{"id":22031,"date":"2023-03-23T15:57:49","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T14:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=22031"},"modified":"2023-06-14T10:06:30","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T08:06:30","slug":"3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/","title":{"rendered":"3-Pin vs 4-Pin PC\/Case Fans Compared [Differences &#038; Which you'll need]"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66844347de19a\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66844347de19a\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66844347de19a\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/#A_Brief_on_Case_Fans_and_RPM\" title=\"A Brief on Case Fans and RPM\">A Brief on Case Fans and RPM<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/#3-Pin_vs_4-Pin_Fans_Compared\" title=\"3-Pin vs 4-Pin Fans Compared\">3-Pin vs 4-Pin Fans Compared<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/#PWM_Pulse_Width_Modulation_Explained\" title=\"PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) Explained\">PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) Explained<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/#Do_you_need_3-_or_4-Pin_Fans\" title=\"Do you need 3- or 4-Pin Fans?\">Do you need 3- or 4-Pin Fans?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/#Do_Laptop_Fans_Have_PWM\" title=\"Do Laptop Fans Have PWM?\">Do Laptop Fans Have PWM?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/#Are_3-Pin_Fans_Still_Worthwhile_In_a_Quiet_PC_Build\" title=\"Are 3-Pin Fans Still Worthwhile In a Quiet PC Build?\">Are 3-Pin Fans Still Worthwhile In a Quiet PC Build?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/3-pin-vs-4-pin-pc-case-fans\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>In the showdown of 3-Pin vs 4-Pin Fans, which comes out on top and why?<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the actual differences, and when should you be choosing one or the other?<\/strong> I\u2019ll be diving into the answers to these questions and more in the article below.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Brief_on_Case_Fans_and_RPM\"><\/span>A Brief on Case Fans and RPM<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>First, let\u2019s break down the core points you need to know <\/strong>before we\u2019re breaking down the difference between fan connectors. Case fans come in a variety of form factors, each denoted by a length in millimeters.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7129\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2019\/10\/Case-Fan-Size-Comparison-G100-1024.jpg\" alt=\"Case Fan Size Comparison G100\" width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2019\/10\/Case-Fan-Size-Comparison-G100-1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2019\/10\/Case-Fan-Size-Comparison-G100-1024-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2019\/10\/Case-Fan-Size-Comparison-G100-1024-768x405.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7129 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201024%20540%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Case Fan Size Comparison G100\" width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201024%20540%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2019\/10\/Case-Fan-Size-Comparison-G100-1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2019\/10\/Case-Fan-Size-Comparison-G100-1024-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2019\/10\/Case-Fan-Size-Comparison-G100-1024-768x405.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2019\/10\/Case-Fan-Size-Comparison-G100-1024.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>The <strong>most popular sizes are <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/120-vs-140mm-case-fans\/\">120mm and 140mm<\/a><\/strong>, and these numbers correspond to the length of <em>each<\/em> equal-length side.<\/p>\n<p><strong>They\u2019re squares!<\/strong> But a little bigger in the palm than you might expect.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3-Pin_vs_4-Pin_Fans_Compared\"><\/span>3-Pin vs 4-Pin Fans Compared<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A 3-Pin Fan is, for all intents and purposes, a completely regular case fan.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22039\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers.jpg\" alt=\"3-pin vs 4-Pin Fan Headers\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22039 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"3-pin vs 4-Pin Fan Headers\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/3-pin-vs-4-Pin-Fan-Headers.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>A 4-Pin Fan is also a completely regular case fan, but, you guessed it, with a 4-pin connector.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The only meaningful difference between 3-Pin and 4-Pin fans is this connector, which adds Pulse Width Modulation to the equation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here's how 3- and 4-Pin fans compare:<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-194\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-194 tablepress-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\"> <\/th><th class=\"column-2\">3-Pin<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">4-Pin<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Cost<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Lower<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Higher<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Minimum speed<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">~40% of max RPM<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">~20% of max RPM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Fan speed control<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Basic on supported motherboards (voltage regulation)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Precise<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-194 from cache -->\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"PWM_Pulse_Width_Modulation_Explained\"><\/span>PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) Explained<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/pwm-dc-system-fans\/\"><strong>PWM<\/strong><\/a>, or <strong>P<\/strong>ulse <strong>W<\/strong>idth <strong>M<\/strong>odulation, is the method through which PC fan speed is controlled.