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Gaming fans in a PC aren’t just for gamers anymore. These are a worthy investment for anyone putting strain on their PC, including filmmakers, photographers, editors, or casual users looking to make sure their machine is ready to handle anything.
Even just a few years ago, there weren’t that many fan brands and types to choose from. But now it’s a whole different game. A number of new companies have sprung up, offering various types and specialties, and the original manufacturers have stepped it up too.
What Are the Best Gaming Fans?
Here’s a few basic things to consider when shopping for the best gaming fan online, whether you’re building a PC from scratch or want to optimize an existing one for best performance:
Speed: This can really vary across the board, depending on what you’re doing with your PC and how hard you generally push it: 1000-3000rpm is a safe range, or if you’re looking for something quieter, under 1000. Fans don’t run at 100% all the time either. On average, they’ll be spinning steadily at about 70%, and only kicking into high gear at 90-100% when things really heat up, up over 2000rpm, even up to 5000rpm for extreme builds. Also, the bigger the fan, the slower the RPM, since it’ll require more power to give it the torque necessary to spin at the speeds you want.
Blades: Static pressure and air flow, for example, require different blade designs to do their jobs. A static pressure fan has wider, thicker, flatter blades and is better at overcoming anything that might block airflow like a large filter. These help pull their air in, and the thicker blades give it less chance to escape backwards the way it came in, while reducing static pressure too. Air flow fans have thinner, curvier blades and bigger spaces in between them, moving a larger volume of air through once it’s inside. Generally, the smaller the fan, the higher the static pressure it’s going to be, because it’s a smaller, more focused area of airflow.
Extras: While RGB lighting isn’t necessary for function, it’s still a major part of most fans, and something companies have learned that users want. Linking cables together is easier than ever now too, with most including clips to connect them up to each other, or even pins built onto the frame to snap them together. A better, tougher material can help cut down on noise too. A sealed and secured core around the center will also prevent dust and debris from getting inside, or any lubricant to leak out.
