mm out in back, 1 80mm standing on PSU shroud for m.2 SSDs.

120mm fans are Arctic P12s, 80mm fans are BeQuiet Pure Wings.