Most people go wrong when purchasing a PC fan because they focus too much on the cooler types, not the fan size. The PC fan’s size impacts the overall cooling performance, courtesy of the airflow CFM figures and RPMs.
For the unversed, larger fans are even quieter than the smaller ones. Yet, knowing all that might not help unless you understand PC fans better, especially in size. Throughout this article, I shall use my years of PC-building experience to help you better identify PC fans.
Contents
PC Fan Sizes
Fan Size | Use Cases |
---|---|
40mm |
|
60mm |
|
80mm |
|
92mm |
|
120mm |
|
140mm |
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200mm |
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220mm |
|
240mm |
|
As a visual reference, 240mm is as big as a standard sheet of paper or even a small handheld tablet. This should give you a reference to take note of all the computer fan sizes in existence.
PC Fans and Their Sizes: Explained
Note that the PC fans and coolers vary; both might be needed for the best possible performance. A cooler is meant to remove heat by having a heat sink as part of the architecture.
Simply put, a cooler takes the heat generated and moves it within itself to make life inside the PC case easier for the components. In contrast, a fan is only meant for circulating air within the case — taking heat from inside, throwing it out, and bringing the cooler air inside.
Yes, a fan can be a part of a cooler, but every fan doesn’t need to be inside the cooler. It can work separately. Now that possible confusion is cleared, let’s understand computer case fan sizes:
1. 40mm Fan Dimensions
40mm is the smallest PC fan size you can get. These fans can fit into the tightest possible spaces and are meant for smaller cases like mini towers and SFFs.
What makes these PC fans useful is the energy efficiency on display. Plus, they are low-cost and boast excellent static pressure. And with static pressure, I mean the ability to push more hot air outside despite the smaller form factor.
Yet, they are small, and the air volume they move isn’t ideal for big gaming rigs. For small builds and personal setups, where you might not even consider getting a cooler, these 40mm fans fit in really well.
As for options, the Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX and another one from the table above are good picks. They usually set you back by $10 to even $15.
In case you are interested in the specifics, the 40mm fans usually offer 4-8 CFM regarding airflow and 5000-8000 RPM regarding motion. Their max sound level is 30dB, making them basic for gaming setups.
Some versions from Noctua come with built-in fan control, whereas if you are interested in RGB lighting, only the Deepcool RF 40 5V RGB and a few more qualify.
2. 60mm Fan Dimensions
If you are looking for a reliable cooling solution for compact PCs, where traditional coolers with heat sinks might not fit in, 60mm fans make a lot of sense.
These fans are affordable and almost as small as the 40mm variants. And what’s important to note is that the 60mm fans can also be used with other electronic devices like power supplies, DVRs, and even portable hard drives.
They offer lower RPMs than 40mm versions and are, therefore less noisy. You can consider the Cooler Master JetFlo 60 if you are interested and planning to get one immediately. They often go as high as $20, which makes them quite affordable.
60mm fans can take the airflow to as high as 20 CFM, making them good enough for extremely tight spaces.
The noise level can be as high as 25dB, making them quieter than the 40mm variants. And finally, if you are interested in RGB versions of the 60mm fans, I would ask you to consider the likes of the Cooler Master MasterFan MF600R.
3. 80mm Fan Dimensions
An 80mm fan is the standard-size for mid-tower and maybe even smaller cases. They are easily available, and the low-noise mechanism makes them good enough for gaming PCs.
Like 40mm and 60mm fans, even 80mm sized fans boasts excellent static pressure to push out the air more aggressively. Still, in places where larger fans cannot fit, and you might still want to consider a cooler first, 80mm fans fit in really well.
The Arctic F8 PWM and the SickleFlow 80 from Cooler Master are the best 80mm options in play. They usually cost around $20 to $25. Plus, their quantifiable airflow capabilities can go as high as 40 CFM.
The RPM can be as low as 3500, making the noise levels plateau at 20dB. Some 80mm fans from Noctua — the NF-A8 PWM — can also offer built-in fan control support.
And finally, if you wish to get RGB support on 80mm fans, you can opt for the Thermaltake Pure 12 ARGB as your choice of fan.
4. 92mm Fan Dimensions
A 92mm fan goes really well with mid-tower cases. What makes them good is the perfect balance between airflow and noise. For instance, the RPM can be as low as 1800, which then ensures that the noise level doesn’t exceed 10dB.
Regarding other traits, the airflow can go as high as 50 CFM, making the 92mm fans good enough for workstations and gaming PCs.
Coming to the variants, the best RGB picks in this category include the MasterFan SF120R RGB, whereas the Noctua NF-A9 PWM is a good enough fan with controls.
The cost can go as high as $30, but if you are ready to ignore the special features, you can get one for as low as $20.
5. 120mm Fan Dimensions
A 120mm fan size can offer airflow support up to 80 CFM, provided you choose right. The lowest RPM figure can be 1000, making the noise level go as low as 10dB.
Therefore, 120mm fans work really well for sound engineering and gaming workstations. However, they aren’t just good at moving hot air out. They also work efficiently with water-based cooling setups.
And even though some of you might consider it for full-tower cases, I feel that 120mm fans fit in really well inside mid-tower cases. Plus, many of these come with built-in fan controls, with NF-F12 PWM from Noctua being one of the more popular ones.
