Why Airflow Is Important For Your PC And The Best Airflow PC Case To Buy
Whether you’re a PC gamer or a desktop professional, you might have faced overheating issues in your PC. All PCs are built to dissipate the heat they produce to let components cool, but sometimes it may not be efficient as it needs to be. In such a situation, you may need to upgrade your PC airflow system to ensure it works safely — if you wish to continue your gaming career, or any other career, on it.
After all, PC Airflow is crucial to your PC’s build. And the good news is: there is no shortage of airflow PC cases to choose from in today’s market.
You’re here to find out how you can optimize the performance of your PC with efficient thermal performance, and we will tell you just that. And if you are new to PC builds and all the technicalities, we will inform you of everything you need to know before you go and choose the best air-cooled case for you!
Let’s dive right into it.
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What Is Airflow?
Airflow is a cooling system in PCs using air to dissipate excessive heat, whether from the front of your PC case or within. It is important to have a healthy airflow to prevent overheating and causing damages to delicate components and wiring.
If your pc case’s airflow is not accurate to compensate for the workload and heat produced, the damage could be expensive to repair, and it can be extremely dangerous for you.
Three Types of PC Airflow Configurations
Exhaust Fan
This type of airflow configuration has an exhaust fan placed on the wall of your PC case, with the blowing side facing out. As the PC runs, the exhaust fan blows hot air out from within the case.
Intake Fan
The intake fan is placed on the wall of the PC case, except the blowing side faces the inside of your PC. it pulls air from outside and pushes air inside, causing direct airflow in the PC’s internal space.
Negative Internal Air Pressure
Negative internal air pressure means that the inside air pressure of your PC is lower than the outside, or more air is blown out than in the PC. this airflow configuration has exhaust and intake fans. The exhaust fans work at a higher airflow rate than the intake fans.
The exhaust fans may outnumber the intake fans while being bigger or the same size. They may also spin much faster or have a higher airflow rate specification than the intake fans.
How The Different Airflow Configurations Work And What Sets Them Apart
Intake and exhaust fans are quite simple. The fan mounts on the walls of PC cases, which either exhaust hot air out or intake cooler air in to cool your PC’s internal space.
As a result, you may place multiple fans in different configurations and end up with a negative internal air pressure configuration.
The negative internal air pressure airflow may provide excellent airflow, but the additional fans can also pull a lot of dust into your PC. If you do not regularly clean your PC from the inside out or place any dust filters, you could seriously damage your PC components or even end up with more overheating issues than you started with.
The same issue arises with intake fans; they can bring dust and dirt into your PC, but it accumulates much faster. Again, you would need a dust filter as there is only air blowing in and none going out to take any of the dust floating around with it.
Regardless, an airflow PC case and configuration will suit you depending on what you need for your PC to work efficiently. You could explore and find the best configuration for you by trying out any ones you can, including dust filters. There is also an option of a positive internal air pressure configuration, in which there is more air blowing in than out.
How Many Fans Do You Need For Good Airflow?
Having at least one exhaust and one intake fan should create a balanced airflow for a substantial temperature decrease than having one or no fans at all. This airflow configuration is the barebone setup for PC airflow cooling systems, and any less than that will be like torturing your gaming PC.
Generally speaking, it is highly advised to buy a gaming PC, or airflow PC case, with enough space or slots for 3 or more fans for healthy airflow. The 3 slots or extra fans space exclude power supply, GPU, and CPU fans.
If you are a competitive or frequent gamer, you will need to invest in a high-quality PC case that will provide excellent airflow. The fans are not the only component to focus on for good airflow. However, you must also consider the PC case itself. Therefore, in this guide, we will tell you about some of the best airflow focused cases for the exact reason of providing you with the best airflow.
How the CPU and GPU are impacted by airflow?
The CPU and GPU are some of the most important components to keep cool in a gaming PC. they require their dedicated fans and good airflow because the panel fans would never be enough to dissipate the heat they produce.
If you do not have a liquid cooling system to control the thermal performance, consider it a waste of money without proper airflow.
If your CPU and graphics card do not receive enough cool air, they may become irreversibly damaged. If the graphics card is damaged, the games you play won’t even show properly. However, if the CPU is damaged, then forget gaming altogether, and you will not be able to use any of your gaming hardware until you go through the costly replacement and fix.
It is vital to get an airflow PC case with fan mounts specifically for the CPU and GPU to provide the best airflow and protect them. It is also good to get dust filters for each fan to prevent any dust from accumulating around the delicate components. You could invest in magnetic dust filters if you do not want to go through the hassle of mounting them with the fans.
