Hey everyone, I'm new to building PCs and I've noticed that a lot of cases come with built-in fans. Are these stock fans generally worse than the ones I could buy separately? Should I consider investing in aftermarket fans? Also, what's the optimal number of fans I should have for a mid-tower versus a full tower PC?
2 Answers
Most stock fans you find in cases are just regular fans, similar to what you can purchase on their own. A common setup is to have around four fans total—two for intake and two for exhaust. This variation can work well depending on your specific hardware and ambient temperature, so there's no one-size-fits-all answer for everyone.
Typically, stock fans from a reputable brand are decent. You really only need about 3-4 fans—like 2-3 for intake and at least 1 for exhaust. Going with 6-12 fans is just overkill and mainly for looks. For most builds, a balanced setup is what you want for optimal airflow.
Exactly! Most setups will do just fine with two intake and one exhaust. Anything more just becomes unnecessary noise and doesn’t really improve cooling much.
Totally agree! Anything beyond 3 can be seen as excessive for most average users.