If you are into RGB lightning, the best fan in this category must be the Corsair LL120 RGB. You can even pick the likes of NZXT Aer F120, which would take the budget to a max of $30 if needed.
6. 140mm Fan Dimensions
140mm fans are larger than 120mm fans. Well, that’s obvious. What’s not is that their noise-to-cooling balance is exceptional, as they can double down as radiator inclusions and even work as intake-exhaust units for standard cases.
140mm fans work best with gaming, video editing, and other high-productivity workstations. Coming to the specifics, they can offer 90 CFM worth of airflow, the lowest possible RPM figure of 500, and the lowest possible noise level of 10dB.
The pricing can go as high as $40, but only for special players like Thermaltake Riing Plus 14 with RGB support and even the Noctua NF-A14 PWM with controls.
You can even pick from the likes of Corsair AF140 and be quiet! Pure Wings 2, if you are looking to expand the search horizon.
7. 200mm Fan Dimensions
Even though 200mm isn’t the largest PC fan size, it is still one of the biggest ones for standard commercial use.
The noise level control makes them good, courtesy of 400-1000 RPM. But that’s not it. As the best-case scenario, they can push out massive air volume with an airflow limit capable of clocking even 200 CFM.
These fans are best used with full tower cases and can work as intake or even exhaust fans, if needed, especially for massive professional rigs.
Coming to the cost, they can go as high as $50 if you are interested in the likes of Cooler Master MegaFlow 200 (the RGB variant) or even the Thermaltake Riing 20 for some built-in controls.
Even though there are other fan sizes available on the market (220mm and even 240mm), the ones mentioned above are the most common, easily accessible, and can pair well with almost every case-specific form factor.
How To Measure The PC Fan Size?
Wait, doesn’t the PC fan manual have the information already? Well, not every manual has the same declaration. And if they do, locating the same can be an issue. Here are all the methods and the corresponding steps you need to be privy to the right PC fan size:
Method 1: The Manual
Step 1: The primary task is locating the manual with the case or the fan.
Step 2: Go to the PC fan section if you have the case manual to refer to. That will give you some insights regarding the fan size that the case can accommodate.
Step 3: Once you have the case size allocated for the fan, you can compare it with the different fan sizes to evaluate the one that you would be using.
Method 2: Measuring Dimensions
Step 1: If the fan is already installed, remove the same and measure the distance from one corner of the fan to another.
Note: The distance measurement should start from the fan’s housing point.
Step 2: Repeat the same process for the other two corners, and once done, take the average of the measurements to determine the fan size.
Method 3: Distance Between Mounting Holes
Step 1: Consider removing the fan from the case. Once done, measure the distance between the mounting holes, starting right at the center.
In the case of a PC fan, the mounting holes are supposed to sit on the corners of the fan’s case-specific frame.
Step 2: Once you have the distance, compare the same with the standard fan sizes to determine the right size of the fan you are using.
Other Methods
While each of the methods mentioned above is reliable, here are a few additional yet generic strategies that you can follow:
- Use online resources to cross-reference the build based on the information you supplement. These should include the diameter, number of blades, and mounting hole spacing distance.
- You can also get some information by following the product label. You can search online to identify the fan size if they have the model number or any other detail.
- And finally, if none of the strategies mentioned above work, you can always connect with the manufacturer and get the right information.
Frequently Asked Questions
The PC size you need depends on many factors — computer case, heat levels generated by the components, and the preferred airflow or the CFM count. For instance, if you plan to build a full-fledged GPU-loaded gaming PC, a 120mm fan should be the minimum. However, 80mm to 92mm fans might work if you want something for your basic home or office PC.
The size of a gaming PC fan depends on your needs, and there isn’t a “best” size to go with. However, for the sake of convenience, you can pick a 140mm or even a 200mm PC fan to strike the perfect balance between noise and cooling efficiency. But then, if you have eyes on a smaller build, the focus should be on getting a 120mm PC fan.
No, the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work with PC fans. Instead, you should ascertain the purpose of your PC, the size of your case, and the heating expectations before purchasing a PC fan. Once you have the prerequisites taken care of, you should choose a fan depending on the requirement-aligned RPM, CFM, noise level, and other factors.
The smallest PC fan size would be 40mm. And these fans are best suited for SFF or Small Form Factor PC cases or with other electronic devices like routers, DVRs, and more.
The largest PC fan size can go as high as 240mm. However, the most popular, commercially available size has to be 200mm — a fan size that works swimmingly with most gaming and workstation rigs. And the size of 200mm PC fans makes them excellent picks for high-end cooling and the lowest possible noise generation.
Conclusion
I believe that reading through this article would have helped you gain a better understanding of PC fans (with or without coolers).
Also, you would have seen that many factors get influenced by the size of the fan you choose, including the airflow, RPM, noise, and whatnot.
Keeping all that in mind, it is necessary first to ascertain the purpose of building your PC and then get the right fan, depending on the expected thermal output.
And while you can follow everything mentioned in the article, for additional research, you can even focus on the bearing design of the fans in addition to the size, as even they have a bearing (no pun intended) on the noise level and cost. I shall prepare a separate piece on the PC fan bearing in time.
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