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, through a 4-Pin Fan connector, pulse width modulation controls the rhythm and capacity at which power is delivered to the fan. In other words, the fan's motor is turned off and on extremely quickly, in a pulsing fashion, instead of supplying the motor with power continuously.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17869\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles.jpg\" alt=\"PWM Fan Duty Cycles\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17869 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"PWM Fan Duty Cycles\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/08\/PWM-Fan-Duty-Cycles.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>PWM enables more precise fan speed control<\/strong>, which makes PWM fans invaluable for <em>CPU<\/em> cooling fans and quietness-focused <em>case<\/em> cooling fans.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22040\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22040\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-22040\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level.jpg\" alt=\"PWM Fan Speed and Noise Level\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22040\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-22040 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"PWM Fan Speed and Noise Level\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/03\/PWM-Fan-Speed-and-Noise-Level.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-22040\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Techpowerup<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_you_need_3-_or_4-Pin_Fans\"><\/span>Do you need 3- or 4-Pin Fans?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If your motherboard has 3-Pin Fan headers only, then there's no reason for you to buy the more expensive 4-Pin Fans as the PWM functionality would be wasted. The same is true if you'll be running these fans at a continuous RPM. You won't be needing the fine-grained control of a 4-Pin PWM Fan.<\/p>\n<p>Buy 4-Pin PWM fans if your motherboard has 4-pin fan headers and your goal is to achieve precise fan RPMs that ramp up and down depending on your CPU's (or other sensor's) temperature.<\/p>\n<p>If your budget is limited and you don't want to invest into 4-pin fans, but still need your fans to ramp up and down, most modern motherboards have a featured called voltage-regulation, that'll limit the voltage supply to fan headers, essentially allowing 3-pin fans to change their fan speed. This kind of regulation is far less precise compared to PWM, though.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Laptop_Fans_Have_PWM\"><\/span>Do Laptop Fans Have PWM?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes! While laptops certainly have some cooling compromises compared to desktops, <strong>any* decent laptop is going to have PWM fans<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21280\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling.jpg\" alt=\"Laptop VS Desktop Cooling\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21280 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Laptop VS Desktop Cooling\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/12\/Laptop-VS-Desktop-Cooling.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Unless you\u2019re an Apple engineer who thinks creating a fanless laptop designed to overheat is a good idea. Which...it kind of was!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re called <strong>Macbook Air M1<\/strong>s and <strong>M2<\/strong>s, and <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/m1-vs-m2-macbook\/\"><strong>as covered by Petar in his article<\/strong><\/a><strong>, the M1 and M2 stand up pretty well in benchmarks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I\u2019d especially recommend them <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/laptop-cooling-pads\/\"><strong>paired with a laptop cooling pad<\/strong><\/a>, which should help them more sustainably run at the peak of those benched capabilities.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_3-Pin_Fans_Still_Worthwhile_In_a_Quiet_PC_Build\"><\/span>Are 3-Pin Fans Still Worthwhile In a Quiet PC Build?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Depends on the 3-Pin Fan!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Larger fans tend to circulate air more quietly in general <\/strong>due to running at lower RPM (Rotations Per Minute) than smaller fans.<\/p>\n<p>However, a 3-Pin Fan will be fixed to its maximum decibels in noise output at all times since it\u2019ll always be running at full RPM, or intensity.<\/p>\n<p>The only way to mitigate this downside is to find the quietest appropriate 3-Pin Fan, which is still worthwhile if you don\u2019t have access to fan controls. <strong>But in most cases, a quiet PC build would be best suited using PWM fans <\/strong>and PWM fan control hubs.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>And that\u2019s all!<\/p>\n<p>I hope this article helped give some core insight into the workings of the cooling fans that power many of our electronics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pulse Width Modulation is also widely-applicable to engineering in general, but that\u2019s when we would be wandering out of <em>my<\/em> wheelhouse and into the wheelhouse of the madmen who made a laptop without cooling fans. <em>How did they get away with it?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Stick around here on G100 for the answers to these questions and more, from me and the rest of the team. <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Feel free to ask them in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a>, or come hang out with us in our enthusiast-populated <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">Forums<\/a>. Until then, or until next time!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the showdown of 3-Pin vs 4-Pin Fans, which comes out on top and why? What are the actual differences, and when should you be choosing one or the other? I\u2019ll be diving into the answers to these questions and more in the article below. A Brief on Case Fans and RPM First, let\u2019s break...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2339,"featured_media":22034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74],"tags":[181],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22031"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22031"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22066,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22031\/revisions\/22066"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}