Computers Need Airflow???Computers generate heat when they run, requiring airflow. If you’ve ever played a visually-intensive game on your phone, or rendered a video on your laptop, you’ve noticed that the device gets warm to the touch, and possibly, noisier.Heat kills a computer over time, if not removed in a timely manner. Some devices use heatsinks to dissipate the heat into the environment (phone), others use active cooling via a heatsink and fan. Merely having fans doesn’t mean your computer will run cold however, you need the capacity to take in cool air and push out hot air. Simply put, you need holes in your device to create channels for air to move in and out.RGB InsanityThere are a LOT of computers available on the market with fans equipped with controllable lights. Oftentimes, the system builder puts less emphasis on case airflow than having lots of glass panels to see the fancy colored fans. Remember, fans mean very little if you don’t have sufficient Intake AND Exhaust in your case.If you have no holes, your computer will overheat at some point and eventually die. The minute cracks in your case don’t count.It’s also not enough to have fans and holes, if the capacity of the fans to move air is poor. Fans have ratings for Airflow (Cubic Feet/Minute) and Static Pressure. Airflow is how much air can the fan move in a time period, Static Pressure is how far can the fan push air. Airflow-optimized fans are good for low-resistance areas (exhaust), pressure-optimized fans are good for high-resistance areas (radiators, HDD cages).Pressure (Positive, Negative, and Balanced)Pressure has another meaning, as it relates to the pressure inside the case.Positive pressure comes from having more intake fans than exhaust, and has more air pushed through controlled/filtered areas. In short, positive pressure keeps dust out of your case.Negative pressure has more exhaust fans than intake fans, and any air being sucked into the case might use a non-controlled/filtered area. Negative pressure can make your case dustier.Balanced pressure is somewhere in the middle, and is where a lot of builds end up being.About Top Flight ComputersTop Flight Computers is based in North Carolina and designs custom built computers, focusing on bespoke desktop workstations, rack workstations, rack servers, and gaming PCs.We focus on the Raleigh/Cary/Apex/Durham area, offer free delivery within 20 miles of our shop in Cary NC, can deliver within 3 hours of our shop, and ship nationwide.We work with local NC partners for other tech services, such as computer repair and managed IT. Call us at 919-500-5002 or email us at sales@topflightpc.com to inquire about a build!Check out our past builds and live streams on our YouTube channel!
Airflow In Computers | Top Flight Computers
Computers Need Airflow???Computers generate heat when they run, requiring airflow. If you’ve ever played a visually-intensive game on your phone, or rendered a video on your laptop, you’ve noticed that the device gets warm to the touch, and possibly, noisier.Heat kills a computer over time, if not removed in a timely manner. Some devices use heatsinks to dissipate the heat into the environment (phone), others use active cooling via a heatsink and fan. Merely having fans doesn’t mean your computer will run cold however, you need the capacity to take in cool air and push out hot air. Simply put, you need holes in your device to create channels for air to move in and out.RGB InsanityThere are a LOT of computers available on the market with fans equipped with controllable lights. Oftentimes, the system builder puts less emphasis on case airflow than having lots of glass panels to see the fancy colored fans. Remember, fans mean very little if you don’t have sufficient Intake AND Exhaust in your case.If you have no holes, your computer will overheat at some point and eventually die. The minute cracks in your case don’t count.It’s also not enough to have fans and holes, if the capacity of the fans to move air is poor. Fans have ratings for Airflow (Cubic Feet/Minute) and Static Pressure. Airflow is how much air can the fan move in a time period, Static Pressure is how far can the fan push air. Airflow-optimized fans are good for low-resistance areas (exhaust), pressure-optimized fans are good for high-resistance areas (radiators, HDD cages).Pressure (Positive, Negative, and Balanced)Pressure has another meaning, as it relates to the pressure inside the case.Positive pressure comes from having more intake fans than exhaust, and has more air pushed through controlled/filtered areas. In short, positive pressure keeps dust out of your case.Negative pressure has more exhaust fans than intake fans, and any air being sucked into the case might use a non-controlled/filtered area. Negative pressure can make your case dustier.Balanced pressure is somewhere in the middle, and is where a lot of builds end up being.About Top Flight ComputersTop Flight Computers is based in North Carolina and designs custom built computers, focusing on bespoke desktop workstations, rack workstations, rack servers, and gaming PCs.We focus on the Raleigh/Cary/Apex/Durham area, offer free delivery within 20 miles of our shop in Cary NC, can deliver within 3 hours of our shop, and ship nationwide.We work with local NC partners for other tech services, such as computer repair and managed IT. Call us at 919-500-5002 or email us at sales@topflightpc.com to inquire about a build!Check out our past builds and live streams on our YouTube channel!