Additionally, you may control the airflow rate in some fans that come with a fan controller, which helps to optimize the thermal performance of the GPU and CPU in your gaming PC. It is also important to consider these things for the power supply’s air cooling system.
Are bigger cases better for airflow?
The fans are not the only component to focus on for good airflow; however, you must also consider the PC case itself. Some of the best airflow PC cases exist for the exact reason of providing you with the best airflow and optimizing your gaming PC performance.
So generally speaking, yes, a bigger airflow pc case has better potential for proper airflow in the PC’s internal space. However, most full-tower pc cases may not be the most efficient at cooling as they are, but if you pack them with cooling fans, you will have better airflow than a high-quality mid-tower airflow pc case might offer.
Open Or Enclosed PC Case
Moreover, there is the matter of open or enclosed pc cases. Case thermal performance may vary depending on many factors. But some PCs may keep components cool better when they’re open cases, but some enclosed PC cases with excellent airflow may cool better than they were open.
The PC case world offers endless configurations, varieties, and options. Still, we recommend that you prioritize build quality and the internal layout of any airflow PC cases you want to buy.
How Case Size Impacts Airflow
if you build your PC, size might be an important factor to consider before buying an airflow PC case. You need to make sure that you can have enough space for all your internal components and proper cable management. Most importantly, a full tower pc case might be more efficient at allowing good airflow in the internal space of your PC than a mid-tower case.
A larger airflow pc case will have more space to circulate as much air as possible before externally dissipating heat. On the other hand, a mid-tower pc case may not support enough intake and exhaust fans as you need. However, if the internal layout and build quality are excellent, it may offer the proper airflow required while compact and saving space.
Should I Get An Airflow PC Case?
Even if you do not have a very powerful pc system, investing in some of the best airflow pc cases can help you achieve peak performance. Your PC is not only supporting its internal components, but it has to make sure that all the hardware connected to it performs well too!
Thus, it is good to get the best airflow pc case to ensure excellent airflow if you do not want to set up a liquid cooling system. It is especially ideal if you like to build your PC and want to optimize the thermal performance. You can find a good budget airflow PC case and build it with any internal layout you need.
Review Time: Best Airflow PC Cases
CORSAIR Crystal Series 680X* – Overall Best Airflow PC Case
CORSAIR Crystal Series 680X RGB High Airflow Tempered Glass ATX Smart Case,...
- Equip your PC with outstanding high airflow cooling, with four fans and a Direct Airflow Path layout delivering massive airflow to your PC’s hottest components.
- Illuminate your system with three included LL120 RGB fans, boasting a total of 48 customizable RGB LEDs. Compatible Corsair Liquid Coolers- H55, H60, H75, H80i, H90, H100i, H105, H110i, H115i, H150i
- Equip your PC with outstanding high airflow cooling, with four fans and a Direct Airflow Path layout delivering massive airflow to your PC’s hottest components.
- Illuminate your system with three included LL120 RGB fans, boasting a total of 48 customizable RGB LEDs. Compatible Corsair Liquid Coolers- H55, H60, H75, H80i, H90, H100i, H105, H110i, H115i, H150i
- An included CORSAIR Lighting Node PRO turns the 680X RGB into a smart case, powered by CORSAIR iCUE software that brings your system to life with dynamic RGB lighting synchronized across all your iCUE compatible products, including fans, RGB LED light strips, DDR4 memory, keyboards, mice and more.
- Custom builds needn’t be cluttered - a distinctive dual-chamber design makes it incredibly easy to assemble an immaculate system that keeps cables tidy and out of view. Radiator Compatibility - 120mm, 140mm, 240mm, 280mm, 360mm
- Three crystal-clear tempered glass panels, fitted in the front, roof and a hinged easy-access side panel door, provide a stunning view of your PC’s high-profile components.
The CORSAIR Crystal Series 680x is a mid-tower, airflow pc case made of tempered glass. It supports ATX motherboards and one power supply unit. What makes this the overall best airflow pc is its outstandingly high airflow cooling potential, coupled with a beautiful design.
This RGB airflow pc case has a tempered glass side panel and a roof glass panel, coupled with a smart, synchronized RBG lighting system for all internal components. it has a dual-chamber layout, with fan mounts large as 8×120 mm or 7×140 m. additionally, it offers radiator support because it offers room to mount up to four radiators.
If you are looking for the best cooling potential without compromising on aesthetics, the Crystal Series 680X will be a beautiful addition to your gaming setup!
