Cringe worthy questions

Noughtboy

Noughtboy

Noughtboy

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Joined
18 Apr 2006
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Essex
Hello all,

I am cringing as I type this but still need to ask.

I am looking at picking up some more case fans for my impending GPU purchase.

Question 1
How can I tell whether a fan sucks or blows? By this I mean, when I am installing it, two on the side of the case to suck air in and blow over the GPU and CPU, one on the front to suck it in and blow over HDD and one on the top to exhaust hot air in the case from CPU and GPU below (on the theory that hot air rises) and one on the back to suck it from the case and exhaust it from the back.

Question 2
The fans only seem to mount one way so if a sucker blows or a blower suck, I would assume I reverse polarity to change direction but how?

Question 3
Also, if I am looking to get a fan controller for the fans, should I be looking for 3 pin fans or 4 pin fans and the controller to match? What is the difference? Without opening up the case, not sure what I have now but am now looking to do it right so asking for your assistance.

Many thanks

NB
 
lol

A fan both sucks and blows!

you can mount them either way. Most fans also have an air flow arrow on them so you can tell. rule of thumb is the open side without the centre supports is the suck side.
 
Q1 - This is denoted by how you install it. The label on the front of the fan tells you it will draw air in from the front. As for how this behaves in a case, that's depending on how you install it.

The preferred method is:

Front = In
Bottom = In
Top = Out
Rear = Out

Q2 - See Q1, this depends on how you install it. There is no fan for one or the other.

q3 - 4 pin is PWM (Pulse Width Modulation), it allows you to control the speed (RPM) of the fan, thus controlling the noise. You can run 3pin on a 4pin but the control may be different, but you can get converters.
 
1. Fans will usually have an arrow somewhere on one of the sides pointing in the direction the air will flow.

2. You should be able to mount them either way round.

3. Don't know it's not something I've ever used.
 
1. In addition to the arrow mentioned, the sticker or branding is typically on the front (sucking) bit
 
Bantu said:
1. In addition to the arrow mentioned, the sticker or branding is typically on the front (sucking) bit
Click to expand...
Other way around.

The airflow usually goes from the open side, through and blows out the side with the support struts on it. The sticker/label is on the outside of this, in the middle of the struts... usually. I'm sure other fans have indeed done it the other way, but none of my Noctuas, Corsairs, or even Enermaxes have it thus, though.
 
sorry, you're absolutely right. stickers on the back side. my fractal design case fans did it that way too.
 
Thank you for that. My current fans don't have any arrows which accounted for the confusion.

Hopefully the new ones do to make this easier. I always assumed that they mount with the open face mounted on the grill (other way looked wrong).

Anyway, always better to ask and let people think you are an idiot but learn than not to ask, don't learn and confirm that you are an idiot!!!
 
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