When you are thinking about building the perfect PC, you will want to get the cooling setup right.
If the CPU temperature begins to rise rapidly, it is going to render the PC useless.
This is why you have to be diligent when it comes to the placement and usage of fans. If you are not thinking about the cooling mechanism, it is rarely going to work out as you want it to.
This is why you will wonder, are PCI slot fans worth it?
PCI slot fans are not worth it. They do little to cool and become difficult to maintain. In some setups, they can do the opposite and increase the temperature depending on the way air circulates.
It’s best to maintain decent airflow using traditional fans to ensure the results are on par with what you need.
The PCI slot fans will not offer meaningful value. Even in the best-case scenario, the temperature will drop by 2-5 degrees. This is not enough to add another component such as this into the setup.
Here is more on why it is not good to add PCI slot fans.
Reasons To Not Add PCI Slot Fans
1. Minimal Cooling
You will want to start by focusing on the cooling mechanism.
The main purpose of something like this is to improve how air flows and what the cooling is like inside the case. If it is already well-managed, the PCI slot fans will do little except take up valuable space.
You will always want to optimize the setup and that is rarely going to include using PCI slot fans.
Of course, this does not mean they are always a bad choice. The only time PCI slot fans work is when the existing setup does not do a good job of releasing hot air.
If so, you can look to find a good spot for the PCI slot fans to get as much value as possible when releasing hot air.
2. Can Increase The Temperature
This is one of those scenarios that you will want to think about.
Most will assume any type of fan is going to add value to the PC and is going to decrease its temperature. While this might be the case in limited situations (i.e. tight cases), but that is not always true.
You will likely end up placing the PCI slot fans under the video card, which will only increase the temperature depending on how the air blows. This is the last thing you want to do as it is only going to put more stress on the PC.
Always think about this before using PCI slot fans in a new PC.
3. Difficult To Maintain
For most users, you want to optimize the setup and not end up with something difficult to maintain. This is the last thing you are going to want to deal with when already managing other components in the PC.
This is a real concern and it is something you will want to think about as much as you can.
If you are not looking into what you are maintaining, you are not going to see appropriate results at all.
The PCI slot fans will break down and/or not push air as they are required to.
4. Only Work In Limited Situations
Now, it is important to look at both scenarios.
In general, PCI slot fans are useless and do not add enough value for them to be a good fit. This is why people tend to steer clear of them and look for other ways to increase airflow and make sure the heat is managed as best as possible.
However, there is one situation where you will want to put PCI slot fans into the mix.
This is when the casing is tight. This means air is not releasing as it needs to. This is when you will want to look at anything that will fit inside the case, which is what you can do with PCI slot fans.
They are more compact, so they will fit nicely into the setup.
Final Thoughts
Are PCI slot fans worth it?
PCI slot fans are not worth it. They don’t cool the system enough, remain difficult to maintain, and sometimes increase the temperature depending on how the air flows inside the case.
In general, it is best to look at other ways to increase the airflow in a case.
Otherwise, you will create a situation where the PCI slot fan does not work properly. This is when the temperature starts to rise and the PC takes the brunt of the hit.
Look into these details while figuring out what works and what does not for your PC.
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