NZXT h710i* – Second-Best Airflow PC Case
The NZXT h710i is a mid-tower airflow PC gaming case that has 2 fans and 7 expansion slots. It supports ATX motherboards, radiator support, and 413mm GPU clearance. It is the next best airflow pc case because of the enhanced cable management and how it offers enough space for all your components with amazing specs.
NZXT H710i - CA-H710 i-W1 - ATX Mid Tower PC Gaming Case...
- NEW FEATURES: Front I/O USB Type-C Port, Vertical GPU Mount, Tempered glass side panel with single screw installation, and upgraded Smart Device V2
- SMART DEVICE V2: Includes a faster microprocessor for NZXT CAM-powered control of two RGB lighting channels and three fan channels that support either voltage regulated or PWM fans.
- NEW FEATURES: Front I/O USB Type-C Port, Vertical GPU Mount, Tempered glass side panel with single screw installation, and upgraded Smart Device V2
- SMART DEVICE V2: Includes a faster microprocessor for NZXT CAM-powered control of two RGB lighting channels and three fan channels that support either voltage regulated or PWM fans.
- VERTICAL GPU MOUNTING: Show off your graphic card with a built-in mounting bracket for installing your GPU vertically *PCIe riser card not included
- ENHANCED CABLE MANAGEMENT: Our patented cable routing kit with pre-installed channels and straps makes wiring easy and intuitive
- SPECS: Max GPU Clearance: 413mm, Radiaor Support - Front: 360mm, Top: 360mm, Rear: 140mm
It has a tempered glass side panel to show the integrated RGB lighting system and vertical GPU mount. In addition, the smart device V2 includes a faster microprocessor to control two RGB lighting channels and three fan channels supporting PWM or voltage-regulated fans. As a result, it offers excellent airflow along with a sleek design and beautiful lighting.
It is undoubtedly an exquisite addition to your pc gaming station!
Cooler Master MB311L* – Best Budget Micro ATX Tower
Cooler Master MasterBox MB311L ARGB Airflow Micro-ATX Tower with Dual ARGB Fans,...
- Fine mesh front panel: Cooler Master’s Fine Mesh design on the front panel is proven to provide proficient airflow while filtering out dust.
- Mesh intakes: Large, mesh intakes span each side of the front panel to provide additional airflow to system.
- Fine mesh front panel: Cooler Master’s Fine Mesh design on the front panel is proven to provide proficient airflow while filtering out dust.
- Mesh intakes: Large, mesh intakes span each side of the front panel to provide additional airflow to system.
- Dual ARGB fans: Dual pre-installed 120mm ARGB fans with splitter can be managed by the motherboard, to create a customized ARGB lighting system. Motherboard support - Micro ATX, Mini ITX
- Tempered glass: Hardware, custom-loop cooling, or the pure pride of showing off the build in panoramic view through an edge-to-edge tempered glass side panel.
- Adaptable drive cage: The drive cage is movable, able to shift toward the front to accommodate for PSU space, backwards to provide additional radiator space, or even completely removed.
- Versatile cooling options: Support a total of 6 120 millimeter fans, front, top and rear radiator placement to ensure no compromise on cooling performance.
The cooler master masterbox is a micro ATX tower airflow PC case that we consider the best budget airflow PC case. It comes with ARGB lighting and two ARGB fans, and a tempered glass side panel to allow you to enjoy the lighting. It also has a front fine mesh panel and mesh intake vents providing healthy airflow that matches open pc cases. Additionally, the fine mesh front panel can help as a dust filter. The adaptable drive cage is movable, and it can shift toward the front to make enough space for PSU, backward to provide for some radiator space, or even be completely removed.
The cooler master masterbox is a great airflow pc case if you are new to pc builds and want to begin. It has a decent build quality and comes at a significantly more affordable price than many other airflow pc cases.
Final Thoughts: Airflow PC cases
To conclude this guide on airflow, and after reviewing some of the best airflow PC cases, we can probably agree that having a good airflow system is crucial, if there is no liquid cooling system. A powerful PC will generate as much heat as it requires. If the heat is not properly distributed and exhausted, you can expect to face some serious heating issues and potential damages to your PC’s internal space components.
If you are looking for the best airflow PC case, then as mentioned above, the CORSAIR Crystal Series 680X is the overall best out there. It may be the most expensive on this list, but generally speaking, it is the best price for the build quality it possesses.
If you want the best budget airflow PC, the cool master masterbox is your new best bet. It has a great build quality and exciting specs that make its price tag all the more surprising. It is also ideal for novice PC builders to get started without investing too much money and knowing how to make the most of it.
We hope this guide has helped you understand the importance of airflow better!
