PC games are video games played on personal computers instead of with consoles or at an arcade.
They have greater capacity in input, processing, and output (video and audio). A gaming computer is a personal computer set aside for playing video games that require a heavy amount of computing power.
Reports have it that the PC gaming sector is the third-largest gaming category as of 2016. And the first generation of computer games were adventures based on text or interactive fiction in which players had to enter a set of commands with a keyboard.
Computer fans are fans attached to a computer case for active cooling. They draw cool air from outside into the case and expel warm air from inside.
Cooling fans are needed in computers to help regulate heat as it could damage computer components such as the motherboards, CPUs, and more.
This brings us to the question.
How many fans should a gaming PC have?
It’s advisable to get cases having at least three fans for gaming systems. And it’s possible that your computer wouldn’t come with its own cooling case and you have to purchase one separately.
While on the hunt for cases, you have to look out for the following features:
- 1 front-mounted intake fan
- 1 top-mounted exhaust fan
- 1 rear-mounted exhaust fan
- 1 extra Intake or exhaust fan
- Spacious (more space allows heat to disperse away from components)
- 1 additional side-mounted intake fan
Are two 2 fans enough for a gaming PC?
This depends on the hardware and layout of the case.
But normally, two case fans (one intake in front and one exhaust at the back) show great improvements to the CPU and GPU thermals of the computer.
For a low-end gaming PC, 1/1 is fine. But for high-end power hardware, 2/1 is better.
By adding more fans, it will help improve temperature by less than 2-3 degrees.
Are 140mm fans better than 120mm fans?
140mm fans are larger and they spin slower to achieve the same cooling as 120mm fans.
Although both fans are not similar when it comes to the CFM power of airflow, a 120mm fan spins up to 1200rpm while a 140mm fan spins up to 1000rpm.
A high spinning speed helps your PC to work faster. It also helps the PC to get rid of dust by creating positive pressure.
Sound frequency
Sound frequency also matters. A 140mm fan has a higher sound frequency because of its high spinning power and huge DBa.
It creates whisper-like sounds when under a heavy workload but in spite of this, they have a lower sound frequency than a 120mm fan.
PC gaming has a huge workload and therefore it requires appliances (especially fans) that have a high capacity.
The major effects of the fans are to cool the PC. Excessive heat can cause a computer to become slower, unable to multi-task, or even crash.
When in doubt, I’d personally advise you to go for 2 fans to cool your gaming PC and see if you like the improvements.