Computers are intricate pieces of technology with many different components that must function correctly. Computer fans are an essential component of every computer because they keep cool air flowing over the elements.
You might have observed that your PC gets hot after a short time of use hence your desire to increase your PC’s ventilation as heat is as much of a natural enemy to your PC’s health as viruses and spilled liquids. Over time, you’ve probably found it difficult to install fans on your PC.
Reading this article will guide you in achieving this with ease without the help of a professional or service provider.
Why Installing Fans in Your PC Is Useful
Learning how to install a PC case fan is very simple and installing it rarely requires much work. Installing a new fan can decrease temperatures and even make your computer quieter. That’s not to claim that installing a fan would boost performance or that your PC will get burnt if you stick with the fan setup it came with.
However, thermal throttling may occur, which can be a genuine concern for CPUs and NVMe SSDs in particular. Hence, ventilation could assist with the long-term health of your components. You might get a quieter system because having more case fans means they don’t have to spin as rapidly to move a sufficient air volume.
Choosing the Right Fans
Every fan has a cubic foot per minute (CFM) rating that indicates how much air moves each minute. You’ll need enough case fans to push and draw air in and out of the case to adequately air cool your computer. More case fans equal greater overall CFM and more air circulated through your computer. You need to know a few standard things in choosing the right fan for your set-up.
Tip #1: Your Case Specifications
Computer fans are available in different sizes: 80 mm, 120 mm, 60 mm, or 140 mm. To know which size yours’ fall into, you could remove one of the existing installed fans and measure it or take it to your local computer store to inquire about its size.
Cooling fans intended to pull air across heat exchangers or heat sinks attached to individual devices are required for items like video cards and CPUs. Some older video cards have fans linked to the device board. If you’re replacing a burned-out fan with a new one, you’ll need to consider how the fans interact and if they’ll circulate air over the components they’re supposed to.
Tip #2: Understand Your PC
By simply looking, you can find unused spaces in your PC’s architecture where you can place a fan. There are usually fan spaces on the back, side, top, and front of the tower. Each case has its unique fan arrangement and a maximum fan count.
Tip #3: Use Bigger fans
Larger fans will often be preferable to smaller fans if your case allows different sizes of fans. 120 mm fans are much quieter and move considerably more air every spin, making them much more efficient.
Tip #4: Use Fans That Use the Same Connectors With the Rest of Your PC
If you want to connect the fan(s) to the power source, open the casing of your PC and look at the power cables to see what sort of power connection your fan(s) should have. Molex, 3-pin, and 4-pin connections are the most prevalent. Some power supplies will have numerous connections, allowing you to buy whichever fan you choose, but double-check. You should connect the fan to your motherboard if you wish to adjust the fan’s speed, and the majority of motherboards use three or four-pin fan connections.
Installing a Fan in Your PC
Installing a fan requires many safety precautions to reduce the risk of damage to your computer and can harm you. You need to follow these safety steps before actually installing the PC.
Phase #1: Opening the Case
Step #1: Unplug the Computer
This is simple enough. You need to cut the power to the PC to avoid short-circuiting.
Step #2: Hold the Power Button
Do this for at least ten seconds to discharge any remaining power from the computer.
Step #3: Open the Side Panel
To reach the inside of your computer, you’ll need to remove the side panel opposite the motherboard. Remove any screws that hold the side panel to the rest of your computer’s casing and pull it off. Some cases feature swinging side panels.
Phase #2: Setting up the Fans
Step #1: Locate a Spare Ventilation Slot on Your Computer
These are usually located at the front, top, and back of your case; some cases may also have one or two holes in the floor.
Step #2: Position the Fan
Do this with one hand so that the screw holes line up with the holes in the case and face the proper direction (whether it’s an intake or exhaust fan). Ensure the wire meets your motherboard or fan hub, preventing it from being stretched over the fan once it’s attached.
Step #3: Install the Fan
Pick your screwdriver with the other hand and use the provided screws to install the fan to the chassis. Once the first screw is in, the fan should be stable enough that you can let go of it and correct the screw hole alignment, tighten them more efficiently, and so on using both hands.
Step #4: Connect the Cord
Begin by threading it into the cable management space under the motherboard tray – or, at the absolute least, out of the way of any other components.
Step #5: Attach the Cable
Attach the cable to a four-pin connector on your fan hub or your motherboard’s system fan header.
Step #6: Double-check the Fan
After turning on your computer, double-check that the fan is pushing air in the correct direction with your hand. Before putting your fans to the test, make sure your case is closed. The cooling efficiency in an open issue is significantly lower than in a closed case.
Summary
In the above guide, we explained that fans are essential to a PC, and once a PC is adequately cooled, it can produce the maximum output. We also stated that installing fans on your PC is easy. Simply follow the procedure and safety precautions above.
With this guide, you can confidently install your fans in your PC and share this great skill with colleagues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Optimum temperatures allow your computer to deliver optimum performance. Adding an extra fan simply lets you reach the desired temperature. Good ventilation can help reduce thermal throttling, which is a safety measure to prevent your CPU/GPU chip from overheating.
No, RGB is an aesthetic choice. They don’t provide any functional advantages. They are popular now because they’re used in creative ways to produce cool-looking PCs.
